Appeal No. 2002-0962
Application No. 09/017,959
§ 102(b) as being anticipated by U.S. Design Pat. 97,360 to
Stevens, but reversed the examiner’s rejection of claims 1-16 under
the second paragraph of 35 U.S.C. § 112.
Appellant’s invention pertains to a device to be positioned on
a bowler’s index finger to enable the bowler to impart spin to a
bowling ball. The claims on appeal are reproduced in Appendix A of
appellant’s main brief. Independent claim 17 is representative of
the appealed subject matter and reads as follows:
17. A bowling accessory, comprising:
a mechanism for retaining the accessory to a bowler’s
finger;
a pad having one or more projections for contacting a
bowling ball, said pad associated with said retaining mechanism,
and said pad having an arcuate surface, said projections having
desired configuration such that tips of said projections define a
curve which has a curvature substantially like a curvature of the
bowling ball when force is exerted by the bowler on the ball, the
projections flatten providing a larger surface to grip the ball
enabling the bowler to better initiate rotation as the bowling ball
is released.
The sole reference applied in the final rejection is:
Stevens1 Des. 97,360 Oct. 29, 1935
1This is the same Stevens patent applied against the claims
in the prior appeal.
2
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