Appeal No. 2000-1346
Application 08/730,516
arrow 13. The hot steam therefore circulates
practically the whole of the platen adjacent the
periphery and then by succeeding loops of the coil,
travels towards the center. By the short section of
pipe 21 the steam is transferred from the inflowing
coil to the coil for outflowing steam and flows
reversely outwardly following the path of the arrow
19. The steam in the outflow is of a lower
temperature from that of the intake, on account of
the loss of temperature in heating the platen and
the articles to be pressed, but on account of the
outgoing steam pipe sections being spaced between
the inflowing steam, a relatively equable
temperature of the platen is obtained from side to
side and from the center to the outer periphery.
This gives a materially better uniform heating
effect than where the steam follows the zigzag path
of the platen, in which latter case the platen is
usually hotter at one side than at the other [page
2, lines 33 through 56].
In proposing to combine the Canadian reference and Rupp
to reject claim 1, the examiner concludes that “[t]o have bent
the coil 26 (which is made of copper) of [the Canadian
reference] into the shape of a double spiral (as taught by
Rupp) would have
been obvious to obtain more uniform surface temperatures”
(final rejection, page 3).
The examiner, however, has not explained, nor is it
apparent, why the artisan would have found such uniform
surface temperatures to be beneficial in the space heating
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