Appeal 2006-1924
Application 09/954,506
web such that the discrete parts (fastener members) from the first and second
streams are located on the base web in an alternating relationship along the
first machine direction. See Answer 11-12 and the corresponding portions
of Rajala referred to by the Examiner.
Rajala, according to the Examiner (Answer 20), does not specifically
disclose how the separate strips of fastener (webs) are obtained. According
to the Examiner (Answer 12 and 20), it would have been obvious for one of
ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to obtain the two webs or
streams of fastener material of Rajala by furnishing a single stream or web,
which is cut or split into the two streams of fastener as taught by Justmann
or Roessler to furnish the requisite plurality of streams of fastener material.
See, for example, col. 19, l. 50 through col. 20, l. 14 of Roessler and col. 14,
ll. 25-45 of Justmann. We agree with the examine that one of ordinary skill
in the art would have been led to employ such a conventional technique as
taught by Roessler and/or Justmann so as to obtain the two webs/streams of
fastener material desired by Rajala.
Appellants argue that Justmann and/or Roessler do not rotate fasteners
before applying them to a base web, as here claimed. However, as correctly
noted by the Examiner (Answer 20), the rejection is over the combined
teachings of Rajala together with Justmann and/or Roessler. In this regard,
we note that Appellants (Reply Br. 6) acknowledge that Rajala is concerned
with supplying fasteners, as are Justmann and Roessler. Moreover, we agree
with the Examiner that one of ordinary skill in the art would have been led to
obtain the two webs/streams of fastener material of Rajala using
conventional techniques utilized in the manufacture of garments employing
fasteners, such as the web splitting techniques of Justmann and/or Roessler.
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