Appeal No. 1999-2145 Page 10
Application No. 08/781,605
invention in which the method is explained as having “the individual layers . . . bonded to
each other . . . to form, upon curing, a monolithic unit” (page 68), and a photograph is
provided showing the installation crew applying the adhesive to the exposed surface of the
convolutions during wrapping.
The method recited in independent claims 33 and 47 includes wrapping the pipe
with the convolutions of the coil band such that an initial convolution is placed around the
pipe and subsequent convolutions are placed around underlying convolutions in radial
alignment therewith. This step further includes “securing the convolutions from movement
so that the convolutions do not move relative to one another when the pipe is pressurized”
(emphasis added). As explained on page 4 of the specification, in the summary of the
invention:
A coating of the adhesive is applied to the outer surface of each convolution
of the band as the band is wound around the pipe so that a continuous layer
of adhesive is defined between adjacent convolutions of the band (emphasis
added).
On page 9 of the specification, in the detailed description of the preferred embodiments of
the invention, it is stated with reference to Figure 7 that
after the first convolution is applied to the pipe 1, the outer surface of the
convolution is coated with the adhesive 9 for the reception of the next
convolution, and then that convolution is coated with the adhesive, and so on,
until the final convolution is reached. The final convolution need not be
coated. The adhesive coating 9 of each convolution is sprayed with water,
or a catalyst activated with water, for activation of the adhesive before the
next convolution is brought into contact with the adhesive. One or more
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