Opinion ID: 736955
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: New Matter

Text: 16 World argues, with respect to claim 1, that the 1990 application failed to disclose the desirability of using a wrapping rate of 8-12 turns per inch with a two strand core, rather than with a one strand core. It asserts that this subject matter was new matter because, according to World, it was first added with the new claims when the 1992 continuation application was filed. World argues that the inventors were therefore not entitled to the 1990 filing date and the claims were therefore barred by a public use. Kolmes responds that the newly added claims did not constitute new matter and were entitled to that filing date, precluding a public use bar. 17 The patent statute requires that the specification shall contain a written description of the invention. 35 U.S.C. § 112, p 1 (1994). Section 132 requires that no new matter be added to the disclosure of an application. 35 U.S.C. § 132 (1994). The question raised here is whether the claims added by the preliminary amendment to the 1992 continuation application find adequate support in the 1990 application sufficient to meet the description requirement of section 112, p 1. See In re Winkhaus, 527 F.2d 637, 640, 188 USPQ 129, 131 (CCPA 1975) (Claims added by amendment and drawn to an invention not so described in the specification are drawn to 'new matter' and prohibited by § 132.). 18 Whether a patent satisfies the description requirement of section 112, p 1, is a question of fact, which we review for clear error on appeal from a bench trial. Ralston Purina Co. v. Far-Mar-Co, Inc., 772 F.2d 1570, 1575, 227 USPQ 177, 179 (Fed.Cir.1985). We agree with Kolmes that the specification contains a written description of the invention of claim 1. With respect to claimed element (a), the specification discloses a core having two parallel untwisted strands in Figure 1 and at col. 3, lines 9-20. It discloses a denier in the range of 375 to 1,000 for the core at col. 5, lines 48-49. With respect to element (b), the specification discloses the spirally-wrapped two strand covering in Figure 1 and at col. 3, lines 21-27, and it discloses the claimed denier range at col. 5, lines 63-65. The specification discloses several non-metallic materials for the core and covering strands at col. 3, lines 15-20 and 23-27. 19 Element (c) requires that the covering be wrapped at a rate of 8-12 turns per inch. At col. 5, lines 38-40, the specification states that the coverings or wrappings are formed at the rate of 4-12 turns per inch, with 8 turns per inch being preferred. All the claimed limitations including the 8-12 turns per inch are thus well supported by the specification. Although the text of the specification only discusses the claimed wrapping rate with reference to a figure showing a one strand core, the specification discloses a two strand core with a two strand covering. World has not shown that the specification as a whole would have failed to convey to one skilled in the art the use of the claimed wrapping rate with a two strand core. See In re Alton, 76 F.3d 1168, 1172, 37 USPQ2d 1578, 1581 (Fed.Cir.1996) (stating that in order to satisfy the written description requirement an applicant must convey as of the filing date that he or she was in possession of the invention). Claims to subject matter disclosed in the specification are not new matter. Accordingly, the district court did not clearly err in finding that the claims were supported by the 1990 application, thus satisfying the description requirement of section 112, p 1.