Appeal No. 2000-2097 Page 10
Application No. 08/852,681
material. The body is subjected to a compression molding
process embedded within which are the ratcheting inserts to
form a composite wrench structure. Each ratcheting insert
includes a two-part housing in which are disposed a ratchet
gear, a pawl and a bias spring. Zurbuchen '251 teaches
(column 5, lines 55-62) that
Because the plastic materials used to make the body
11 include no metallic components, it is non-conductive.
Thus, although the ratchet wrench 10 includes metallic
ratcheting inserts 20, during operation, when the user's
hand is on the handle portion 12, the user is effectively
protected from shock hazard. Also, the plastic
composition of the body 11 results in its being corrosion
resistant, non-marring, non-sparking and lightweight.
Claim 1 reads on Zurbuchen '251 as follows:
A wrench (ratchet wrench 10) comprising: a handle (handle
portion 12) formed entirely of non-metallic material; and a
head (head portions 13a, 13b) at an end of the handle, said
head including a non-metallic body (body 11 is non-metallic),
a metal workpiece-engaging member (gear wheel 51 which is
shown as being metal) encompassed by said body so as to secure
said member to said body, and a reinforcing structure (housing
portions 30, 40) embedded in said body and encompassing said
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Last modified: November 3, 2007