Appeal No. 2000-1479 Page 5
Application No. 08/915,355
substantially continuously laterally across the width of the
bag splitter assembly.2
Roman's invention is directed to a bag splitter assembly
for tearing open conveyed bags containing municipal solid
waste and emptying the contents therefrom. As shown in
Figures 2 and 3, the bag splitter assembly comprises a series
of pivotally mounted splitter blades 36 and 36' which are
located above a bag transporting conveyor 30. Confronting
serrated edges 48 and 48' of the splitter blades tear open the
conveyed bags while the trailing edges of the blades contain
2The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
applies to the verbiage of the claims before it 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 appellant's specification. In re
Morris, 127 F.3d 1048, 1054, 44 USPQ2d 1023, 1027 (Fed. Cir.
1997). See also In re Sneed, 710 F.2d 1544, 1548, 218 USPQ
385, 388 (Fed. Cir. 1983). In this case, it is our
determination that the term "horizontally-disposed" as used in
the claims under appeal would be understood by one of ordinary
skill in the art to mean that the canard-like blades which are
disposed substantially continuously laterally across the width
of the bag splitter assembly lie in a plane more horizontal
than vertical.
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007