Appeal No. 2000-1649
Application No. 08/951,077
An improved wall-mounted, vandal resistant
paper towel dispenser for public washrooms,
comprising:
means for storing and dispensing paper
towels; and
an outer housing for encasing said storing
and dispensing means, said outer housing
comprising a rear mounting surface that is
adapted to be secured to a wall, and a shell-
like forward surface having a top and sides and
which is connected to said rear mounting
surface, for protecting said storing and
dispensing means from individuals who might have
destructive intent, said shell-like forward
surface being softly rounded to define a
smoothly curving cross-sectional profile in any
plane perpendicular to the rear mounting surface
to an extent that is [sic: it is] practically
impossible to obtain a handhold on the top or
sides of said outer housing, whereby a vandal
will be prevented from grabbing the dispenser
and pulling it off the wall.
In considering this claim, we note that the expression "in any
plane perpendicular to the rear mounting surface" does not
appear in the specification. The word "any" in this2
expression could, in the abstract, be interpreted to mean "at
least one" or "every." However, reading the claim in light of
the apparatus disclosed in the application, and in light of
the intended function of the claimed structure as recited in
2The specification should be amended to provide
antecedent basis, as required by 37 CFR § 1.75(d)(1).
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