Appeal No. 1999-2245
Application No. 08/705,388
Schweich in view of Wolff.
Each of claims 11 and 12 require, inter alia, a plurality
of blades, extending out from and circumferentially
distributed around, a catch surface, which catch surface is
canted from the axis about which first and second turbine
spools are rotatable.
We are informed by the specification (pages 7 and 8)that
the blades 66 serve as an impeller urging
air flow and oil in the direction toward
the bearing compartment 30, away from the
oil seal 34, 36. The blades 66 also
accelerate any air in close proximity to
the blades 66 in a circumferential
direction. As a result, any oil that may
be entrained within the air is subject to
centrifugal forces and therefore separation
from the air.
We turn now to the evidence of obviousness.
The patent to Schweich (Fig. 1) addresses a packing
between two rotatable members in an automatic slipping clutch
7
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