In re Mead

This is an appeal from a decision of the Board of Appeals of the United States Patent Office affirming- a decision of the Primary Examiner rejecting claims 9 to 15, inclusive, of appellant’s application for a patent. Eight claims were allowed. Claims 9,10, and 11 are apparatus claims, and claims 12 to 15, inclusive, are for a process.

Claims 9 and 12 illustrate the subject matter involved and read as follows:

9. In a device of the character described,v means to suspend a burial vault in a grave with its upper edge near the surface of the ground and to lower it gradually, removable supports for…