Appeal No. 2001-2595
Application 09/245,640
unobstructed work surface, or reset in exactly the same location
for repetitive operations. Thus, we conclude that, at the very
least, the adjustable work piece clamping system of Meyer is
reasonably related to both appellant’s and Hennessey’s problem of
securing a variety of shapes and sizes of work pieces in an
advantageous orientation, and for that reason is clearly
analogous prior art.
As for appellant’s hindsight argument, we agree with the
examiner that the increased flexibility and capability of holding
any size or shape work piece firmly in a fixed position as
disclosed in Meyer would have provided ample motivation for one
of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the expanded grid of
uniformly spaced holes disclosed in Meyer in the vise plates of
Hennessey for the self-evident advantages to be derived
therefrom. In that regard, Hennessey notes (col. 2, lines 50-57)
that the holes in the vise plates therein may be “spaced apart
variously according to the class of work which may be expected”
and because of the simplicity of the device, that it would be “a
practical matter to provide a substantial number of these blocks
having holes differently arranged.” As for Meyer, this patent
indicates (col. 9, lines 33-39) that the clamping system
7
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007