Appeal No. 2001-0313
Application 09/033,874
sustained. Our reasoning in support of this determination
follows.
Each of the independent claims on appeal, except for claim
48, is directed to a method of producing a connecting rod with a
connecting eye having a bearing layer, wherein the method
includes as its first step, the step of “applying a bearing layer
directly to a connecting rod eye by thermal spraying of a bearing
material.” In each of independent claims 26, 28, 32, 34, 40 and
45, the second step recited in the method is different, e.g., in
claim 26 the second step is “reworking flat side surfaces of the
connecting rod after the bearing material has been applied;” in
claim 28 the second step requires “roughening the connecting rod
eye before the bearing material is applied;” in claim 40 the
second step is directed to “passing a gas stream through the
connecting rod eye at a flow velocity in the range from about 3
m/s to about 15 m/s during thermal spraying;” and in claim 45 the
second step requires “applying from 4 to 30 layers of bearing
material.” Claim 48 addresses a somewhat different method of
producing a connecting rod with a connecting rod eye having a
bearing layer.
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