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 .
Status
In response to the amendment filed on 07/15/2025, claims 1 and 9 have been amended, and claims 2, 10, and 11 are cancelled. Claims 1 and 3-9 are pending and under examination.
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.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 2 of amended claims submitted on 07/15/2025 is cancelled, but claim 3 depends from the cancelled claim 2. For examination purpose the examiner has assumed claim 3 depends from claim 1.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1, 3-6, and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Blood et al. (US 9,841,017, hereinafter Blood), in view of Green (US 4,493,251).
Regarding claim 1, Blood discloses a packing removal tool for removing a packing from a fluid end of a plunger pump (annotated Blood fig. 4 below, an extraction device 10 [corresponds to the recited packing removal tool] for removing plungers from a plunger pump housing 12 [corresponds to the recited fluid end of the plunger pump]. The device 10 is for removing the plunger, but it can be configured to remove a packing), the packing removal tool comprising:
a rod (pushing rod 42) being elongated between a front end and a rear end of said rod (fig. 2B and col. 4:63-66, the rod 42 has a proximal end 22P [corresponds to the recited rear end] and a distal end 22D [corresponds to the recited front end]);
a ram (contact plate 56) being coupled to said front end of said rod (annotated Blood fig. 2C below and col. 5:42-44, the contact plate 56 is secured to the distal end 22D of the rod 42), said ram being shaped such that said ram is configured for inserting into a channel of the fluid end through an access opening of the fluid end and engaging the packing (figs. 2C and 3B, the contact plate 56 disposed at the front end of the rod 42 can be inserted into a channel 16 of the plunger pump housing 12 to engage a plunger 52 or the packing. The contact plate 56 has a smooth exterior surface as shown in fig. 2C), said shaft having a smooth exterior surface (fig. 2C, the contact plate 56 has a smooth exterior surface); and
a disc (barrel 26) being coupled to said rod, said disc being positioned between said front and rear ends of said rod (see annotated Blood fig. 2C below), said disc having outer threads on an outer annular surface of said disc, said outer threads of said disc being configured for threadedly engaging internal threads of the channel of the fluid end adjacent to the access opening (figs. 1, 3A, 4 and col. 4:23-29, the barrel 26 has an externally threaded surface 28 for enabling the barrel 26 to be anchored to the housing 12 through threaded opening 16A of the channel 16), said disc being movable forwardly and rearwardly with respect to said rod (see figs. 2A and 2B, the barrel 26 [corresponds to the recited disc] can be moved forward and rearward along the rob 42), but does not disclose said ram having a shaft and said shaft being insertable into said front end of said rod wherein said ram is slidably removable from said rod.
Green teaches, in an analogous pushing device field of endeavor and capable of solving primary problem, said ram having a shaft and said shaft being insertable into said front end of said rod wherein said ram is slidably removable from said rod (fig. 5 and col. 3:41-45, a ram rod for pushing an object comprises a tubular rod member 66 [corresponds to the recited rod]. A second rod member 68 coupled with a base member 82 forms a recited ram. A front end of the tubular rod member 66 is open and a shaft of the rod member 68 is slidably received into the front end of the tubular rod member. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the term “remove” means changing the location, position or moving by lifting or pushing aside. The rod member 68 slides in and out of the tubular rod member 66, thus it is removable from the rod. See non-patent document for definition of the term “remove”).
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 the rod of Blood to provide the slidably removable ram as taught by Green in order to attach the ram to the rod securely. The ram may not be misplaced during the pushing operation.
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Annotated Blood Fig. 2C
Regarding claim 3, Blood as modified by Green teaches the tool as in the rejection of claim 1 (see 112(b) rejection above), wherein said front end of said rod is open, said ram being slidably received into said rod through said front end (Green, fig. 5 and col. 3:41-45, a front end of the tubular rod member 66 [corresponds to the recited rod] is open and the rod member 68 [corresponds to the recited ram] is slidably received into the front end of the tubular rod member).
Regarding claim 4, Blood as modified by Green teaches the tool as in the rejection of claim 1, wherein said rod has external threads on an outer surface of said rod, said disc having inner threads on an inner annular surface of said disc, said inner threads threadedly engaging said external threads of said rod (Blood, fig. 5A and col. 4:67-5:2, the rod 42 has external threads and the barrel 26 [corresponds to the recited disc] has internally threaded portion 60A for engaging the external threads of the rod 42).
Regarding claim 5, Blood as modified by Green teaches the tool as in the rejection of claim 1, further comprising a catch being coupled to a rear side of said disc, said rear side facing rearwardly with respect to said rod, said catch extending laterally with respect to said rod, said catch being configured for engaging the fluid end to inhibit movement of said disc inwardly with respect to the fluid end (Blood, figs. 1, 3B and annotated Blood fig. 2C above, spokes 34 and outer rim 32 form a catch, and they are coupled to the rear side of the barrel 26 [corresponds to the recited disc]. The spokes and outer rim extend laterally with respect to the rod 42 and they are configured to inhibit the barrel 26 moving into the channel of the housing 12 because a diameter of the outer rim 32 is greater than a diameter of the channel 16).
Regarding claim 6, Blood as modified by Green teaches the tool as in the rejection of claim 4, further comprising a lever being coupled to and extending laterally from said rod for turning said rod to rotate said rod with respect to said disc such that said rod urges said ram away from said disc (annotated Blood fig. 2C above, and col. 5:26-29, a leverage handle 54 [corresponds to the recited lever] is coupled to and is extending laterally from the rod 42. Rotating rod 42 advances the barrel 26 [corresponds to the recited disc]. The attached contact plate 56 [corresponds to the recited ram] at the front end of the rod 42 would move away from the barrel 26).
Regarding claim 8, Blood as modified by Green teaches the tool as in the rejection of claim 4, further comprising a nut being coupled to said rear side of said disc, said nut being coaxially aligned with said disc, said nut being rotatable to rotate said disc with respect to said rod (annotated Blood fig. 2C above and col. 4:47-57, a fastener 62, such as a nut, is coaxially coupled to the rear side of the barrel 26 [corresponds to the recited disc]. The fastener 62 operably couples a wheel 30 to a top of the barrel 26, thus it can rotate the barrel with respect to the rod 42).
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Blood in view of Green, as applied to claim 6 above, and in further view of Martens (US 2020/0362942).
Regarding claim 7, Blood as modified by Green teaches the tool as in the rejection of claim 6, but does not disclose a ratchet coupling said lever to said rod such that said lever is pivotable with respect to said rod when said lever is rotated in a first direction and said lever engages said rod when said lever is rotated in a second direction, said second direction being opposite said first direction.
Martens teaches, in a ratchet device field of endeavor and capable of solving primary problem, a ratchet coupling said lever to said rod such that said lever is pivotable with respect to said rod when said lever is rotated in a first direction and said lever engages said rod when said lever is rotated in a second direction, said second direction being opposite said first direction (fig. 4 and ¶ 0037-39, a ratchet mechanism couples an oscillatory handle 36 [corresponds to the recited lever] to a tubular member 12 and screw threaded shanks 14, 16 [corresponds to the recited rod]. The handle 36 can rotated the tubular member 12 in one direction and an opposite direction).
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 the tool of Blood as modified by Green to provide the ratchet as taught by Martens in order to move the coupled rod forward and rearward for load applications (Martens, abstract).
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Blood et al. (US 9,841,017, hereinafter Blood), in view of Green (US 4,493,251) and Martens (US 2020/0362942).
Regarding claim 9, Blood discloses a packing removal tool for removing a packing from a fluid end of a plunger pump (annotated Blood fig. 4 above, an extraction device 10 [corresponds to the recited packing removal tool] for removing plungers from a plunger pump housing 12 [corresponds to the recited fluid end of the plunger pump]. The device 10 is for removing the plunger, but it can be configured to remove a packing), the packing removal tool comprising:
a rod (pushing rod 42) being elongated between a front end and a rear end of said rod (fig. 2B and col. 4:63-66, the rod 42 has a proximal end 22P [corresponds to the recited rear end] and a distal end 22D [corresponds to the recited front end]), said rod having external threads on an outer surface of said rod (fig. 5A, the rod 42 has external threads);
a ram (contact plate 56) being coupled to said front end of said rod (annotated Blood fig. 2C above and col. 5:42-44, the contact plate 56 is secured to the distal end 22D of the rod 42), said ram being shaped such that said ram is configured for inserting into a channel of the fluid end through an access opening of the fluid end and engaging the packing (figs. 2C and 3B, the contact plate 56 disposed at the front end of the rod 42 can be inserted into a channel 16 of the plunger pump housing 12 to engage a plunger 52 or the packing), said shaft having a smooth exterior surface (fig. 2C, the contact plate 56 has a smooth exterior surface), said ram being removable from said rod (the contact plate 56 [corresponds to the recited ram] is shown to be secured to the rod 42 in fig. 2C, but is not shown at the front end of the rod 42 in fig. 3A. Thus, the contact plate is removable from the rod);
a disc (barrel 26) being coupled to said rod, said disc being positioned between said front and rear ends of said rod (see annotated Blood fig. 2C above), said disc having outer threads on an outer annular surface of said disc, said outer threads of said disc being configured for threadedly engaging internal threads of the channel of the fluid end adjacent to the access opening (figs. 1, 3A, 4 and col. 4:23-29, the barrel 26 has an externally threaded surface 28 for enabling the barrel 26 to be anchored to the housing 12 through threaded opening 16A of the channel 16), said disc being movable forwardly and rearwardly with respect to said rod (see figs. 2A and 2B, the barrel 26 [corresponds to the recited disc] can be moved forward and rearward along the rob 42), said disc having inner threads on an inner annular surface of said disc, said inner threads threadedly engaging said external threads of said rod (fig. 5A and col. 4:67-5:2, the barrel 26 [corresponds to the recited disc] has internally threaded portion 60A for engaging the external threads of the rod 42);
a catch being coupled to a rear side of said disc, said rear side facing rearwardly with respect to said rod, said catch extending laterally with respect to said rod, said catch being configured for engaging the fluid end to inhibit movement of said disc inwardly with respect to the fluid end (figs. 1, 3B and annotated Blood fig. 2C above, spokes 34 and outer rim 32 form a catch, and they are coupled to the rear side of the barrel 26 [corresponds to the recited disc]. The spokes and outer rim extend laterally with respect to the rod 42 and they are configured to inhibit the barrel 26 moving into the channel of the housing 12 because a diameter of the outer rim 32 is greater than a diameter of the channel 16);
a lever being coupled to and extending laterally from said rod for turning said rod to rotate said rod with respect to said disc such that said rod urges said ram away from said disc (annotated Blood fig. 2C above, and col. 5:26-29, a leverage handle 54 [corresponds to the recited lever] is coupled to and is extending laterally from the rod 42. Rotating rod 42 advances the barrel 26 [corresponds to the recited disc]. The attached contact plate 56 [corresponds to the recited ram] at the front end of the rod 42 would move away from the barrel 26); and
a nut being coupled to said rear side of said disc, said nut being coaxially aligned with said disc, said nut being rotatable to rotate said disc with respect to said rod (annotated Blood fig. 2C above and col. 4:47-57, a fastener 62, such as a nut, is coaxially coupled to the rear side of the barrel 26 [corresponds to the recited disc]. The fastener 62 operably couples a wheel 30 to a top of the barrel 26, thus it can rotate the barrel with respect to the rod 42).
But Blood does not disclose said ram having a shaft, said shaft being insertable into said front end of said rod wherein said ram is slidably removable from said rod, said front end of said rod being open, said ram being slidably received into said rod through said front end.
Green teaches, in an analogous pushing device field of endeavor and capable of solving primary problem, said ram having a shaft, said shaft being insertable into said front end of said rod wherein said ram is slidably removable from said rod, said front end of said rod being open, said ram being slidably received into said rod through said front end (fig. 5 and col. 3:41-45, a ram rod for pushing an object comprises a tubular rod member 66 [corresponds to the recited rod]. A second rod member 68 coupled with a base member 82 forms a recited ram. A front end of the tubular rod member 66 is open and the rod member 68 is slidably received into the front end of the tubular rod member. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the term “remove” means changing the location, position or moving by lifting or pushing aside. The rod member 68 slides in and out of the tubular rod member 66, thus it is removable from the rod. See non-patent document for definition of the term “remove”).
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 the rod of Blood to provide the slidably received ram as taught by Green in order to attach the ram to the rod securely. The ram may not be misplaced during the pushing operation.
Blood as modified by Green still does not disclose a ratchet coupling said lever to said rod such that said lever is pivotable with respect to said rod when said lever is rotated in a first direction and said lever engages said rod when said lever is rotated in a second direction, said second direction being opposite said first direction.
Martens teaches, in a ratchet device field of endeavor and capable of solving primary problem, a ratchet coupling said lever to said rod such that said lever is pivotable with respect to said rod when said lever is rotated in a first direction and said lever engages said rod when said lever is rotated in a second direction, said second direction being opposite said first direction (fig. 4 and ¶ 0037-39, as discussed in claim 7 above, a ratchet mechanism couples an oscillatory handle 36 [corresponds to the recited lever] to a tubular member 12 and screw threaded shanks 14, 16 [corresponds to the recited rod]. The handle 36 can rotated the tubular member 12 in one direction and an opposite direction).
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 the tool of Blood as modified by Green to provide the ratchet as taught by Martens in order to move the coupled rod forward and rearward for load applications (Martens, abstract).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues Blood does not teach or suggest the amended claim limitations that the ram has a shaft, the ram has a smooth exterior surface, the shaft is insertable into the front end of the rod wherein the ram is slidably removable from the rod. Examiner respectfully disagrees.
As discussed in the rejection of claim 9, the contact plate 56 [corresponds to the recited ram] of Blood is shown to be removable by comparing fig. 2C and fig. 3A. Blood does not teach the ram has a shaft insertable into the front end of the rod wherein the ram is slidably removable from the rod.
However, similar claim limitations are recited in claim 3, and Green teaches a pushing device comprises a rod member 68 [corresponds to the recited ram] and a rod member 66 [corresponds to the recited rod]. The rod member 68 has a shaft which is slidably insertable into the rod member 66. As discussed in the rejections of claims 1 and 9, dictionary definition of the term “remove” includes a change of position. Because the rod member 68 can be slidably inserted into the rod member 66, it is removable.
Therefore, Green teaches the amended claim limitations.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Hawes et al. (US 2011/0030213) teaches a plunger pump installation/removal tool comprising a cylinder [corresponds to the recited rod] and a telescoping stage [corresponds to the recited ram] which is insertable into and removable from the cylinder.
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 SUKWOO JAMES CHANG whose telephone number is (571)272-7402. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00a-5:00p.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, David Posigian can be reached at (313) 446-6546. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/S.J.C./Examiner, Art Unit 3723
/ROBERT J SCRUGGS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3723