Appeal No. 1999-0627 Page 8
Application No. 08/688,991
Regarding the "slightly angled" limitation of claim 1, it
is axiomatic that, in proceedings before the PTO, claims in an
application are to be given their broadest reasonable
interpretation consistent with the specification, and that
claim language should be read in light of the specification as
it would be interpreted by one of ordinary skill in the art.
In re Sneed, 710 F.2d 1544, 1548, 218 USPQ 385, 388 (Fed. Cir.
1983). Moreover, limitations are not to be read into the
claims from the specification. In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d
1181, 1184, 26 USPQ2d 1057, 1059 (Fed. Cir. 1993) citing In re
Zletz, 893 F.2d 319, 321, 13 USPQ2d 1320, 1322 (Fed. Cir.
1989).
The term "angled" is defined as "moved or bent at an
angle." From our viewpoint, the rear section (R) of the Nunn4
handle is bent or angled downwardly from a longitudinal axis
aligned with the tang of a tool mounted on the handle to the
downwardly protruding portion disposed around the boss (18b).
4Webster's New World Dictionary, Third College Edition (Simon &
Schuster, Inc. 1988).
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