Appeal No. 2006-1430
Application No. 10/005,484
of being supplied with a selectively variable air pressure 113 that moves the
drive piston to any position short of the stroke height defined by the
adjustment nut and bolt.
We thus conclude that Evans’ valve is constructed and arranged to
provide all metering positions from a fully closed position to a fully opened
position. We sustain the Examiner’s rejection of claims 23-25, 31, 32, 42,
44-47, 50, 53, 54, 56, 58, and 59 as being anticipated by Evans.
The obviousness rejections
Shank describes a media valve including an inlet cone 61 and vertical
media passage 63 in valve body 40, a control sleeve provided with spaced
orifices 56, and a valve stem 45 attached to a piston 46. The lower surface
49 of piston 46 is in fluid communication, via pressure supply tube 50, with
air pressure. The supplied air pressure moves the piston 46 and attached
valve stem 45 upward and out of communication with media passage 63. A
biasing spring 72 returns valve stem 45 to the closed position obstructing
media passage 63 when the air pressure is reduced and bled through member
71. Compressed air can be supplied to the top surface 55 of piston 46 to
return valve stem 45, either as an alternative to or in combination with the
biasing spring 72. Col. 7, ll. 48-58.
Schmidt discloses a valve V very similar to that of Evans.
Specifically, Schmidt’s valve includes a body 60 having a media inlet tube
61a and an air flow tube 63 and has a spring 66 and a valve element 65
6
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