Appeal No. 2006-2116
Application No. 08/879,517
surgery, when the motor of Langworthy’s surgical saw is tilted
in either direction by an angle greater than or equal to
45 degrees with respect to the zero-tilt angle position, the
housing would not contact the top surface of the workpiece base.
Langworthy teaches that the tubular arm of his surgical saw
has a size and shape convenient for holding in the manner a pen or
a pencil is held in the hand (Langworthy, p. 1, l. 83-86).
However, Langworthy expressly states (Langworthy, p. 2, l. 49-53),
“The saw may be of various sizes, complementary to the saw. . . .
10 and these elements may be changed at will, to adapt them for
different uses.” Langworthy adds (Langworthy, p. 2, l. 69-74),
“The arm may readily be manipulated to attain cuts at various
angles and depths for cranial and other cuts, and the laterally
disposed saw affords an instrument which may be manipulated with
facility and accuracy in the operations.”
Ambrosio would have taught persons having ordinary skill in
the art that a tilting table saw capable of cutting a workpiece
+45O from zero tilt without turning the workpiece can be made and
used if (1) the motor shaft is disposed in parallel with the saw
20 shaft, and (2) the transmission means through which the motor
shaft is connected to the saw shaft so that an axis of the motor
19
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