Appeal No. 2001-1198 Page 6
Application No. 09/233,899
recited in claim 1. We agree. It is our view that the
examiner's position (answer, pp. 3 and 6) that the racks 302,
312 of Chow as shown in the drawings are generally arcuate is 1
without merit since those racks are not described as being
generally arcuate or curved and are not shown as being
generally arcuate or curved. Additionally, the examiner's2
position (answer, pp. 3-4 and 6) that the springs 452, 462 of
Chow are readable on the claimed spring means is without merit
since those springs act to urge the pawl teeth away from the
racks rather than towards the rack as required by claim 1.3
Since all the limitations of claim 1 are not disclosed in
Chow for the reasons set forth above, the decision of the
examiner to reject claim 1, and claims 2 to 4 and 20 dependent
thereon, under 35 U.S.C. § 102(e) is reversed.
1The American Heritage Dictionary, Second College
Edition, (1982) defines "arcuate" as "having the form of a
bow; curved."
2If anything those racks are shown as being linear.
3See columns 3-4 of Chow.
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