Appeal No. 2003-0387 Page 9
Application No. 09/772,275
To reduce horizontal and vertical rotation of the wedge 52 within the pocket 42 of
the bolster 40 Hawthorne teaches (column 5, line 19+) to either (1) make a tight fit of
the wedge within the booster pocket as shown in Figure 19; (2) make the bottom of the
bolster pocket slope from each sidewall 46 of the bolster pocket toward the center of
the pocket and toward the opening into the pocket as shown in Figure 20; (3) make the
sloping surfaces of the bolster pocket and the wedge compound slopes as indicated in
connection with Figure 20; (4) partition the pocket 42a by a vertically extending wall 66
into two separate sections 68 for respectively accommodating the sections of the
wedges 52a and 52b as shown in Figure 22; (5) make the bolster pocket with sloping
sections 64a that are flat across the width thereof and which merge along the length
thereof to form a curvilinear crown 72 disposed midway between the opposed sidewalls
of the bolster pocket as shown in Figures 23-24; and (6) form the wedge
accommodating pockets 74 in the columns 78 of the side frame members while housing
the wedge springs 80 in the pockets 74 as shown in Figures 25-26.
In summary, Hawthorne teaches (column 6, lines 31-37) that his invention entails
one or more of the following: (1) reduced wedge angle 2; (2) reduced coefficient of
friction :; (3) increased snubber spring force Fs; and (4) wedge and bolster pocket
arranged to preclude horizontal and vertical wedge rotation.
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