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
Claims 12-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.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 2/18/2026.
Information Disclosure Statement
The listing of references in the specification (paragraph 0050) is not a proper information disclosure statement. 37 CFR 1.98(b) requires a list of all patents, publications, or other information submitted for consideration by the Office, and MPEP § 609.04(a) states, "the list may not be incorporated into the specification but must be submitted in a separate paper." Therefore, unless the references have been cited by the examiner on form PTO-892, they have not been considered.
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 1-6, 9-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bundy (US 20080234017 A1) in view of Duquesne (US 20170231155 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Bundy discloses in an agricultural combine (20) including a rotor (46) of a threshing system (24), a concave (50) positioned beneath the rotor, a rotor cage (see fig. 1) positioned above the rotor, a drive (64) controllably operable for rotating the rotor in opposite first and second rotational directions, a control (66) in operative control of the drive, and a sensor (98, 102, 104) for sensing information representative of load conditions opposing rotation of the rotor, a method for deslugging the threshing system of the agricultural combine comprises steps of:
sensing information representative of load conditions (paragraph 0012) opposing rotation of the rotor above a pre-determined threshold, which indicates a slugging condition (paragraphs 0036, 0039);
activating an actuator (60), which adjusts one or more components (50) from an initial position to a deslugging position (paragraph 0032);
rotating the rotor (paragraph 0045); and
sensing information representative of load conditions opposing rotation to determine whether the slugging condition still exists (paragraph 0047).
Bundy does not disclose wherein the component moved from an initial position to a deslugging position is a vane connected to the rotor cage.
In the same field of endeavor, Duquesne discloses vanes (64) attached to a rotor cage (36) above a threshing rotor (38), wherein the vanes are moved from an initial position to a deslugging position by an actuator (72) after load conditions are determined (paragraphs 0038-40, 0046).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified Bundy to include vanes that are moved from an initial position in response to a sensed load/slugging condition, as disclosed by Duquesne, as a way of more effectively preventing and reversing slugging within the threshing rotor.
Regarding claim 2, Bundy, of the resultant combination, discloses the method of claim 1, further comprising moving the concave (50) in a direction away from the rotor for increasing a separation clearance between the concave and the rotor (paragraph 0045, step 122 fig. 4).
Regarding claim 3, Bundy, of the resultant combination, discloses the method of claim 1, further comprising actuating the actuator to return the vanes connected to the rotor cage to the initial position (paragraphs 0045-47).
Regarding claim 4, Bundy, of the resultant combination, discloses the method of claim 1, further comprising automatically terminating the method when information representative of successful deslugging of the threshing system is present (paragraphs 0045-47).
Regarding claim 5, Bundy, of the resultant combination, discloses the method of claim 4, wherein the information representative of successful deslugging of the threshing system comprises sensing a decreased load condition opposing the rotation of the rotor indicative of dislodging of a blockage from between the rotor and the concave (paragraphs 0045-47).
Regarding claim 6, Bundy, of the resultant combination, discloses the method of claim 1, wherein during or after the method, the control automatically stores information representative of at least loading conditions sensed by the sensor, and automatically selects a subsequent deslugging routine for execution as a function of the stored information (paragraph 0019, 0052).
Regarding claim 9, Bundy, of the resultant combination, discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the drive comprises a fluid driven motor (78), and the information representative of the predetermined loading condition opposing the rotation is determined as a function of a pressure condition of fluid driving the motor (paragraphs 0036, 0051).
Regarding claim 10, Bundy, of the resultant combination, discloses the method of claim 1, further comprising a second sensor (96) for sensing information representative of a speed of rotation of the rotor, and the information representative of the predetermined loading condition opposing the rotation is determined as a function of sensed information representative of a speed of rotation of the rotor (paragraph 0036).
Regarding claim 11, Bundy, of the resultant combination, discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the drive comprises a multiple speed range transmission (70), and the method comprises a step of selecting a low transmission speed range prior to initiating the step of rotation of the rotor (claim 10).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-8 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. US 10058035 B2 discloses adjustable threshing rotor vanes via a controller.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MADELINE RUNCO whose telephone number is (469)295-9123. The examiner can normally be reached 8-4:30 M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Joseph Rocca can be reached at 5712728971. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MADELINE I RUNCO/ Examiner, Art Unit 3671