Appeal No. 1999-1499
Application No. 08/764,736
U.S.C.
§ 103(a).
We next review the examiner's rejection of dependent
claims 15, 16 and 18 under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a) as being
unpatentable over Borg-Warner in view of Dutkiewicz. These
claims recite, respectively, (1) that the arms extend from the
second yoke bracket to at least partially surround the second
pair of shafts, (2) that the ends of the arms are spaced by at
least 90º measured from a central axis of the second pair of
shafts, and (3) that the fully enclosed bores are circular.
In looking at the Borg-Warner reference, we see that the arms
of the brackets 23 partially surround shafts 18 and that the
ends of the arms are spaced by at least 90º when measured
from a central axis of shafts 18. Borg-Warner additionally
shows (Fig. 3) fully enclosed circular bores 15 in the arms 14
of the yoke A. As we concluded in our analysis of independent
claim 11, the Borg-Warner reference teaches each and every
limitation of dependent claims 15, 16 and 18. Thus, Borg-
Warner anticipates claims 15, 16 and 18, and because
"anticipation is the epitome of obviousness" we will,
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