Appeal No. 2000-2108
Application No. 09/075,943
consequence of our review, we have made the determinations
which follow.
Looking first to the examiner's rejection of claims 2, 4
through 6, 8 through 14, 17 and 18 under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a) as
being unpatentable over Carroll in view Lazar, we note that
independent claim 2 on appeal sets forth a vehicle hitch
positioning apparatus which comprises a base plate (2) having
a first hole (3) through which a trailer ball is inserted, the
base plate being connected to the vehicle by said trailer ball
(Fig. 2); a guide plate (5) having a lower ramped portion (5b)
and an upper slanted portion (5a), with the upper slanted
portion having a lower angle of inclination with respect to a
horizontal plane than the lower ramped portion, said upper
slanted portion (5a) having lateral sides being formed into
winged guide portions (5c, 5d), the lower ramped portion (5b)
being connected to the base plate for covering the base plate
(Fig. 3), said upper slanted portion (5a) having a second hole
(7) through which said trailer ball may be inserted, said
guide plate guiding and supporting said trailer hitch into
position over the second hole; and a movable catch (8) for
4
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