Appeal No. 1997-2986
Application No. 08/260,784
"programmed grouping and stacking" operation (Answer at 4),
which is performed by the unloading and handling mechanism 3
when transferring plates to the transport carrier, i.e.,
pallet 7. 3
We agree with the examiner that Taijonlahti's unloading and
handling mechanism 3 will result in placing plates having the
same dimension (e.g., parts 3A and 3B in Fig. 19) in a stack
in one location on the carrier, i.e., pallet 7. Appellant
criticizes this reasoning on the ground that there is
[no] disclosure in either of the references that
suggests that based on [the] retrieved data,
optimal locations at an unloading means can be
computed to prevent any conflict in the
unloading of finished cut pieces. If anything,
Levine per his Figs. 15, 16, 17, and 19,
illustrate[s] the optimization of to be cut
pieces on a laminar plate, while Taijonlahti
discloses the optimal utilization of the space
of the to be cut plate blank, per his Fig. 3A.
In brief, the teachings of each of Levine and
Taijonlahti relate to a single program routine
for cutting parts from a plate blank. [Brief at
22.]
3Consequently, the examiner's assertion that "based upon
the size of the plate cut, then the unloading mechanism [3]
puts the cut piece in a proper location on the conveyor"
(emphasis added) (Answer at 9) incorrectly recites the term
"conveyor" instead of "carrier."
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