Ex parte SIGMUNDSTAD - Page 6




          Appeal No. 2000-0560                                                        
          Application No. 08/578,636                                                  


          and definiteness required by § 112, second paragraph.                       
               The body of claim 9 is drafted in such a way that it                   
          appears to be directed to the combination of a static seal, a               
          dynamic seal, a barrier liquid supply, at least one swivel                  
          member and a ring element.  For example, claim 9 calls for “a               
          barrier                                                                     




          liquid supply communicating with said static and dynamic                    
          seals.”  As explained above, the underlying specification                   
          identifies the barrier liquid supply as the channels 20 and 50              
          and the means by which the barrier liquid supply communicates               
          with the static and dynamic seals as various openings or                    
          passages formed in one of the swivel members 2 or 3, including              
          grooves 16 and 48, and passages formed in the ring elements 17              
          and 47.  Thus, according to the underlying specification, in                
          order to have a barrier liquid supply communicating with                    
          static and dynamic seals, there must be certain structure,                  
          i.e., a swivel member provided with a supply channel and                    
          passages, including a groove, interconnecting the supply                    
          channel with the static and dynamic seals and a ring element                
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