Appeal No. 2000-1655 Page 6
Application No. 08/836,892
depth of the line 16 will vary depending on the climatic
conditions in any particular year and that the seasonal-thaw
region is that portion of the soil which freezes during the
cold arctic winters but thaws during the summers whereas the
permanently frozen region remains frozen year around.
Long's pile 20 includes an upper portion 22 exposed to
the atmosphere, an intermediate portion 23 located in the
seasonal-thaw region and a lower portion 24 located in the
permanently frozen region. The lower portion 24 of the pile
20 is provided with a plurality of appendages such as
longitudinally spaced rings 26 permanently secured thereto as
by welding. Long teaches (column 3, lines 25-27) that the
rings 26 will not extend above the permanently frozen region
of the hole.
In Long's method (column 3, lines 28-40), a hole is dug
through the seasonal-thaw region 10 into the permanently
frozen region 12 and is large enough to receive the pile 20
with the rings 26 integrally attached. The lower portion 24
of the pile is completely below the seasonal-thaw region.
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Last modified: November 3, 2007