Appeal No. 2004-0763 Page 3
Application No. 09/758,641
includes a knob spring arm slot 552, knob barb seats 554 and a knob stop 556. The
knob spring arm slot 552 receives the spring arms 536 of the control shaft 438 to permit
the control knob to rotate the control shaft 438 bi-directionally. The knob barb seats
554 receive the shaft spring arm barbs 538 to prevent the control knob from being
pulled off when the control shaft 438 is indexed out away from the base platform 84,
with the stop 556 cooperating with the shaft control end stop 542 to prevent the knob
504 from sliding down the control shaft. The shaft locking pin 502 includes a shaft
locking pin knob groove 544, a shaft locking pin stop 546, a shaft locking pin retention
spring 548 and a shaft locking pin base end 550. The shaft locking pin knob groove
544 receives control shaft spring arm ribs 540 to secure the shaft locking pin 502 in
position. The shaft locking pin stop 546 extends from the shaft locking pin 502 to
interfere with shaft bore 494 to limit movement of the shaft locking pin 502 toward the
shaft control end 500. The shaft locking pin retention spring 548 also interferes with the
housing base control shaft mount 142 to restrict movement of the shaft locking pin 502
out of the shaft base end 492 prior to the control knob being installed on the shaft
control end 500. As acknowledged by the examiner on page 6 of the answer, Amonett
lacks an opening in the sidewall of the control shaft and the first retention member
(locking pin retention spring 548) being received into said opening as called for in each
of appellants’ independent claims 1, 7 and 17.
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Last modified: November 3, 2007