Appeal No. 2002-0265 Page 13
Application No. 08/787745
those claims that is incompatible with this definition, which is not the case with the other
claims.
In the description of the prior art in the specification, reference is made to shafts
having “butt sections” (lines 2, 4 and 6) which make up one of the two sections of the
shaft. In the summary of the invention on page 2, the specification explains that the
present invention has a reduced diameter “butt section” that tapers to a “tip portion” (line
24), but goes on to describe a reduced diameter “cylindrical butt portion” (line 26). “Butt
portion” also is used to describe the portion toward which the kick point was moved in a
prior art patent (page 5, line 25). A description of the mandrels on which the shafts are
made begins on page 6, and the mandrels are described as having “a tip end 31 and a
butt end 32" (line 4). Thus, in Figure 5A, 31 and 32 denote “ends” as commonly
defined, while the numerals 120 and 128, the lead lines of which point to cylindrical
elements, each denote “a cylindrical portion” (lines 15-17). Further inconsistency exists
in describing the shafts in Figures 9A and 9B, for it is stated that “[t]he tip portion
extends about 1 to 6 inches from the tip of the shaft. The shaft then tapers to . . . the
butt end” (page 7, lines 23 and 24), and then the specification goes on to explain that
the grips are molded to fit the “butt” of the finished shaft (page 8, line 1). However,
Figures 9A and 9B each appear to be divided into a butt portion (or section) 5" long, a
center portion 29" long, and a tip portion 6" long, although they are not provided with
any labels.
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