Appeal No. 1999-1543
Application No. 08/456,762
springs in the apparatus of Wanger et al so as to resiliently
bias the gripping arms in a second, opposite direction during
release, such as shown in Belo Urban Des Tech." Appellant
argues, brief at page 7, that "when the cylinder is in the upper
position, as shown in Fig. 2 [of Belo], the springs 6 are not
operative and provide no bias to the hinged seizing arms 13."
Appellant further concludes, brief at page 8, that "[t]herefore,
the Belo Urban grab has one, and only one, biasing condition."
After a careful review of the Belo reference, we find that
it does not provide the second biasing position as asserted by
the Examiner. Belo at page 3 to 4 states that "[a]t this time
[while releasing] springs 11 slightly open by the amount of gaps
", the force of springs 11 close on rods 6 between nuts 10 and
limiting stops 16 and do not affect the arms and slide block 2,
because the force of springs 11 ... does not affect the gripping
arms 13 and slide block 2, ...."
The Examiner contends, answer at page 6, that "[s]uch a
resilient means ensures that the gripping arms are positively
moved to the desired locations when changing from the first bias
condition to the second and vice versa. Spring like the one
shown in Belo Urban Des Tech have [sic] long been used in robotic
gripping assemblies to guarantee precise movement from
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