Appeal No. 2002-1792 Page 7
Application No. 09/467,577
2, a smooth, flat, relatively thin piece of material. The claimed upstream edge is
readable on the upstream end of either the upper horizontal bar or the lower horizontal
bar of the guide rail 22. Likewise, the claimed downstream edge is readable on the
downstream end of either the upper horizontal bar or the lower horizontal bar of the
guide rail 22. While the downstream edge of the upper horizontal bar and the
downstream edge of the lower horizontal bar are not shown in the drawings, it is our
determination that such are inherent from the disclosure of Lenhart '423. Thus, it is our
conclusion that an artisan viewing the guide rail 22 of Lenhart '423 would consider the
guide rail 22 to be an elongate plate having top and bottom edges and upstream and
downstream edges and a plurality of openings within the plate edges as recited in
claims 1 and 10.
For the reasons set forth above, the decision of the examiner to reject claims 1
and 10 under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b) is affirmed.
Claims 2, 3, 5, 6, 12, 13, 15 and 16
The appellant has grouped claims 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 as standing or falling
together.2 The appellant has also grouped claims 10, 12, 13, 15 and 16 as standing or
2 See pages 8 and 10 of the appellant's brief.
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