Appeal No. 2004-1523
Application 09/506,920
the first guide member (60) to control a first portion of a
moving web by drawing and tightening the web against the first
entrance edge of the first blade member during the folding
operation. More particularly, on page 13 of the answer, the
examiner indicates that
The folder of Smithe et al. consists of a blade member (62),
a guide member (60), and a holder mechanism (24, 26). The
holder mechanism (24, 26) is a vacuum table described in
column 5, lines 41-45 as a means for retaining the material
conveyed through the folder apparatus in a desired position.
Although Smithe et al. does not use the words “drawing” and
“tightening” to describe the effect of the vacuum on the
material conveyed along the blade member (62) and guide
member (60), one skilled in the art would deem it inherent
that the material would be drawn and tightened against the
first entrance edge of the blade (62). The first entrance
edge of the blade member (62) has been interpreted to be the
portion of the blade member (62) along which the edge (76)
of the material conveyed in guided along (figure 5) at the
initial entrance area of the material to the blade member
(62).
Like appellant (brief, pages 5-8), we fail to see that the
sheet folding apparatus of Smithe discloses each and every
element of the claimed invention as arranged and set forth in
claims 1, 34 and 35 on appeal. In particular, we agree with
appellant’s assessment that the vacuum table (24) and apertures
(26) therein of Smithe do not define a first holder mechanism
joined to a first guide member to control a first portion of the
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