Appeal No. 1999-0613 Page 3
Application No. 08/592,025
In reaching our decision in this appeal, we have given careful consideration to the
appellant's specification and claims, to the applied prior art references, and to the
respective positions articulated by the appellant and the examiner. As a consequence of
our review, we make the determinations which follow.
According to the appellant’s specification, in vehicles such as race cars there is a
propensity for foreign matter to enter the steering assembly and affect its operability,
because the steering shaft and the elements that support it on the vehicle frame are
exposed to the elements. More particularly, foreign matter may infiltrate the space
between the steering shaft and the mounts in which it rotates, causing damage to the
elements and giving rise to the potential for the mechanism to bind. The appellant points
out (Brief, pages 2 and 3) that he has solved this problem by an invention which
incorporates two features. The first is to make the bearing of a polymeric material of
hardness sufficiently less than the steering shaft such that the bearing will be deformed if
abrasive foreign matter does manage to infiltrate the gap between the shaft and the
bearing, rather than allowing it to cause binding therebetween. The second is a sleeve
bearing for the steering shaft which comprises an integral external flange that engages the
associated end of the tubular housing in which the steering shaft is located to substantially
close the end of the housing so that entry of foreign material between the shaft and the
housing is inhibited.
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