Appeal No. 2002-1058
Application 09/228,856
strip 17 of pouches from an upstream pouch form, fill and seal
machine, a cutting wheel 11 which cooperates with the index wheel
to cut the pouch train into individual pouches 18, a transfer
wheel 21 for receiving the individual pouches from the index
wheel, and a multiple lane pouch conveyor 19 for receiving the
pouches from the transfer wheel and transporting them to a
downstream packaging (e.g., cartoning) apparatus. The index and
cutting wheels include blades 14 and 12 which cooperate in
scissor-like fashion to sever the individual pouches from the
pouch train or strip, and the index and transfer wheels include
suction heads 15 and 22 for holding and releasing the individual
pouches as they travel from the index wheel to the transfer wheel
and then to the multiple lane pouch conveyor. Figure 1 shows
that the multiple lane pouch conveyor extends parallel to the
axes of the index and transfer wheels.
As conceded by the examiner (see pages 3 through 5 in the
answer), Scarpa fails to respond to the limitations in
independent claim 1, and the corresponding limitations in
independent claims 16, 24, 35 and 36, requiring at least two
conveyors for receiving individual pouches after severing wherein
at least one of the conveyors is a direct drop bucket conveyor
extending from the transfer apparatus in a direction
4
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007