Appeal No. 2002-0573
Application 09/150,422
sprinkler apparatus for use with a drop ceiling of suspended tile
or sheetrock wherein a branch or run pipe (17) extending
horizontally parallel to and positioned above the ceiling is
connected to a sprinkler head (26) located below the drop
ceiling. Claims 1 and 4 are representative of the subject matter
on appeal and a copy of those claims may be found in Appendix B
of appellant’s brief.
The prior art references of record relied upon by the
examiner in rejecting the appealed claims are:
Jackson et al. (Jackson) 4,007,877 Feb. 15, 1977
Ballard 4,834,186 May 30, 1989
MacDonald III (MacDonald) 5,743,337 Apr. 28, 1998
Claims 1 through 5 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a)
as being unpatentable over Ballard in view of Jackson and
MacDonald.
Rather than reiterate the examiner's full statement of the
above-noted rejection and the conflicting viewpoints advanced by
the examiner and appellant regarding the rejection, we make
reference to the examiner's answer (Paper No. 23, mailed
September 10, 2001) for the reasoning in support of the
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