Appeal No. 2006-0132
Application No. 09/946,627
Boyce, and Sloman. The disclosures of Breuer, Abildskov,
Campbell, Childress and Boyce are discussed above. The examiner
appears to acknowledge that these references do not mention using
the claimed over-presses. See the Answer, pages 20-21.
To account for the claimed over-presses, the examiner takes
Official Notice and makes factual findings relating to Sloman as
provided below (the Answer, page 21):
It is well known in the art when curing structural
laminates to provide over-presses that are at least
semi-rigid against the outer surfaces of the pre-form
in order to distribute force across the outer surfaces
of the pre-form. For example, Sloman discloses a
method of curing a structural member by providing an at
least semi-rigid over-press against the outer surface
of a pre-form in order to cause the over-press to press
the pre-form against the other structural assembly
parts (pages 1,3). . . .
The appellants do not challenge the examiner’s Official Notice or
factual findings relating to Sloman. See the Brief, pages 19-20.
Thus, given the above circumstances, we concur with the
examiner that one of ordinary skill in the art would have been
led to employ over-presses conforming to the shape of the outer
surfaces of a given pre-form, including a generally triangular
shape over-presses conforming to the shape of the outer surfaces
of the pre-form of the type suggested in Breuer, Abildskov,
Campbell, and Childress and/or Boyce, motivated by a reasonable
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