Appeal No. 98-2163
Application No. 08/537,673
coupling having part-spherical male and female members for the
purpose of permitting Harsch's cylinder to be oriented in
"fixed alignments" for small angular adjustments in view of
the German publication's teachings.
The German publication, however, does not provide part-
spherical male and female members for the purpose of providing
"fixed alignments" as the examiner apparently believes.
Instead, the German publication is directed to a lift mast for
a lift truck wherein the lifting cylinder is mounted on the
truck by a coupling having part-spherical male and female
parts 3. In order to prevent binding or wedging (i.e,
jamming) between the part-spherical male and female parts as
they move relative to each other, these parts are elastically
interconnected, thus providing for the "free adjustment" of
the lift mechanism (see the first two paragraphs of the
translation). To this end, the German publication elastically
interconnects the part-spherical male and female parts by (1)
a hairpin spring 7 in the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2, (2)
Belleville springs 14 interposed between screws 13 and part 10
in the embodiment of Fig. 3 and (3) an elastomeric member 18
interposed between bracket or abutment 17 and part 15 in the
4
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Last modified: November 3, 2007