Appeal 2006-2990
Application 11/005,250
FF3. Lapeyre (Lapeyre, col. 3, ll. 18-25) teaches:
These ribs 20 are cooperative with like arrays of
ribs on adjacent links 10 such that the ribs remain
substantially in interdigitated meshing relationship
during curved movement of the conveyor in the
conveying plane thereby to provide an effectively
continuous conveying surface without gaps in the
conveying surface between the links through
which articles can fall or become lodged.
FF4. None of the ribs 20 is illustrated in Fig. 1 of Lapeyre in contact with
any rib of an adjacent link. Lapeyre’s Fig. 1 shows gaps between all ribs 20
of adjacent links. Moreover, Fig. 1 appears to illustrate the sharpest possible
angle between links, or, in other words, the smallest possible radius of
curvature, as the radially inner most portions of facing surfaces of arm 24 of
section 12 and arm 52 of section 14 are in contact with one another.
Additionally, the outermost ribs 20 of adjacent links, shown at the top of
Lapeyre’s Fig. 1, in the region where gaps would be of greatest concern
during curved movement of the conveyor, are illustrated close to but quite
conspicuously out of contact with one another.
FF5. The term “mesh” has at least the following ordinary and customary
meanings: “1 to entangle or become entangled 2 to engage or become
engaged: said of gears or gear teeth 3 to fit closely together; interlock”
(Webster's New World Dictionary 891 (David B. Guralnik ed., 2nd Coll. Ed.,
Simon & Schuster, Inc. 1984)).
FF6. Lapeyre’s teachings (FF3) with regard to the “interdigitated meshing
relationship” between arrays of ribs 20 on adjacent links 10 is at best
ambiguous, when read as a whole, especially in light of the illustration in
Fig. 1 (FF4), as to whether the ribs 20 of adjacent links actually contact or
engage one another or merely fit closely together (see FF5). Lapeyre
5
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