Appeal No. 1997-1451
Application 08/145,974
For the reasons set forth below, we cannot sustain this
rejection.
As correctly explained by the appellant, the structural
member disclosed by Van Beersel relates to thermally insulated
pipe joints and is totally unlike the here claimed corrosion-
resistant structural member which involves protecting from
corrosion-causing elements the joint that connects reinforcing
rods. For example, the Van Beersel member does not include a
sleeve having inner and outer layers whereby, when heat is
applied to the structural member, the liquefied inner layer is
forced "into intimate contact with the corrodible surfaces" of
the reinforcing rod connecting ends (appealed claim 1).
Similarly, Van Beersel contains no teaching or suggestion of
the structural member defined by appealed claim 1 which
results in "the liquefied thermoplastic polymer coating the
corrodible surfaces and the joint, and exuding from open ends
of the sleeve, forming a bead and acting as a barrier to
corrosion-causing elements".
Moreover, as convincingly argued by the appellant, the
Weatherby reference fails to remedy the above discussed
deficiencies of Van Beersel. For example, while Weatherby
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