Appeal No. 2001-2140
Application No. 09/217,484
[s]aid end of stroke elements, as is clearly
shown in FIG. 2, are provided with a first stem 30
which engages with the head . . .; this threaded
stem 30 engaging, by contact, with the first piston
4 and operates as an abutment member for the
displacement in a first direction of this first
piston.
. . .
. . . [T]he other piston 5 is provided with a
cap bush 35 which is restrained on said piston 5 and
engages with a second threaded stem 36 coupled to
the other head . . . and provided with an enlarged
head portion 38 which butt engages with an annular
narrowed portion 39 formed at the end of the bush.
Thus the head portion 38 of the second stem will
operate as a stop element for the displacement of
the piston in the opposite direction to the
direction in which the stem 30 operates as a stop
member for the first piston.
It should be moreover be pointed out that the
cap bush 35 is tightly coupled to the piston 5 and
that, advantageously, said cap bush is provided with
a closing plug [40] at that portion of the bush
facing the toothed [pinion].
A micrometric adjusting can be carried out by
means of nuts, indicated at 50, which allow for the
stems to be properly arranged so as to cause the
pistons to perform the desired stroke before the
operation of said stems as end of stroke element[s].
On the two stems, moreover, there is provided a
respective locking nut, indicated at 51 [column 2,
line 39, through column 3, line 4].
As acknowledged by the examiner (see pages 3 and 4 in the
answer), Messina’s valve actuator does not respond to the
limitations in independent claim 6 requiring the first limit
means for limiting inward piston displacement to include a
stem having an unthreaded portion tightly passing via a gasket
4
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Last modified: November 3, 2007