Application of Cesare Reni

BALDWIN, Judge.

This appeal is from the Patent Office Board of Appeals decision affirming the examiner’s rejection of claims 1-4 of appellant’s application 1 as unpatentable over Joris 2 in view of Shepard 3 under 35 U.S.C. § 103. In his brief, appellant has withdrawn the appeal as to claims 1-3, leaving claim 4 the only remaining claim on appeal.

THE INVENTION

The invention can be no more succinctly stated than as in claim 4:

4. Method of producing phenol and acetone by acid decomposition of cu-mene hydroperoxide, comprising gradually and simultaneously adding (a) an aqueous hydrochloric acid at…