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 .
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, 5, 11, 12 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Teate (1,972,540) in view of West et al. (9789,97 “West”).
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Honhart discloses all of the limitations of claim 1, i.e., an adapter tool comprising:
a head 1 comprising a main head body extending along a first axis from a first main body end LF end 4 Fig. 3, shown here to a second main body end RT end 4, at least one tool attachment end 7 extending outwardly substantially along said first axis from said first main body end or from said second main body end Fig. 3 and a first slot 5 disposed along a second axis Fig. 1, along the height substantially perpendicular to said first axis between said first main body end and said second main body end Fig. 1;
a handle 6 comprising an elongated body having a top end @17 and a bottom end opposite to said top end along a longitudinal axis of said handle, said top end defining a handle post 17 configured to be received within said first slot 5 and said bottom end having a grip bottom half of the handle for holding disposed therein; and
a plurality of tool attachments 9, 10, each of said plurality of tool attachments comprising a tool attachment body having a tool attachment proximal side 16 with a head attachment post 8 extending outwardly into a head mating end 12, 8, 16 of said tool attachment proximal side and a tool attachment distal side 15 defining a tool portion, said tool attachment proximal side having one or more tool apertures receiving 11 opening into said head attachment post 8 Fig. 3;
wherein a selective securing of at least one of said plurality of tool attachments 9, 10 to at least one of said tool attachment ends 4 by inserting one or more fasteners 11 through said one or more tool apertures configures said adaptor tool into one of a plurality of configurations Fig. 3, except for the plurality of tool attachments to define a slot receiving at least one tool attachment end that is extending outwardly from the body. Although the reversal of parts are considered within routine experimentations with predictable results, West is cited.
West teaches a hammer head 18 is coupled to a tool attachment 32, wherein the reversibility of the parts are disclosed, i.e., the coupling may be formed by a post/ extension 50 extending outwardly from the head received within a slot/hollowed portion 48 in a tool attachment Fig. 3 or the coupling is formed by a post 36 in the tool attachment 32 received within a slot/cavity 38 in the head, Fig. 2.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective date of the invention, to reverse the parts, e.g., form the bore 7 within the tool attachments 9 and 10 and form the post on the tool head 2, as an alternative means of achieving the same results, since it has been held that a mere reversal of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art. In re Einstein, 8 USPQ 167.
Regarding claim 5, PA meets the limitations, i.e., the adapter tool as in claim 1, wherein said plurality of tool attachments include a plurality of adjustable weight type tool attachments 9 and 10 configured to add varying weights 9 or 10 or both to said adapter tool with said selective attachment to at least said one of said tool attachment ends.
Regarding claim 11, PA meets the limitations, i.e., the adapter tool as in claim 1, wherein a cross-sectional area of at least a distal end 14 of said at least one tool attachment end is less than a cross-sectional area of said main head body on a plane perpendicular to said first axis Fig 3.
Regarding claim 12, PA meets the limitations, i.e., the adapter tool as in claim 1, wherein said at least one tool attachment comprises one or more head end apertures similar to 12 formed on the reversed post of head disposed on said at least one tool attachment end 4, said one or more head end apertures are configured to be engaged by said one or more fasteners 11 inserted through said one or more tool apertures.
Regarding claim 15, PA meets the limitations, i.e., the adapter tool as in claim 1, wherein said first main body end, said second main body end, said at least one tool attachment end and said head mating end are configured to have a beveled edge 9 and 10, Fig. 2. However, in the alternative, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of the invention, to bevel the edges for safety by removing sharp edges or protrusions.
Claims 2, 3 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over PA as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Nomeland (1,307,018).
PA (prior art, prior art, Teate modified by West) as applied to claim 1 above, meets all of the limitations of claim 2, except for said grip to comprise one or more lower adapter slots disposed substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said handle, said one or more lower adapter slots being disposed aligned to one or more lower adapter openings provided on said bottom end.
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Nomeland teaches a tool having a hammer head on one end of a handle and a wrench on the opposite end, wherein the bottom end defines a lower adapter slot 15 disposed none perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said handle, said lower adapter slot is disposed aligned to lower adapter opening notch/cutout @19 provided on said bottom end. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective date of the invention, to further modify the invention of PA for a hammer head with the means as taught by Nomeland to adapt the tool for cutting applications. Note that the feature of providing a saw in Nomeland defines a slot 15 that is not perpendicular, since it is formed on an angled wrench head, however a non-angled wrench (obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art for intended use) or incorporating this feature for the handle as disclosed by Teate, would result in a slot 15 that is perpendicular to the axis.
Regarding claim 3, PA (prior art, Teat modified by West and Nomeland) meets the limitations, i.e., the adapter tool as in claim 2, wherein a mounting of a blade 21 between a first type upper adapter 22-24 and a lower adapter 16-21 configures said adapter tool as a first type of hacksaw Fig. 1, Nomeland in said one of said plurality of configurations, said first type upper adapter being one of said plurality of tool attachments distal end of 9 or 10, Teat having said tool portion configured to hold one end of said blade and said lower adapter having a lower adapter proximal end 16 configured to be received by said one or more lower adapter slots 15 and a lower adapter distal end @19 configured to hold other end of said blade for said mounting.
Regarding claim 16, PA meets the limitations, i.e., the adapter tool as in claim 3, wherein said lower adapter proximal end is configured to have a fork-shaped structure with two distally apart arms or a to have a single arm single arm 16.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over PA as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Schuster (6,095,018).
PA (prior art, prior art, Teate modified by West) as applied to claim 1 above, meets all of the limitations of 2, except for a pivoting handle.
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Schuster teaches a tool having a pivoting handle 16, wherein a grip 10 is pivotally mounted on said handle for movement from a closed position Fig. 5 in which a longitudinal axis of said grip remains substantially in line with said longitudinal axis of said handle to an open position Fig. 4 in which said longitudinal axis of said grip remains substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said handle Fig. 4, said grip being pivotable around a pivot axis defined by 30 perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said handle and passing through a handle lower opening @30 disposed on a bare handle bottom side of said handle Fig. 4 and through a pivot side @12 of said grip opposite to a grip upper side @30 of said grip Fig. 4. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective date of the invention, to further modify the invention of PA with a pivoting handle as taught by Schuster for high speed fastening.
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over PA as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Villarino, III (8,495,929).
PA (prior art, prior art, Teate modified by West) as applied to claim 1 above, meets all of the limitations of 2, except for one or more second slots such that said one or more second slots open at an aperture of said first slot, said one or more slots being configured to align with a handle post opening disposed on said handle post when said
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handle post is received within said first slot.
Villarino teaches a striking tool having a slot 54 in the tool head that opens up to a first slot 62. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective date of the invention, to further modify the invention of PA with a second slot as taught by Lape to adapt the tool for prying applications.
Claim 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over PA as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Lape et al. (8,495,929 “Lape”).
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PA (prior art, prior art, Teate modified by West) as applied to claim 1 above, meets all of the limitations of 2, except for a pivoting handle.
Lape teaches a tool with detachable head attachment, e.g., a pick 600 that defines a substantially rounded rectangular cross-section on a plane perpendicular to said first axis Fig. 7. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective date of the invention, to further modify invention of PA with a pick attachment as taught by Lape to adapt the tool for prying applications.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4 and 7-10 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
Prior art made of record and not relied upon at this time, are considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure. Chen and Randall attachments coupled to a hammer head and secured by a fastener are cited to show related inventions.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HADI SHAKERI whose telephone number is (571)272-4495. The fax phone number for forwarding unofficial documents for discussion purposes only is (571) 273-4495. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F.
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/Hadi Shakeri/
March 6, 2025 Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3723