Appeal No. 1997-1122 Page 3
Application No. 08/170,177
binding means for joining said granulate or shavings in a
form-maintaining rigid bond with each other and to define a
multiplicity of hollow spaces in said body communicating with
each other and said top surface thereby facilitating the
dispersal of said hydrocarbons within said body for absorption
thereby;
said binding means being resistant to hydrocarbons
thereby causing said body to retain its overall shape in the
presence of said hydrocarbons; and
said flat molded body having additional space formed
therein to accommodate swelling of said flat molded body as
the hydrocarbons become trapped therein.
The prior art references of record relied upon by the
examiner in rejecting the appealed claims are:
Crouch et al. (Crouch) 3,591,494 July 06,
1971
Stark 4,481,335 Nov. 06,
1984
Valley 4,826,030 May 02,
1989
Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology (Kirk-Othmer),
Third Edition, Vol. 16, pp. 433-34 and Vol. 20, pp. 367-69,
432 and 433, John Wiley and Sons (1981).
Claims 14, 15, 17, 20, 22, 23, 25, 26, 28-32, and 34
stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable
over Valley in view of Crouch and Stark. Claims 24 and 27
stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable
over Valley in view of Crouch and Stark as applied above, and
further in view of Kirk-Othmer.
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