Appeal No. 2005-1083
Application No. 09/950,642
Claim 1 is directed to a process for making a wet-layed non-woven
metal fiber sheet. This process, according to claim 1,
comprises, inter alia, dispersing metal fibers into an aqueous
dispensing fluid containing the unique dispersing agent
and applying the resulting fluid containing the dispersed
metal fibers onto a screen to form a metal fiber sheet.
The appellant does not dispute the examiner’s finding that
Battista teaches a process for making a wet-layed non-woven metal
fiber sheet corresponding to the claimed process, except for the
employment of the claimed mixing sequence and the claimed amount
of the unique dispersing agent (water soluble polymer) in the
dispensing fluid. Compare the Answer in its entirety with the
Brief, page 4. Thus, the initial question raised by the
appellant is whether Battista alone, or together with Terliska,
teaches or would have suggested the claimed mixing sequence and
the claimed amount of the dispersing agent. On this record, we
answer this question in the affirmative.
We note that Battista describes “[d]isperse and blend metal
fibers. Add dispersing aids[, such as polyvinyl alcohol] and
carrier fibers” as the first stage of a “[m]etal fiber paper
manufacturing flow chart.” See Battista, page 157, Figure 6.34
and page 161. Substantial evidence supports the examiner’s
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