Appeal 2006-2334
Application 09/909,913
Thus, the pliable material can be urged into interaction with the food
item by solid materials to which the pliable materials can be attached or
caused to move, such as by a plunger and cup system or by a roller system of
a belt conveyor (see Specification, e.g., ¶¶ 0045-0068 and Figs. 1, 2, 8, and
9). The interaction between the pliable belt and the food item such that the
surfaces of the pliable material conforms to and at least partially surrounds
the food item, can be initiated by the pliable material or by the food item and
can occur at any point in the step of processing. Indeed, it is apparent from
Specification Figs. 1 and 2 that surfaces of pliable material 10 do not
conform to and at least partially surround boneless meat 2 until fixed and
moveable solid materials 6,8 urge the pliable material surfaces 10 to
completely squeeze or press meat 2 which occurs at the end of the step,
wherein, as seen in Fig. 2, only the upper and lower surfaces of the
individual pieces of compressed meat 2 conform to and are at least partially
surrounded by pliable material 10 (id., e.g., ¶¶ 0045-0047 ). Thus, the food
item can cause the pliable material to conform and at least surround it and/or
the pliable material can cause the food item to conform to and be at least
partially surrounded by it, as evinced by Specification Fig. 2.
We find Peterson would have disclosed to one of ordinary skill in this
art a method wherein flat pieces of frozen meat, which can be boneless, are
mangled and rolled during passage through a channel-shaped space of flat
rectangular cross-section of decreasing height maintained by a two belt
conveyor, to obtain frozen meat pieces of a desired reduced thickness
without loss of meat juice and blood because the processing conditions
maintain the meat in frozen state (Peterson, e.g., Abstract, col. 1, l. 27 to col.
6
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