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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election of invention 1 in the reply is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)).
Claims 13-18 and 20-22 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 11/6/2025.
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 1-4, 8, 10, 19, and 23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Cechanski (4525225).
Regarding claims 1-3, 8, 23, Cechanski discloses a granulated explosive (abstract) that includes 60-90 % ammonium nitrate (col. 7, lines 12-20) with sodium nitrate, water at an amount less than 5-25 % (col. 2, lines 60-68 and col. 7, lines 3-12), fuel from 5-30 % (col. 6, lines 50-55), and an emulsifier from .1-2 % (col. 10, lines 60-65).
Regarding claim 4, Cechanski discloses the fuel material containg carboxylic acids (col. 8, lines 60-65).
Regarding claim 10, Cechanski doses not require organic or glass hollow spheres ( col. 5, lines 9-20).
Regarding claim 19, the granulated product is disclosed by Cechanski and this claim is a product by process claim. If the product in the product-by-process claim is the same as or obvious from a product of the prior art, the claim is unpatentable even though the prior product was made by a different process. In re Thorpe, 777 F.2d 695, 698, 227 USPQ 964, 966 (Fed. Cir. 1985).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 5-7, 9, 11, 12, 24, and 25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cechanski (4525225) as applied above and further in view of Bachman (4736683).
Regarding claims 5-7, 9, 24, and 25, Bachman discloses a solid ANFO explosive that includes both stearic acid and paraffin as the fuel component from 3-10 % (col. 9, lines 40-62), an emulsifier such as polyisobutylene with succinic anhydride (PIBSA) (col. 11, lines 50-65 and col. 12, lines 20-30), and granules of size .4 mm-2.4 mm (col. 7, lines 40-50).
Regarding claims 11 and 12, Bachman discloses the inclusion of 0-20 parts sodium nitrate as a sensitizer for ammonium nitrate (col. 15, lines 60-68 and col. 16, lines 1-7). Note that claims 11 and 12 require only 1 of the paraffin, stearate, and stearic acid.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made and/or filed to use the ingredients as taught by Bachman with the similar composition of Cechanski since both relate to ammonium nitrate fuel oil explosives and include the same components, i.e. emulsifiers, fuels, etc. It is also obvious to use the amount of sodium nitrate as taught by Bachman since Bachman suggests that amount is used to sensitize the ammonium nitrate and since Cechannski notes the inclusion of sodium nitrate with ammonium nitrate.
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 9 recites the limitation "the granules". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AILEEN BAKER FELTON whose telephone number is (571)272-6875. The examiner can normally be reached Monday 9-5:30, Thursday 11-3, Friday 9-5:30.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jonathan Johnson can be reached at 571-272-1177. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/AILEEN B FELTON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1734
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