Appeal No. 1999-2665
Application No. 08/826,816
representative of filament trimmers of the type called for in
the preamble portion of appellants’ Jepson-type claims 1 and
9, the two independent claims on appeal here.
Sauber pertains to “cable support devices onto which [a]
pulling line used for positioning electrical or like cable may
be wound” (column 1, lines 7-8). Sauber explains that when
pulling heavy cables, “forces are generated which accumulate
and tend to collapse the drum or spool onto which the pulling
line is being wound” (column 1, lines 35-37). Sauber’s
solution to this problem is to provide a plurality of tension
absorbing rollers 26 made of rubbery material on the central
core of the drum. The core of the drum comprises recesses 32
that accommodate the rollers 26 and provide space into which
the rollers may expand as they absorb tension.
Bachi is directed to a bobbin or mandrel of unorthodox
cross-section onto which wire may be wound to make non-
circular “perfect layer” electrical coils (see, generally,
columns 1 and 2). Bachi’s invention comprises the provision
of wire support means 25 on one side of the bobbin or mandrel
that slightly stretches the wire as it is laid thereon to give
the wire a slightly convex profile. Figures 4, 5, and 6
6
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