Appeal No. 1999-0242
Application 08/643,829
appellant and the examiner regarding the merits of these
rejections.1
Sackett discloses an artificial leg having an ankle/foot
portion 43, a shin portion 42, a knee portion 41 and an upper
bucket portion 40 housing a cast fitting 44 for receiving the
stump of an amputee. Of particular interest is the knee
portion which includes a circular socket 50 and an alignment
table 51 having a semi-circular apertured extension 54 (see
Figures 4 and 5). The socket 50 and table 51 are connected
together via intersecting slots 52, 52' and a bolt and nut
assembly 53. The socket 50 is secured to the cast fitting 44
and the table extension 54 is secured by a cross bolt 54' to a
semi-circular recess 56 in a knee joint component 55.
The 35 U.S.C. § 102(b) rejection of independent claim 28
rests on examiner’s determination that Sackett “illustrates a
coupling member (Figures 4 and 5) having a concave cylindrical
1In the final rejection, claims 28 through 32 also were rejected on the grounds
of obviousness-type double patenting. Since this rejection was not restated in the
answer, it is assumed to have been withdrawn (see Ex parte Emm, 118 USPQ 180, 181 (Bd.
App. 1957)) in light of the terminal disclaimer which is of record.
3
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