Appeal 2007-0513
Application 10/274,797
1 workpiece when the double seaming roll comes into contact with the workpiece
2 during the double seaming operation (Br. 8-9). The Appellant argues that
3 Sedwick’s double seaming roll surface speed variation is merely a natural
4 byproduct of the operation of Sedwick’s device, and that Sedwick has no interest
5 in reducing the relative rotational speed between the double seaming rolls and the
6 workpiece (Br. 9). Sedwick’s disclosure that the seaming rolls are driven at the
7 proper speed by the steel plate to avoid slippage between the seaming rolls and the
8 metal parts (Sedwick 2:52-61, 99-104) is a disclosure that the relative rotational
9 speed between the double seaming rolls and the metal workpiece is reduced as the
10 double seaming rolls are brought into contact with the workpiece, as required by
11 the Appellant’s claim 1.
12 The Appellant argues that Sedwick does not disclose the limitations in
13 claims 3, 4, and 7 that depend from claim 1 (Br. 10-11). Sedwick’s steel plate
14 engages the double seaming chuck by being clamped thereto and rotates the double
15 seaming rolls (Sedwick 2:43-45, 58-61) as required by the Appellant’s claim 3.
16 That clamping engagement is frictional as required by the Appellant’s claim 4. As
17 for claim 7, Sedwick’s avoidance of slippage between the double seaming rolls and
18 the metal parts (Sedwick 2:99-104) substantially eliminates relative rotational
19 speed between the double seaming roll and the workpiece during the double
20 seaming operation.
21 We therefore are not convinced of reversible error in the rejection of
22 claims 1, 3, 4 and 7.
23 The Appellant’s claim 5 requires that the second drive mechanism comprises
24 a first frictional drive element mounted to rotate with the double seaming chuck
25 and a second frictional drive element mounted to rotate with the double seaming
26 roll. The Examiner argues that “the elements 16, 19 of the Sedwick second drive
5
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Last modified: September 9, 2013