Appeal No. 1999-2328 Page 5
Application No. 08/485,492
of the table elements is recognizable as a magnet in view of the stippling and dashed
lines of force present in the drawings,1 as well as the description of Figure 1 in the
specification as showing a table “incorporating balls or other rotating elements that
operate directly on a magnet surface.” This being the case, the artisan would have
understood that the drawings depict rolling elements held in place by magnetic force
developed by the magnets. By virtue of the absence of grooves or the like in the table
surfaces, the artisan further would have understood that the balls are capable of fully
rolling motion along both table members. Figures 2 and 4 show that at least some of
the rolling elements roll along the magnets. These conclusions are reinforced by the
description of this general type of apparatus presented in the appellant’s U.S. Patent
No. 5,407,519, which was cited on page 5 of the present specification, with particular
reference to Figures 7-11 thereof. In the final analysis, the structure and operation of
apparatus of this general type would have been within the knowledge that should be
accorded to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the appellant’s present application
was filed.
Claim 6 recites that a first one of the members defines a pair of interfaces, each
being shaped and oriented for constraining relative movement between the members
with respect to at least one direction of motion, and a second member shaped and
1Like the appellant, we note that the magnetic elements (17) in all of the other embodiments of the
appellant’s invention are depicted in this same manner.
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