Appeal 2007-0561
Application 10/689,465
1 D Findings of Fact (Referenced as FF. ¶ No.)
2 1. The invention relates to an electrical grounding apparatus which
3 connects electrical devices to ground. (Specification, 1, ll. 10-12).
4 2. It has been known to ground an electrical device by connecting the
5 device electrically to a grounding member such as rebar, pipe, and ground rods.
6 (Specification, 1, ll. 13-15).
7 3. It has been known to use a grounding clamp to electrically connect a
8 ground wire from an electrical device to a grounding member. (Specification, 1, ll.
9 13-14).
10 4. Many different grounding clamps have been disclosed in the prior art.
11 (Specification, 1, ll. 23-24).
12 5. According to the applicants’ specification, the prior art grounding
13 clamps are inadequate because the grounding wire from the electrical device is
14 attached through a hole on the body of the clamp and thus an installer must pull the
15 ground wire through the hole in the clamp, which task is both cumbersome and
16 time consuming. (Specification, 1, ll. 24-29).
17 6. The Examiner has cited many prior art references each disclosing a
18 grounding clamp which does not receive the grounding wire through a hole on the
19 clamp. Those references include Mooney, Reichman, Shemtov, Meinhardt,
20 Churla, and Bondeson.
21 7. Independent claims 9 and 18 are reproduced below:
22 9. A clamping apparatus for electrically connecting at least
23 a first ground wire to a grounding member, the clamping apparatus
24 comprising:
25
26 a bottom clamping member comprising a bottom medial
27 portion and first and second threaded holes on first and second sides
28 of the bottom medial portion for accepting first and second screws,
3
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