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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by FR 3109935 A1.
FR 3109935 A1 discloses a spread bar device (2), as illustrated in Figures 1-9, for suspending a load from a crane (see second paragraph on page 3 of FR 3109935 A1 - English Translation) using a lifting harness (6) having a plurality of attachment cables (11), the device comprising a main beam section (12) (interpreted to be the left beam section 12) which extends in a longitudinal direction of the main beam section; at least one secondary beam section (12) (interpreted to be the right beam section 12) which extends in a respective longitudinal direction of the secondary beam section (see Figures 6-7); a beam coupling arrangement (25) (see Figures 6-7) associated with said at least one secondary beam section so as to be arranged to releasably couple (slider 27 and the yoke 26 are provided so that the slider can slide in the yoke – see second paragraph on page 4 of FR 3109935 A1 - English Translation) the secondary beam section to one end of the main beam section such that the longitudinal direction of the secondary beam section is aligned with the longitudinal direction of the main beam section; and a plurality of cable anchors (15) supported on the main beam section and said at least one secondary beam section so as to be arranged for connection to the attachment cables of the lifting harness respectively; the cable anchors being positioned on the beam sections so as to be arranged to both (i) suspend the main beam section from the lifting harness when the main beam section is separated from said at least one secondary beam section and (ii) suspend the main beam section and said at least one secondary beam section from the lifting harness when the main beam section is coupled to said at least one secondary beam section.
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 17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Khachaturian (US 7,066,343).
Khachaturian discloses a spread bar device (10B), as illustrated in Figures 4-6, for suspending a load (23) from a crane (see col. 5, line 44) using a lifting harness having a plurality of attachment cables (48), the device comprising a central beam assembly (19) defining a singular beam extending in a longitudinal direction of the central beam assembly; a plurality of cable anchors (see Figure 5 and annotated Figure 6 below) supported on the central beam assembly so as to be arranged for connection to the attachment cables of the lifting harness respectively; and at least one truss frame (15,16) extending laterally outwardly from the central beam assembly so as to provide resistance to lateral bending of the central beam assembly.
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Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-16 and 18-20 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Parker, Mario, Morgan, Owens, and Moore are cited as being relevant art, because each prior art discloses a spread bar device comprising a beam section and a beam coupling arrangement.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to STEPHEN VU whose telephone number is (571)272-1961. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Victoria Augustine can be reached at (313)446-4858. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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STEPHEN VU
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3651
/STEPHEN A VU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3654