Appeal No. 1998-0241 Page 5
Application No. 08/465,373
and related fiberizing techniques disclosed in [U.S. Patent No. 5,431,992 issued to Houpt et al.
on July 11, 1995]." The Houpt et al. patent (column 7, lines 38-43) teaches that
[a]n irregularly shaped fiber of the invention differs from a helical fiber in that
the rotation of the fiber is not constant, but rather varies irregularly both in
direction (clockwise and counterclockwise) and in magnitude. The magnitude of
rotation of a fiber is how fast the fiber rotates per unit length of the fiber.
As disclosed in column 7, lines 17-37 and 57-64, the irregularly shaped fibers of the Houpt et
al. patent are produced by forming each fiber of two different glass compositions each having a
different coefficient of thermal expansion, thereby causing the fiber to curve as it cools. If no
rotation of the fiber is introduced during cooling, a flat coil having a constant radius of
curvature will be produced. In a continuously changing attenuation environment, each dual-
glass fiber is twisted in a unique way. The fiber's final shape is one with a baseline curvature
due to the dual-glass nature, which is modified by the twisting, irregular rotation of the plane of
curvature caused by the continuously changing or stochastic attenuation environment.
The appellants’ specification has been amended (Paper No. 9) by insertion of the
following language on page 13:5
An irregularly shaped glass fiber 122 is shown in Figure 7, where the shadow
124 of the irregularly shaped fiber cast from an overhead light onto a flat surface
has been added. The irregularly shaped glass fiber comprises two distinct glass
compositions with different coefficients of thermal expansion. An irregularly
shaped glass fiber has a rotation which is constant, but varies irregularly both in
5We also note that the appellants have filed a request for drawing correction (Paper No. 14) to add new
drawing Figures 6 and 7. It is not clear from the file record whether the examiner has approved entry of these
drawings. We leave this to be resolved by the examiner, in the event of further prosecution.
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