Appeal No. 2006-3118
Application No. 10/144,884
relationship with the second blanket cylinder circumference, N being 2 or greater”
as claimed [brief, page 5; reply brief, page 2]. Appellant notes that Richards
shows a web printing press where each print unit has one plate cylinder and one
blanket cylinder respectively, and each such print unit prints one color. Rieker,
on the other hand, shows a single plate cylinder for all four colors [brief, page 4].
In view of this distinction, appellant contends that Rieker teaches away from
arrangements using two plate cylinders that are associated with different blanket
cylinders such as that shown by Richards, but rather teaches using only a single
plate cylinder for four color printing [brief, page 5; reply brief, page 2].
The examiner responds that, in view of Rieker, the skilled artisan would
have been motivated to utilize plate cylinders with a diameter that is twice that of
the blanket cylinder to improve efficiency. In this regard, the examiner notes that
utilizing a larger plate cylinder such as that shown by Rieker can transfer four
colors expeditiously to the blanket cylinders [answer, pages 5 and 6].
We will sustain the examiner’s rejection of independent claims 1 and 14.
Richards in Fig. 4 shows a printing unit with a first plate cylinder 4a and first
blanket cylinder 6a disposed above web 40, and a second plate cylinder 4b and
second blanket cylinder 6b disposed below the web. The plate and blanket
cylinders have approximately the same circumference [see Richards, Fig. 4].
It is undisputed that Richards’ arrangement differs from the claimed
invention in the at least 2:1 ratio between the circumferences of the plate and
blanket cylinders respectively. It is also undisputed that Rieker expressly
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