Appeal No. 1998-2537
Application 08/680,602
mold. The statement that “the mixture is poured and flattened
or vibrated smooth” prior to the molding process is not
evidence that the mold is exclusively a flat mold, as such an
operation could also be performed on a mold having a depressed
center portion.
It is not difficult to see how the examiner could
have interpreted the sometimes cryptic passages in Graham and
Huber to arrive at the stated rejection. However, in
reviewing both Graham and Huber as a whole, we find that these
references each relate to “green” wheels or lay-ups that
already include a depressed center portion and that they do
not teach or suggest a method as set forth in appellant’s
claim 1 on appeal. Therefore, we find that the examiner has
not established a prima facie case of obviousness.
In view of the foregoing, we will not sustain the
35 U.S.C. § 103(a) rejection of claim 1 posited by the
examiner.
11
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007