Ex parte MORDUE et al. - Page 3




          Appeal No. 1999-0405                                                        
          Application No. 08/651,571                                                  


          devised a system whereby they have improved the means for                   
          attachment of the bearing ring to the impeller and shaft of a               
          molten metal pump. That attachment system involves the                      
          inclusion of one or more generally concentric grooves on one                
          or both of the surface portions of the notch in contact with                
          the bearing ring.  Note, for example, the grooves (58) in the               
          radially facing wall (59) and axially facing wall (61) of the               
          notch (56) seen in Figure 5 of the drawings.  As indicated on               
          page 8 of the specification, appellants have found that the                 
          grooved walls facilitate even distribution of the cement over               
          the entire joint surface between the impeller notch and the                 
          bearing ring and improves the mechanical bonding at the                     
          graphite/refractory cement interface. Independent claims 1, 9,              
          14, 19 and 20 are representative of the subject matter on                   
          appeal and a copy of those claims may be found in the Appendix              
          to appellants’ brief.                                                       


          The prior art references relied upon by the examiner in                     
          rejecting the appealed claims are:                                          
          Mordue et al. (Mordue)        5,028,211                Jul.  2,             
          1991                                                                        

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