DETAILED ACTION
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.
Claim 26 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Doud (EP 0 245 800). Doud teaches a glass forming individual machine, comprising a machine frame (24) having a glass gob loading axis (26), a traversable blank side including a blank side frame (right half of figure 1), a plunger apparatus (34) carried by the blank side frame (top half of page 16), a blank mold holder apparatus (122) movably carried by the blank side frame, a blank mold (126) carried by the blank mold holder apparatus (figure 4) and configured to form a glass gob into a parison and having a blank mold vertical axis, and a mold carriage movably carried on the machine frame and coupled to the traversable blank side to linearly translate the traversable blank side toward the glass gob loading axis to align the blank mold vertical axis with the glass gob loading axis and to linearly translate the traversable blank side away from the glass gob loading axis (1st paragraph on page 10, 1st paragraph on page 11, bottom half of page 15, top two paragraphs on page 19, 2nd passage on page 20, figures 1-2), wherein the mold carriage is movable along a first axis (horizontal), and a second axis (vertical) transverse to the first axis, wherein the mold carriage is configured to move along the first and second axes to load the glass gob into the blank mold (bottom paragraph on page 18, paragraph bridging pages 30-31).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-9, 11-21, and 27-28 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: Applicant’s argument regarding amended claim 1 (which incorporates the subject matter of cancelled claim 10) has been found persuasive. Accordingly, the prior art fails to fairly suggests an individual section machine comprising a first traversable blank side comprising a first blank mold disposed on a first side of a glass gob loading axis, a second traversable blank side including a second blank mold disposed on a second side of the glass gob loading axis, and a mold carriage that linearly translates the first the first traversable blank side to and from the first side to the glass gob loading axis, wherein the second blank mold is also movable from the second side to the glass gob loading axis.
Applicant has amended the allowable subject matter of claims 12, 15 and 17 into independent form. As stated previously, the reasons for allowance is as follows:
Regarding claims 12 and 27, the prior art teaches sensors for sensing a falling glass gob along the axis and producing an output signal to be used as input into a controller, such as that of Anger et al. (5,499,055). Anger teaches a sensor for sensing a falling glass gob and provides input to a controller (col. 2 lines 45-54, col. 3 lines 13-21). However, the controller doesn’t provide control signals to a blank mold, but instead control a gob feeder (col. 4 lines 44-47). Fenton et al. (EP 1 318 111) teaches a sensor for sensing a falling glass gob and providing input to a controller ([(0004]). However, the signals are used to control the initiation of a molding process and is not specific on controlling the movement of the blank mold. Accordingly, the prior art fails to suggests the combination of a sensor for sensing the falling glass gob along the axis and providing a signal to a controller for controlling the movement of the mold carriage. For the same reasons, claims 27-28 have allowable subject matter.
Regarding claim 15, Lee teaches adapter mount 300 is a tilting unit (last paragraph on page 9) and adapter mount 400 is a turning unit (top paragraph on page 10). Thus, Lee fails to teach adapter mounts comprising positioners that include set screws to move the machine platen relative to the base. Thus, the prior art fails to fairly suggest adapter mounts coupled to a base of the a machine frame and carrying a machine platen, wherein the adapter mounts include set screws to move the machine platen relative to the base, the base comprises a plurality of beams laterally spaced apart from one another and cross members extending laterally between and connecting the beams.
Regarding claim 17, Doud teaches a stage motor (116) and screw shaft (114) for affording linear motion to the carriage (2"4 passage on page 19). Lee teaches the first stage includes a first stage plate 600 and the second stage includes a second stage plate 500. Lee further teaches a second stage actuator including a second stage motor 504 and second stage belt carried by the first stage plate and driven by second stage motor (4 passage on page 11). However, Lee doesn’t suggest a stage actuator having a second stage drive rod coupled to the a second stage extension arm coupled to the second stage plate. Similarly, Lee teaches a first stage actuator including a first stage motor and first stage belt driven by the first stage more, but doesn’t suggests the first stage actuator having a first stage drive rod coupled to a first stage extension arm coupled to the first stage plate.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, filed January 23, 2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim 26 under Thyoux have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Doud.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to QUEENIE S DEHGHAN whose telephone number is (571)272-8209. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:00-4:30.
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/QUEENIE S DEHGHAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1741