Opinion ID: 212848
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Insert-Receiving Area

Text: The term insert-receiving area is found in independent claims 1, 6, 11, and 16. Each court construed this term as follows: ------------------------------------------------------------------- Virginia California ------------------------------------------------------------------- A bore located, at least in A bore formed in the part, within the eccentric eccentric weight portion of weight portion that is the counter-weight, which shaped to hold securely a extends fully through the solid insert member. gear portion and fully through the eccentric weight portion of the counterweight, capable of receiving a solid tungsten rod. ------------------------------------------------------------------- American Piledriving does not dispute the construction of insert-receiving area adopted by the Virginia court. It does, however, argue that the California court erred by requiring that the bore extend fully through both the eccentric weight portion and the gear portion. It again contends that the court improperly imported a limitation from the preferred embodiment into the claims. This court agrees. The claims recite that said eccentric weight portion has at least one insert-receiving area formed therein. See, e.g., '964 Patent col.9 ll.39-43. Nothing in the independent claims requires or specifies that the insert-receiving area extend fully through either the eccentric weight or the gear portion. Although the specification states that [t]he bottom portion of the counterweight is cast having insert receiving areas or bores substantially parallel to the center bore and extending fully through the gear portion and fully through the eccentric weight portion, see id. col.5 ll.61-68, the intrinsic record is devoid of anything to suggest or indicate that the bore must always extend fully through either portion. This court agrees with the observation of the Virginia court that the claims and the specification read together inform that the insert-receiving area has three key components: (1) it is shaped to receive an insert; (2) it is at least partially located in the eccentric weight portion; and (3) it may extend into the cylindrical gear. Accordingly, this court adopts the construction of insert-receiving area reached by the Virginia court: A bore located, at least in part, within the eccentric weight portion that is shaped to hold securely a solid insert member.