Appeal No. 1999-0509
Application No. 08/693,585
between the top and bottom edges of the convex surface. Such a convex surface responds
to the convex surface defined in claim 35. The preamble of claim 35 thus reads on
Dickey=s elliptically contoured container body.
Dickey=s heat shrinkable label corresponds to the heat shrinkable segment defined
in clause Aa@ of appealed claim 35. In Dickey=s illustrated embodiments, a wrapping
station is located upstream from an oven 66 for wrapping the label around the container
prior to heat shrinking the label onto the container. The label to be applied to the
container is advanced by a vacuum drum 36 to the wrapping station where it is wrapped
around the container sector of maximum diameter as shown, for example, in Figure 2 of
Dickey=s drawings. Like appellants= method as defined in clause Ab@ of claim 35,
Dickey=s label is adhesively attached to the maximum diameter sector of the container
while wrapping the label around the container.
According to Dickey=s disclosure as shown, for example, in Figure 2, major
portions of the wrapped label extend at both ends beyond the container=s sector of
maximum diameter. These major portions are spaced from the container to remain
unattached to the container prior to heat shrinking the label as defined in clause Ac@ of
claim 35. After the wrapping step, the container bearing the wrapped label is advanced to
oven 66 where the label is heat shrunk onto to the container in the manner recited in
clause Ad@ of claim 35.
The method of wrapping the label around Dickey=s elliptical container body is
inherently the same as that described for the embodiment of Figure 2 because of the
equipment disclosed for wrapping the label around the container. In this regard, Dickey=s
vacuum drum 36 will necessarily locate the label at a position where it will engage and be
4
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007