DETAILED ACTION
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.
Claim(s) 1,2,4-6,9,10 and 13-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pace (EP 2719474) in view of Trubitsin et al. (4,488,688). Regarding claims 1 and 9, Pace discloses a drawing unit and drawing method for drawing metal products (3) comprising at least two contrast rollers (11) that are positioned directly opposite to a same roller (2) and each of the contrast rollers (11) are configured to move transversely (axially), parallel to a contrast roll rotation axis (C) wherein the contrast rollers (11) are positioned coaxially (Fig. 1) between flanges (51) of a bearing assembly (5) while keeping a floating freedom that is configured by an axial distance separating the flanges (51) and maintaining rings (6), which are steel rings or rods, mounted between the rollers (11). Due to the transverse movement freedom of the contrast rollers (11), a geometrical difference in metal products (3) that are drawn at the same time by the contrast rollers causes an axial displacement and an adaptation of the position of the rollers (11) that are in contact with the metal products (3). Pace does not specifically recite that the roller (2) is a motorized roller. Trubitsin teaches (col. 3, lines 22-23 and 30-31) that a motorized roller (5; Fig. 2) is directly opposite of a plurality of contrast rollers (14). It would have been obvious to the skilled artisan prior to the effective filing date of the present invention to drive the roller that is directly opposite of the at least two contrast rollers so as to drive the metal products through the rollers with a driven motorized roller.
Regarding claims 2 and 10, Pace discloses that the contrast rollers (11) are facing each other (side to side) and positioned coaxially (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 4, Pace discloses a first support (bearing flanges, 51) and a second support comprising a maintaining ring (6) fitting in a circular groove in each roller ([0016], lines 15-17) with which at least two contrast rollers (11) are associated (Fig. 1), the second support (any ring between two contrast rollers cooperating with the grooves of each roller) is selectively movable along the axis of transverse movement parallel to the roller axes so as to move at least two of the contrast rollers that face each other along the axis of transverse movement (Fig. 2.) in response to a larger or smaller diameter of the metal products.
Regarding claim 5, the claim recitation is “can be selectively moved” which does not require that the contrast rollers are actually movable orthogonally to the axis of feed, but Trubitsin teaches that a spring (19) and a screw (21; col. 3, lines 38-40 and col. 4, lines 27-30) on a support (22) are configured to provide orthogonal movement of each of the contrast rollers (14). It would have been obvious to the skilled artisan prior to the effective filing date of the present invention to modify the contrast rollers of Pace to move orthogonally as taught by Trubitsin so as to increase a drawing force on the metal products.
Regarding claim 6, the claim recitation is “can be selectively moved” which does not require that the contrast rollers are actually movable in an independent manner but Pace discloses that two of the contrast rollers (11) are movable, independently in opposite directions to accommodate a larger diameter metal product by changing a gap (A; [0014], lines 28-30).
Regarding claims 13 and 14, Pace discloses that the transverse adjustment of the at least two contrast rollers (11) occur as a function of the diameter of the metal products ([0028], lines 1-4).
Claim(s) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pace (EP 2719474) in view of Trubitsin et al. (4,488,688) and further in view of Kuwano et al. (6,604,663). Pace does not disclose a contrast roll position sensor. Kuwano teaches a transducer (10c,10d) for actuators (6) acting on a contrast roller (1a). It would have been obvious to the skilled artisan prior to the effective filing date of the present invention to include a position sensor in the feed unit of Pace as taught by Kuwano in order to detect a position of the pinch roller when it moves transversely to accommodate a larger metal product diameter.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 12-22-2025 have been fully considered. The reference to Pace has been used to respond to Applicants’ amendment which requires that the contrast rollers are positioned directly opposite the same motorized roller and are movable parallel to their axes of rotation.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 7 is 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. The prior art of record does not disclose two pairs of contrast rollers and two motorized rollers wherein at least two contrast rollers of at least two different pairs of contrast rollers are homologous and pivoted to contrast supports associated with first support, including the limitations of base claim 1 and intervening claims 4 and 5.
Claim 12 is 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. The prior art of record does not disclose that in the drawing step at least two metal products are drawn at the same time, wherein a first contrast roller of said at least two contrast rollers acts only on a first metal product wherein a second contrast roller of said at least two contrast rollers acts only on a second metal product different from said first metal product, including the limitations of base claim 9.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EDWARD THOMAS TOLAN whose telephone number is (571)272-4525. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30-5.
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/EDWARD T TOLAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3725
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