Appeal No. 2002-1970 Page 4
Application No. 09/072,333
device of McPherson comprises a star wheel 44 which contacts the hay bale and
rotates as the bale is formed, a measuring wheel 45, coaxial with and spaced apart
from the star wheel, a rotation detecting device for detecting the rotation of the
measuring wheel and generating the bale measuring signal 70, and a control and
display module 73 for inputting the desired bale length and for actuating a signal 77
when the bale reaches the desired size to trigger the tying mechanism 64. McPherson
does not disclose a means for or step of sensing both the forward and backward
movements of the crop bundle (bale), as called for in claims 1 and 9.
To overcome the above-noted deficiency of McPherson, the examiner relies on
the teachings of Bergvall of a device for measuring movement of material using a wheel
rolling on the material. Bergvall’s invention
relates to a device for measuring distance and converting a
number representing the measured distance to a digital
form. The invention is especially adapted for use in a
machine for measuring distances on a workpiece to be
treated in a machine such as a sewing machine, and for
guiding the operation of the machine during feeding of the
workpiece, e.g., the forming of a fancy seam in a sewing
machine [Bergvall, column 1, lines 6-13].
Specifically, Bergvall discloses a toothed wheel 14 which rotates freely on a pin
15 and follows the motion of the cloth forwards as well as backwards. As explained in
column 2, line 22, et seq., the direction and degree of rotation of the wheel 14 is
measured and input to a control device which controls the feeding of the cloth so as to
stitch, for example, a buttonhole.
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