In re Gazda

This appeal involves the question of whether patentable subject matter has been defined in claims 9, 10, 11, 13, and 14 of appellant’s application for a patent on a clock wound by the steering wheel of a vehicle. The Primary Examiner of the United States Patent Office rejected these claims as lacking in invention over a combination of prior art references and his decision was affirmed by the Board of Appeals.

The appealed claims relate to a clock mounted in the center of the steering wheel of an automobile or similar vehicle wherein the mainspring is wound by the operator when moving the…