Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 08/13/20285 has been entered. Claims 1-12, 26-28, 31-36 are pending, claims 1, 31, 32, 33 are currently amended and claims 3-9, 34-36 are withdrawn.
Claim Objections
Claim 31 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 31 recites, “one or more third motors selectively operable to the move the first cutter assembly” and should be -- one or more third motors selectively operable to move the first cutter assembly--.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 27 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 27 recites, “wherein the rail or slide system defined a travel path of the first cutter assembly and the second cutter assembly.” However, claim 1 previously recites
“wherein the rail and slide system is configured to move the first and second cutter assemblies along a path of travel.”. It appears that the travel path of claim 27 is the same path of travel in claim 1, yet they are set forth as two independent travel paths.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-2, 10, 11, 12, 26-28, 31, 32, and 33 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wang (CN109396505). In regards to claim 1, Wang discloses a guide dresser for milling a saw guide (e.g. workpiece 6), wherein the saw guide has a first terminal end, an opposite terminal end, a longitudinal axis that extends through the ends, a first portion that includes the first terminal end, and a second portion that includes the second terminal end, the guide dresser comprising:
a rail or slide system (2/10 the left and right transverse feeding mechanisms) mounted to a frame (base 1);
a first cutter assembly (3; left cutting assembly) mounted to the rail or slide system (mounted on 2), the first cutter assembly (3) having a first rotatable cutter head (milling cutter 17); a second cutter assembly (9 right side assembly) slidably mounted to the rail or slide system (mounted on 10), the second cutter assembly (9) having a second rotatable cutter head (milling cutter 17), wherein the rail and slide system (2/10) is configured to move the first and second cutter assemblies (9/10) along a path of travel (along the rails) that is fixed relative to the frame (1); and a guide mount (tooling plate 4) configured to maintain the saw guide (e.g. 6) in a stationary position with the longitudinal axis of the saw guide perpendicular to the path of travel (see fig. 1) and the second portion of the saw guide at a first location between the first cutter head and the second cutter head (fig. 1),
wherein the first cutter assembly (3) and the second cutter assembly (9) are movable, independently of one another, along the path of travel (along rails 2/10) to move the respective first and second cutter heads (3/9) in opposite directions toward the first location and into contact with respective sides of the second portion of the saw guide, while rotating the respective cutter heads, to thereby mill the respective sides of the second portion of the saw guide.
In regards to claim 2, Wang discloses wherein the first cutter assembly (3) includes a motor (e.g. to drive the main shaft head 15), and the second cutter assembly includes a second motor (e.g. to drive the main shaft head 15), and the first and second motors are operable to rotate the first and second rotatable cutter heads respectively (17/17).
In regards to claim 10, Wang discloses wherein the rail or slide system comprises: a first rail or slide apparatus (2) having the first cutter assembly (3) slidably mounted thereon; and a second rail or slide system (10) having the first cutter assembly (9) slidably mounted thereon.
In regards to claim 11, Wang discloses wherein the rail or slide system comprises a ball screw and linear bearings (14 is a feeding ball screw).
In regards to claim 12, Wang discloses wherein the first cutter assembly (3) includes a first motor (e.g. to drive the main shaft head 15) operable to drive the first cutter head (17) in rotation, and the first rail or slide apparatus includes a second motor (motor to drive the feeding ball screw 14) operable to move the first cutter assembly (3) toward the first location.
In regards to claim 26, Wang discloses wherein the rail or slide system (2/10) includes a rail or linear bearing and the first cuter assembly and the second cutter assembly are mounted to the rail or linear bearing on opposite sides of the first location (see Fig. 1).
In regards to claim 27, Wang discloses wherein the rail or slide system (2/10) defined a travel path of the first cutter assembly and the second cutter assembly, and wherein the guide mount (4) is disposed outside of the travel path.
In regards to claim 28, Wang discloses wherein the rail or slide system (2/10) is configured to move the first cutter assembly and the second cuter assembly linearly (along the rails via the screw 14).
In regards to claim 31, Wang discloses a first motor coupled to the first cutter head (3), the first motor (e.g. to drive the main shaft head 15) being operable to rotate the first cutter head (17); and a second motor (e.g. to drive the main shaft head 15) coupled to the second cutter head (10), the second motor operable to rotate the second cutter head (17), wherein the rail or slide system includes one or more third motors (motors to drive the feed ball screws 14) selectively operable to the move the first cutter assembly (3) and the second cutter assembly (9) toward the first location independently of one another to thereby bring the first cutter head and the second cutter head into contact with the respective sides of the second portion of the saw guide.
In regards to claim 32, Wen discloses wherein the one or more third motor (motors to drive the feed ball screws 14) includes two third motors (one for each cutting mechanism 3/9), each of said third motors coupled to a respective one of the cutter assemblies and operable to move said respective one of the cutter assemblies along a corresponding portion of the rail or slide system (2/10).
In regards to claim 33, Wen discloses wherein the rail or slides system further includes a ball screw (feeding ball screw 14) and linear slides (sliding table 12).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-36 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LAURA M LEE whose telephone number is (571)272-8339. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8a.m.- 5p.m..
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/LAURA M LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3724