DETAILED ACTION
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 .
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 3/26/26 has been entered.
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.
Claims 1-2,4 are 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 1 recites “the one or more slotted purlin holders” in line 2, which lacks antecedent basis. It is suggested the claim be amended at line 2 to recite “comprising: -one or more slotted purlin holders”.
Claim 2 appears to recite the same or similar limitations as presented in lines 24-29 of claim 1, it is unclear if claim 2 recites the same as or additional features causing confusion regarding the scope of the claimed invention.
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-2,4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Baron (20190010716).
Claim 1. Baron discloses a support system for roof formworks comprising:
-one or more purlin holders (4), the upper surface of the one or more slotted purlin holders having longitudinal slots (at 25), each of the one or more purlin holders having two ends; and
- at least one purlin (5) defined by a profile, the at least on purlin comprising a flat lower surface (at 31a) supportable on the upper surface of the one or more slotted purlin holders (as seen in figure 2);
-at least one support element (8) for the one or more slotted purlin holders
wherein at least one end of the profile of the at least one purlin comprises a terminal having a descending extension (at 32b) configured as a bearing point in one of the longitudinal slots of the slotted purlin holders (as seen in figure 2);
wherein the terminal of the at least one purlin resting on of the longitudinal slots of the slotted purlin holders;
wherein one end of the one or more slotted purlin holders is resting in one of the at least one support element (as seen in figure 2), the at least one support element comprising at least one supporting seat (at 20) for terminals of the at least one purlin (as seen in figure 2), the at least one supporting seat consisting of a slotted surface or a surface with a height difference (where there is a height difference) or a stop flange (where 20 includes a stop flange at 33), and positioned at a height with respect to the support elements for purlin holders (as seen in figure 2), such that in its condition of use the at least one supporting seat provides continuity as a bearing point of the terminal of the one or more purlins for a surface of one of the longitudinal slots of the slotted purlin holder (as seen in figure 2 where it provides a bearing point for the terminal end of the one or more purlins as a continuity of the longitudinal slots in that it continues as a support surface beyond the slots);
wherein an external edge of the descending extension of at least one purlin forms an angle less than 900 at the bearing point in one of the longitudinal slots (as seen in figures 8,19-25), while the descending extension is configured to remove the at least one purlin from the slotted purlin holders by pivoting the descending extension downwards with respect to said external edge of the descending extension without the at least one purlin raising the roof formwork (as seen in figures 19-25 and noted throughout the disclosure);
wherein the length of the descending extension of the at least one purlin, in a resting condition in one of the longitudinal slots, is configured so that the lower surface of the profile is at the same level as the upper surface of the slotted purlin holders (as seen in figure 24),
wherein the terminal has a base (21a) defined by an inner corner adjacent to the profile and an outer corner longitudinally opposite from the inner corner, the descending extension being in the outer corner (as noted in the disclosure and seen in the figures where there is a corner at each end), and
wherein the base having a lower face comprising a groove (formed under 31a) in the lower face , transverse to the longitudinal direction of the profile and located between the inner corner and the outer corner, the groove having depth and width dimensions sufficient to provide space to remove the at least one purlin from the slotted purlin holder by pivoting the at least one purlin downwards with respect to said outer corner with the at least one purlin raising the roof formwork (as seen in figures 19-25 and noted throughout the disclosure).
Claim 2. The support system according to claim 1, wherein the descending extension having the external edge that forms an angle less than 90 (as seen in figure 8), at the bearing point in one of the longitudinal slots, while the descending extension is configured so that the at least one purlin is removable from the upper surface of the one or more slotted purlin holders by pivoting the descending extension downwards with respect to said external edge without the at least one purlin raising the supported formwork (as seen in figures 19-25).
Claim 4. The support system according to claim 1, wherein the terminal of the at least one purlin has an outer face and an upper corner, the upper corner of the outer face of the terminal being rounded (as seen in at 32,32a, 29a,32b of figure 8).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 3/26/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant’s arguments are drawn to the newly amended claim limitations at lines 15-21 of claim 1, as noted at pages 6-7 of the remarks. Applicants arguments are not persuasive as Baron clearly teaches the claimed limitations as noted in the rejection above. The supporting seat of Baron does consist of a height differentiated surface (where it is at a height different from other elements) and a stop flange (where 33 is a stop flange) and it is positioned to provide continuity as a bearing point of the purlin terminals for the slots (where it provides a further surface for a purlin and therefore is a continuity as a bearing poring of the purlin terminals, as seen in figure 2). Thus the seat structure does provide continuity of the slot based bearing point engagement of the purlin terminals from the purlin holder into the head because it provides a surface for the purlin terminals, thus continuing the bearing point engagement.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JESSICA LAUX whose telephone number is (571)272-8228. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30-3:30.
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JESSICA L. LAUX
Examiner
Art Unit 3635
/JESSICA L LAUX/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3635
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