Appeal No. 1996-3423
Serial No. 08/314,471
process". In our view, Senn provides no assistance in
our ability to reasonably predict the outcome of adding
Singleton's boron to its catalytic process. Such a
prediction is not made any easier by the general
unpredictability of these types of catalytic processes.
Further weighing in favor of the nonobviouness of
appellants' claimed invention is data from the
specification (Tables I and II, pp. 15 and 18,
respectively) put forward as evidence of unexpected
results. The results show an increase in gasoline/light
cycle oil yields when the claimed three-component
passivating agent is employed. It shows that, under
certain circumstances, the use of zirconium, antimony and
boron, yield higher combined gasoline/light cycle oil
yields than when each is used separately or in
combination of two passivating agents. We see nothing in
these results that would cast doubt on that conclusion
and examiner has not raised any questions about it.
Consequently, given that the claimed process is
narrowly limited to producing an increase in the combined
yield of gasoline/light cycle oil, which is neither
taught or suggested by the prior art combination nor
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