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.. ~--·-. ---·-·- ·-·~F 'ID': A67-7-9-9·."· : ... ----·-·-·--"--·-.. ------··o···--·-------·-----·-·-·--

Di\•, 37 _ R001}'-... ,· 58e6-B <;ieo ;fLJ r~-~ Paper No. · 10 

·'1'be Co~!~;.~::c~:~ P:neats. \ .. ~_) 0 EPA RT M ENT 0 F C 0 M ~'f'~ CE a11;>1>~~;~':.~::td'~/~::h;s:.,i;_c;!~n~~i:er. ,. Wa_i;hlal!lun. D. C.," UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC"" cbt1:uflilin1J,andn1UDeof 

>And•r..,1 any official by name "' 1he 11ppii.,.n1 

WASHINGTON ft 1 ... ..i:~"Dr J. l q 19..,,8 

Pl - ·~' ) . ea.~e /ind below a communication from the EXAMINER in 

char~.~ of,,::: application. Q 

~~· S?ommo1:-~,·a-r o·'PaJ·-". Appli' cant·.· - ... ~ u~ William F. Friedman 

Robert v. Laughlin & 

Cl1arle s 1-... Rcwe 7 

' 

et al 

Ser. No. 36,868 

. c/o Chief of the Air ~.:unit ions .Bldg.,, 

Filed Aug. 19, +935 

For Electrical STiitch-

.... -·-:--:rn.~ ."},lie.cha nisrn _·' ~-··· --~. \ " 

/ 

.' 

• .. ashington, D.C. 

~:;r-- In response .to amerJdrlle.nt of December 1, 1937. 

;..ee ley 

.James 

References added: 

l:onn (Ce r -•. ) 

1,699·, 122 

l ,.8b3 ,658 . 34>j ,,538 

(l sheet of .. drawi.ng;. 

Je:in. 15~ 1929 

June. 21, 1932 ... Feb.- 10·; 1922 

2 pages' of spec.) 

l71-118xr(83.1} 

200-24 

l?l-118(83.1} 

Pace 3 , 1 ine 2 f rorn. ena i• constant lY varv •• •• 

in;:: ... ~ .snee • Ji ds '~ 

is questioned. .Applicant~.' __ ar€ume.nt s and t:te cisclosure otheI·~ 

i:;ise indicate that, wh:!.le the speed is val'ia.ble, the variation 

is not constent. 

tt.e comnutator rif1€srr is. not understood. Further elism.ent 

18 does not appear to be a 11 col!i!llutator". 

?age 5, line 51 tbe "conventional F.:.eans or instrume.rit~1li'ties" should be identified • 

.t::.pplicent points out that the device 1.s truly erperiodic 

because of the slippage in the friction drivea No description 

of such operation is round in the specification. Page 3, last . , 

five lines, refer1·ed-. to ·by applicant, makes no refere.nce to 

any sl1ppinf; in the ·operation of t!1e device. Further, the 

arrangem.en.t and character of elements 12, 13·; 14, s·prj nf 15 and 

. . 

;··- -.she.ft }. :::hould be def in i telzt ·de scr·i bed. · Wr,a t · ·i·s ·.meant "b! 1'a · 

elot end bur ·arrangementn, page 3,. line 8 from end a 

\. The. cle i.ms are· all drawn to an aperii;>d.ic device based · 

on sl ippina; betlllaen the drive elev:;.>nt s, for.which. there is no 

desc!'iption in tte s:;>ecifica.tion. The clair s are accordin~lY -- .. 

re,iected as based on inae.finite .snd incomplete discj.OS\l:~e. 

~.~ ... ·.;_ .: 

!'·. 

l!\p~roved for Release by NSA on 09-05-2013 pursuantto E.O. 1352e _.. ··' 

________________ .. ._ __________________ . . . -- . . ·~ 
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O· REF ID: A67 7_9/ff\. 

.;~'68----- 2 

The c.laims are each fUrther rejected as indefinite 

and incomplete, rendered eo by failure to set forth supporting 

structure to structuraJ.+y relate tt:.e elenente: claimed~ and by 

' ' 

tbe1'. ii's·e.·:"Jf inac·curate expressions for the eleoents set···rort_h~ \ 

-;;bile the large number of cle ios ·me_kes s detailed cri t ic~sm 

' ' 

d¥:fi:cult, the cla.ims have been individually cons'idered~ 

1; . . . . c:1a·im 6, line. 2, "associated" defines no structure end is . I . 

., ' 

~,a.definite. Sane 

{I 

11ne "o:;;>erative movemem.t relative to one 

:·!an·qther'·' covers ell types of motion and is obviously broader 

v i . · i · ... / t~lfin anything di.sclosed. Line. 3, llarranced to actuate" is 

.(./ /.'. ' 

indefinite. Sams line, "in·a discrete time relation" is 

~¢}~~ ' ."·p~ely 

• ~. ·1t . ~?.=t'°"~ 

cirfve". 

I 

func·tional an\i does not follov1 f:rom··the "friction . ' ( ·. . 

Lines· 4 _and 5 ,' "operatively coordinated'' gives no 

Line·6~ the "eperiodi~ 

movement" is, not effecte:d by the "'sy;etem of differential 

gearing end· caosZ As argued by applicant any·aperi,od~c 

operation is a result of slippage in the, friction drive. 

... c.1_a~~- 7 ;_. ~o and 11. set forth element 18 as a "commut.ator 11 • 

~.!' .- ' - • .. 

This is considered inaccurate s t-n ce th.ere is· no commutating ., function perforrae d by the· elef'lent· • Claim 7-, 1

sets _;forth na. rota- ( ' \. I . ) 

' table coomutator providea· wit'h contact eler,n.e:q.ts, .&"ld a'rotata'.Qle 

I 

switcbing device." If the "rot.at able ~~itching devic-en re'fers \ • ' ' ; 1. 

' 

to arm 31, it is an independent elernent and not pa.rt of the 

"commutatort• ,"which apparently refers ~o ele·ment 18. Further 

arm 30 is· not, considered a "switc_hing device" but merely pe.~t- . . 

of, a switch, es described in the. _specificat'ion, a t'switch a·rm"• 

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ClaiI;JS 8 and 9 .set forth the "cams" as part· o:r tb.e "means r.or · \ 

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differentially controlling the operation of_ the uni ts" (claim 

7, last line). As contendea by .applicant in ;argument of Feb. . . ·-~ -·~·:·· 

l; 1937 (last page) "G'earing system. ~h 2' and l effects a· .' 

. diff'ere·nt·1a1 operation". It appears that· there y1ould stil.~ 

be dfffe:rential operation W·i tboUt the cam:;: . .,· Cl·aim 10, last 

·line;·. tn.~· aperlod1c operation. i's not a .result of the ".means 

includ~ng di-fferential gearing and cams" (lines 5,. 6) but as 

. --· ---·· .. ;. 
.. ---··-----'-------------------·· - - - fi ... -":-·-.. -~---· 

\ 

1. 

0 REF ID: A67 7 98 r·1... · . . \_ __ .l) '8~8---~-3 

arcue_c} b:r e:.Jplicant is a result of· _the "friction drives" 

of line 4. Ola im 11 , is indef1.ni te as to the de script 1on of 

the sw·1tch but appears to set forth 11 a plurality of contact 

elements'' E:nd "a rotatable concluctor" both a.s parts of a<. 

"commutator" {lines 2 and 3). As before ·noted,· tha use of 

''comi:iutator" eppee.1rs lneccurate lmt in addition the-· 11·c0nductor'', i:ipperentl;/ arm 30;"1s not a .)a.rt of ,.tl:e same element 

ttat carriecthe "plurality of contact 011.:n"J.rnts· {conta"cts 20). 

Fu.rther the arm 30 cooperates wj.th contacts 20 but is not 

·"operable with said eler..t!" nt s" sine e the co nte.ct s and arm 

o:>erate in different directions and at d.1fferent speeds. 

Claims 12 {line 2), 13 (lines 1-2), 18 {lint>;.2)· and 23 (line 

2) rrswi tching'' devices" is considered ina ccurete, e ince 

it implies a plurality of' sw1_tches rather than on.e multiple 

circuit sr1itch, the only structu~e disclosed. Claim 12, line 

. 5, t 1rend om ~ermutetion ° 1s ... misdescr1pt1 ve ~.1noe the circuits 

are el ways cl 1sed in the same orde·r or sequence. Cle.ims 13 

through 23, line 2 of each cla 1m, call for a plurality of . 

contacts on lJoth the disc 19 end arm 30. This construction 

is not supported by the oieclosure and is misdescri nti ve. 

Cle.irn.s 14, 15, ·16, 17, 19, 20, 21 and 22 "components" fails to 

clafine e11y definite switch elements.· Claim 15, line ti, "in 

irregular order" is ~ot clear. Claim 15, line 4, "differential 

gearing" appears to heve no bearing pri· :the aperiodic operation 

set forth in line 6. Claim 17, lost two ~~nes, the "means .for 

' chane: ing the rote of movement of s oid mechanisms" does not 

t..ppear to randomize the operation of the contacts. The 

rGndornizing operat io.n is int roduoed by the":t'r1ction drive 

mechanism" tline 4l. e.ocord ing to a pp'licents' argument of I 

February 1, 1937, page 2. Claim 23, line 3, no disclosure 

is found tor the limitation that the contacts are "spaced .._ ....... 

at irregular intervals". 

Cle ims 7 eod 13 to 23 are further reje oted e e not .. 

defining invent ion over e 1th er ~eeley or the German patent 

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REF ID:A67798 

() 30(_)1'~----4 ' 

Boti! of t:t!c references e'how rel a ti vef-;1 !'.1ovable '. . .. .. . .. ..• 1, 

·' 

contact carryfitt discs, Vtitll ir1depen<lcnt driving ne!ms. for 

each disc. Clea1•1y the contacts woula be closed aperiodically. 

Broedly a friction drive could be .used in eitl·or of the ua,tents 

without invention. ·. ' 

' 

Tbe 1•cjebt iori, of - ' 

t le J:~ . .$ 13 end 1~ on ;3oardnan -is· .. , 

I • / 

re .:>eated. ,All t:"c strucy&i.J.re )ri~i t ::v·el;r els ir'led is shown by j • _ .... ._._ ~--- ..,. ... ·- - '· • 

c ... i.::.· _,/ 

.......... 

,I 

"ti ngu i eh ~l1b pat eht a bl Y f ~O UI.. 0I?o ardl::.e n • Fif. 4 of Boardt18n. · .• . 

shows relat iv el~· rotatable. drums 8 end 247, each driven· by . r 

a friction disc E.;.Ild rueans {the adjustint screws on tf..e ~nds of 

e;ha.fts 7 end 2tt6) for varying the· relati Ve posit ions of· the 

driv~ dj.ecs.• The .. rel~tiv·ely movable drums are operatively 

"assooi.ated '1 • 

,. 

!' 

Claim 15 is further· re,ie·cted as drawn to the. old 

, combi·natioJ.1 of switch and oo.nnector shown by J~es, supra:. 

The invent ion is in tee s'>li t ch. 

The claims ere furthe·r rejected on the rround of 

multiplicity. I':ifh-teen cieim,s ... is considered more tr.en f"Uffie ient to completely cover the d eviee. l''i ve or e i-Y: cle ir:1r 

would eippear to be sufficient. 

Examiner . \ 

./ 

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