Appeal No. 2006-0340
Application No. 10/089,315
examiner contends that "[n]o teaching or suggestion of the use of
a second wire of 'zinc alloy' is provided when performing
electric arc, twin wire spraying" (page 4 of Answer, second
paragraph, last sentence).
While the examiner is correct that the portion of the
specification referring specifically to twin wire spraying does
not mention a zinc alloy for the second wire, we agree with
appellant that the specification reasonably conveys to one of
ordinary skill in the art that the second wire of the process can
be a zinc alloy. As pointed out by appellant, the specification,
at page 1, lines 10-14, discloses the following:
The invention is a system comprised of metallized
coatings and thermal spray procedures that produces a
unique protective coating. In particular, the
invention consists of preparing and applying zinc and
zinc-based alloys. These materials are thermal sprayed
with unique metallizing processes and procedures onto
surfaces of submerged marine structures.
We agree with appellant that the specification reasonably teaches
that the materials that are thermally sprayed are zinc and zinc-
based alloys, and, therefore, one of the two wires of the twin
wire spraying process can be a zinc-based alloy. As submitted by
appellant, the specification passage cited by the examiner simply
discloses that the second wire can be zinc or one of the other
listed metals. Based on the specification considered as a whole,
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