Appeal No. 2003-0707
Application 09/690,534
the cylinder 72 continues to extend, the strap 76 will
raise the push arm 24, causing the first member 30,
push arm 24 and mower deck 18 to pivot upwardly about
the first pivot mechanism 32. As the first member 30
pivots about the first shaft 36, the first member 30
will eventually abut against the second member 40 as
shown in FIG. 3, which blocks the first member 30 from
pivoting further about the first shaft 36. Once this
occurs, the first and second members 30 and 40, first
pivot mechanism 32, push arm 24 and mower deck 18 begin
pivoting upwardly together about the second shaft 48.
The link member 82 and third pivot mechanism 60
function to swing the wing deck 18 rearwardly during
the lifting operation after the first member 30 has
contacted the second member 40. As shown in FIG. 4,
the generally rigid link member 82 extends between
point A on the vehicle frame 64 and point B on the
second member 40. The link member 82 provided by the
present invention blocks the second member 40 from
pivoting straight upwardly along line C, and causes
point B to swing rearwardly along arc D. The link 82
maintains point B at a constant distance from point A,
and thereby prevents point B from shifting straight
upwardly along line C. Point B will remain a constant
distance from point A as point B travels along arc D.
The second member 40 pivots counterclockwise from its
position shown in FIG. 5 about the axis defined by the
third shaft 62 to allow point B to swing through the
arc D. As the deck 18 is fully raised to its transport
position it will pivot rearwardly about the axis
defined by the third shaft 62 until the mounting
mechanism 10 pivots to the position shown in FIG. 6
[column 4, line 65, through column 5, line 59].
Anticipation is established only when a single prior art
reference discloses, expressly or under principles of inherency,
each and every element of a claimed invention. RCA Corp. v.
Applied Digital Data Sys., Inc., 730 F.2d 1440, 1444, 221 USPQ
385, 388 (Fed. Cir. 1984).
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