Appeal 2007-1828
Application 10/772,811
Appellants claim an apparatus for moving particulate material such as grain.
The apparatus consists of a body including a motor, a housing having a cavity, and
a paddle assembly that actually contacts the grain and expels it forwardly.
Claim 1, reproduced below, is further illustrative of the claimed subject matter.
1. An apparatus for moving particulate matter, comprising:
a body having a motor;
a drive housing disposed on the body;
a cavity disposed in the body, the cavity having a first side, a second side, and
at least a partial semi-circular cross-sectional shape;
a paddle assembly having a shaft and a plurality of paddles disposed therefrom,
each paddle having a bottom wall and a distal end, wherein the distal end travels
along the semi-circular cross-sectional shape of the cavity during operation, and
the bottom wall extends along an entire width of the paddle in a substantially
planar manner between the first side wall and the second side wall of the cavity
and wherein each paddle includes a pair of side walls that in combination with the
bottom wall define an open region; and
a drive mechanism disposed in the drive housing, the drive mechanism
operatively connecting the motor and the shaft.
The references of record relied upon by the examiner as evidence of
anticipation and obviousness are:
Guillemette 3,085,832 Apr. 16, 1963
Thorud Re. 33,726 Oct. 29, 1991
Claims 1-7, 9-14, and 16-22 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 102 as
anticipated by Thorud.
Claims 8, 15, and 23 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as unpatentable
over Thorud in view of Guillemette.
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