Appeal No. 2000-0503 Page 6
Application No. 08/902,031
specification. In re Morris, 127 F.3d 1048, 1054, 44 USPQ2d 1023, 1027 (Fed. Cir. 1997).
Moreover, absent an express definition in their specification, the fact that
appellants can point to definitions or usages that conform to their interpretation does not make
the PTO's definition unreasonable when the PTO can point to other sources that support its
interpretation. Id., 127 F.2d at 1056, 44 USPQ2d at 1029.
Claim 83 requires, inter alia, "an attachment means whereby said attachment means
communicates with said support frame and said tank." As the appellants' specification does not
define "communicate," we interpret this term as "to be connected" and thus conclude that the2
claimed attachment means is fully met by the skirt rings 32, cross supports 25 and sills 23 of
Toth. Moreover, as discussed in column 2, lines 45-63, the skirt rings provide for transfer of
longitudinal and bearing forces across a large portion of the vessel body and secondary3
mounting of the hopper to the frame is accomplished through the use of side sill angles welded
to the center longitudinal beams for efficient transfer of bearing forces, longitudinal and
transverse (lateral) forces. Thus, even if the term "communicates" is interpreted as requiring
not only connection but also transmission of forces between the tank support frame and the
tank, we find that the attachment means comprising skirt rings 32, cross supports 25 and sills
23 of Toth satisfies this limitation.
2Webster's New World Dictionary, Third College Edition (Simon & Schuster, Inc. 1988).
The term "bearing" is defined as "that bears and supports weight" (Webster's New World Dictionary,3
Third College Edition (Simon & Schuster, Inc. 1988)).
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