Appeal No. 2006-2084
Reexamination Control No. 90/006,360
LITIGATION
The '400 and '158 patents were the subject of a civil action styled Fountaine
v. Engineered Tool Corp. and Robert S. Snyder, No. 02-30001-MAP (D. Mass.,
filed January 3, 2002). An order of dismissal without prejudice was entered by
Judge Michael A. Ponsor on March 16, 2005.
BACKGROUND
The invention relates to small-shank cutting tools with interchangeable tool
inserts for use on automatic lathes. The following description of the prior art and
the inventions is taken from the '400 patent and the declaration of the inventor
William Fountaine, dated July 3, 1997, in Application 08/632,347 (Exhibit 3 to
request for reexamination).
In a typical Swiss-type automatic screw machine, a plurality of cutting tools
are radially disposed about a sliding headstock (the part of a lathe that supports and
drives a revolving part) for cutting a workpiece, which is rotatably and
longitudinally driven relative to the tools. The cutting tools are typically
comprised of a tool bit or insert attached to a tool holder or shank, and the shanks
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