Appeal No. 1998-0210
Application No. 08/149,193
provide traction without doing damage to the turf surface
being walked on and without puncturing the golf turf.
Jordan, Jr. teaches a track shoe cleat that may be used
on synthetic turf, for example. The patentee seeks to
overcome a damage problem that accrues from the use of long
and sharp metal traction spikes that penetrate a track surface
(column 1, lines 21 through 40). A cleat is disclosed that21
comprises a disc-shaped body having a plurality of bristles
downwardly extending therefrom (column 1, lines 68 through
70). In our opinion, the bristles can reasonably be viewed as
protrusions. These bristles are indicated to have sufficient
stiffness so that they won’t collapse or break when supporting
the weight of an athlete (column 2, lines 25 through 27).
Jordan, Jr. sets a lower limit of about 10 bristles per square
inch (column 2, lines 41, 42). Further, the patentee expressly
indicates that “[i]n use, the bristle spikes are most
effective when they result in indentation of the running
surface as opposed to penetration of the surface” (column 2,
21The problem addressed by the patentee is akin to the
problem discussed by appellants (specification, page 1).
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