Appeal No. 1998-2416
Application 08/586,807
independent of said machine tool and so that vibrations are
not transmitted from said enclosure to said machine tool.” As
conceded by the examiner (see page 3 in the final rejection),
Todd’s enclosure (hood 40) and machine tool (buff unit 42) do
not respond to this limitation.
Zimmermann discloses a gear hobbing machine constructed
to eliminate heat-induced imprecisions in the tooth cutting
operation. To this end, the machine proper (i.e., the gear
cutters, the gear blank support, etc.) is environmentally
isolated from heat-generating components associated therewith
(e.g., speed change mechanisms, clutches, gears, drive motors,
coolant pumps, etc.) and the general atmosphere by an air-
conditioned insulated enclosure and by the use of precooled
lubricating and cooling fluids.
In proposing to combine Todd and Zimmermann, the examiner
states that
[i]t would have been obvious . . . to utilize the
enclosure . . . and environmental fluid temperature
control means of Zimmermann with the apparatus of
Todd et al., since such a modification would have
prevented too rapid or sudden changes in the
temperature or atmospheric conditions surrounding
the machining environment.
In regards to the reduction of vibration
between the enclosure and machine tool, it is
notoriously well known in the art that a system
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