Appeal No. 2001-1895 Page 3
Application No. 09/235,180
Claim 6 is directed to a method of shifting between a plurality of gears comprising
decoupling a first gear and shaft coupled together by a first set of pins, synchronizing a
second gear and the shaft, and coupling the second gear and the shaft. The method
requires the use of first and second sets of pins, each pin having a small diameter pin
surface and a large diameter pin surface with a blocking pin surface therebetween. The
asserted advantage and the details of construction and operation of the appellants’ system
are set forth in the specification, and those of Morscheck have been discussed in the
Briefs and in the Answer. We therefore see no need to set them forth here. The appellants
have characterized the issue before us in the following manner on page 3 of the Brief:
The issue on appeal is whether Morscheck discloses steps b) and d) of
claim 6. More specifically, the issue is whether Morscheck discloses a shift
sequence that begins synchronization by engaging the blocking surfaces of
a set of pins without first engaging the small diameter surfaces of those
same pins, as claimed by Applicant (emphasis added).
With regard to Morscheck, it is the examiner’s position that synchronization begins when
the synchronizer cones make contact with the friction surface on the inner periphery of the
cone carried by the rotating gear, and that such occurs in the Morscheck system in
accordance with the terms of the appellants’ claim 6 in view of the fact that when the
springs that are interposed between the pins and the synchronizer cones are compressed
by the movement of the shift collar, they cause frictional contact to be made between the
synchronizer cones and the cone element of the gear train. The appellants argue that the
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