superficie laterale circolare cilindrica

19:03 Jan 5, 2011 

Actually Jim, I was just about to say that your version makes sense indeed- thanks very much for the help.

17:43 Jan 5, 2011 

sitting on top of an upended cylinder waiting for coffee to arrive in the middle of it and therefore in line with the centre axis of the cylinder. I would hesitate to use a "liberal" "explanatory" translation with something as precise as a patent. If you look at my Google link, you see that all but one of the admittedly very few hits are patents. A sort of patent speak. You really should ask the client for the drawings. The patent application will contain the drawings.

17:32 Jan 5, 2011 

so the answer is yes, the axis does pass longitudinally through the centre.

17:30 Jan 5, 2011 

actually it's a dispensing axis !! of a liquid and there are NO drawings belive it or not - hence my confusion .

16:59 Jan 5, 2011 

I would guess that what you've got is something shaped like the cardboard core of a toilet roll. "Circolare" seems somewhat redundant, though I suppose it's possible for cylinders not to have a circular cross-section. Can you see from the drawings whether the "asse di erogazione" (however you've translated it - "axis of distribution"?) passes longitudinally through the centre of the cylindrical shape?