Appeal 2007-2378
Application 10/837,098
1 1. A pipe bursting and replacement apparatus for use in replacing
2 horizontal underground pipes comprising:
3 a pipe bursting head having a central lengthwise hole therethrough;
4 a pipe gripping mechanism disposed behind the hole, including a
5 plurality of gripping jaws, at least one of the jaws having a pipe gripping
6 tooth extending radially outwardly, and a tapered expander configured to fit
7 between the jaws such that the expander can move forwardly to force the
8 jaws outwardly to engage a replacement pipe;
9 means for pulling the expander forward relative to the jaws in order to
10 pull the pipe bursting head forward; and
11 a stop limiting forward travel of the expander and preventing outward
12 radial travel of the jaws after the tooth has been engaged in the wall of the
13 replacement pipe.
14
15 THE REFERENCES
16 Brewis US 5,671,953 Sep. 30, 1997
16 Carter
17 US 6,305,880 B1 Oct. 23, 2001
18
19 THE REJECTIONS
20 The claims stand rejected as follows: claims 1, 3, 14 and 17-20 under
21 35 U.S.C. § 102(b) as anticipated by Brewis; claims 2 and 6 under 35 U.S.C. § 103
22 as obvious over Brewis; and claims 4, 5, 7-13, 15 and 16 under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as
23 obvious over Brewis in view of Carter.
24 OPINION
25 We affirm the aforementioned rejections.
26 Rejection under 35 U.S.C. § 102(b)
27 Brewis discloses a pipe towing head (10) comprising a tubular body (14)
28 with a front frusto-conical portion (16) having a bore (19) therethrough (Brewis,
29 col. 2, ll. 38-40). A threaded bolt (38) having on its front end a towing eye (42)
30 extends through the bore and has on its rear end threads that pass through a four-
31 section expandable member (44) (corresponding to the Appellants’ gripping jaws)
2
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