The opinion in support of the decision being entered
today was not written for publication and is not binding
precedent of the Board.
UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
_______________
BEFORE THE BOARD OF PATENT APPEALS
AND INTERFERENCES
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Ex parte KIRK P. BUMGARNER,
KENNETH W. ROBERTS and DAVID A. TUCKER
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Appeal No. 2006-0235
Application 09/733,352
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ON BRIEF
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Before GARRIS, WARREN and FRANKLIN, Administrative Patent Judges.
WARREN, Administrative Patent Judge.
Decision on Appeal
This is an appeal under 35 U.S.C. § 134 from the decision of the examiner finally
rejecting claims 1 through 14, 16 through 30, 33 through 37, 59 and 60.1
Claim 1 illustrates appellants’ invention of a method of screening an optical fiber during
a fiber draw process, and is representative of the claims on appeal:
1. A method of screening an optical fiber during a fiber draw process, comprising pulling
a length of optical fiber from an optical fiber perform imparting a tensile stress to said fiber to
thereby test the strength of said fiber and subsequent to said imparting a tensile stress, winding
said fiber onto a spool, wherein said tensile stress is imparted to said fiber via first and second
capstan, fiber tension between said capstans is monitored during the draw via a load cell, and the
speed of one of the capstans is adjusted in response to feedback from the load cell about the
monitored tension to maintain a desired tensile screening force on said fiber.
The references relied on by the examiner are:
1 The claims stand of record as of the amendment filed May 18, 2004.
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