Appeal No. 2000-0503 Page 5
Application No. 08/902,031
pages 2 and 19) have elected to argue the patentability of these claims, as well as the claims
which depend therefrom, together as a group. Therefore, we shall decide the appeal of the
rejections of these claims on the basis of representative claim 83, with claims 84-88, 90-100,
102-107, 145-150 and 152-156 standing or falling therewith. See In re Young, 927 F.2d 588,
590, 18 USPQ2d 1089, 1091 (Fed. Cir. 1991); In re Wood, 582 F.2d 638, 642, 199 USPQ
137, 140 (CCPA 1978).
Toth discloses a container assembly comprising an elongated support frame 12 including
a horizontally extending lower frame member 20, center longitudinal beams 16 and upright end
frames comprised of vertical and horizontal end units 22 and 24, respectively; a tank (vessel
30) having a plurality of downwardly discharging hoppers 34 and an attachment means
comprised of skirt rings 32, cross supports 25 and sills 23 which connects the support frame 12
and the vessel. The skirt rings are welded on one end to the upright end frames and cross
supports and along a region near the other end to the vessel and the sills are welded to the
center longitudinal beams of the frame and to the vessel.
In proceedings before it, the PTO applies to the verbiage of claims the broadest
reasonable meaning of the words in their ordinary usage as they would be understood by one
of ordinary skill in the art, taking into account whatever enlightenment by way of definitions or
otherwise that may be afforded by the written description contained in the appellants’
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