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 without traverse of Species I in the reply filed on 9/30/2025 is acknowledged. Claims 13 and 26 have been withdrawn. Claims 1-12 and 14-25 are pending and examined below.
Claim Objections
Claim 11 is objected to because of the following informalities: Part “b” of claim 11 recites “the shelf if formed”. Examiner believes Applicant intended to recited “the shelf is formed”. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 14-25 are 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 14 recites the limitation "said foundation formwork" in part “a” and throughout the clams. However, “a cement formwork” was introduced. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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.
Claim(s) 1-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Cutshall (U.S. Patent No. 6,644,902).
Regarding claim 1, Cutshall discloses an anchor bolt locator (60, Figs. 11-15a), comprising a chair (62), having a plurality of legs (66, 68, 70, 74, 76, 78), a bridge (82) connecting the legs, said bridge having a top surface, with the plurality of legs extending from the bridge in the same direction away from said top surface of said bridge; a support (90, 92, 94, 96) connected to one or more of the plurality of the legs extending from the bridge, the support being disposed below the bridge; and a structural nut (64) disposed below the bridge, the structural nut has a top end and a bottom end, and the bottom end is supported by the support (Figs 11-12 and 14-15a).
Regarding claim 2, Cutshall discloses the structural nut (64) has an internal, threaded bore (88, Fig. 15a) forming an internal, threaded side wall, said structural nut also having an outer side wall, made up of one or more adjoining outer side panels, defining an outer surface of said structural nut (Figs. 11-12 and 14-15a).
Regarding claim 3, Cutshall discloses at least two of the plurality of the legs (66, 68, 70, 74, 76, 78) engage with or lie closely adjacent to the outer side wall of the nut (64), preventing the structural nut from rotating with respect to the chair (Fig. 11).
Regarding claim 4, Cutshall discloses the at least two of the plurality of legs (66, 68, 70, 74, 76, 78) are opposed to each other and engage opposed side panels of the structural nut (64, Fig. 11).
Regarding claim 5, Cutshall discloses the chair is formed with a plurality of flanges (72, 100), the plurality of flanges extending from the bridge in the same direction away from the top surface of the bridge; at least two of the plurality of the flange engage with or lie closely adjacent to the outer side wall of the nut, preventing the structural nut from rotating with respect to the chair (Figs. 11-12).
Regarding claim 6, Cutshall discloses the at least two of the plurality of legs are opposed to each other and engage opposed side panels of the structural nut (Figs. 11-12).
Regarding claim 7, Cutshall discloses the at least two of the plurality of the legs (66, 68, 70, 74, 76, 78) engage with or lie closely adjacent to the outer side wall of the nut, preventing the structural nut from rotating with respect to the chair (Figs. 11-12).
Regarding claim 8, Cutshall discloses wherein at least two of the plurality of legs (66, 68, 70, 74, 76, 78) are opposed to each other and engage opposed side panels of the structural nut (Figs. 11-12).
Regarding claim 9, Cutshall discloses wherein the support (90-96) is a shelf disposed below the bridge, the shelf being a generally planar member with the shelf being connected to one of the plurality of legs, the shelf having a top surface upon which the bottom end of the structural nut rests (Fig. 11).
Regarding claim 10, Cutshall discloses the structural nut (64) has an internal bore (84) forming an internal side wall; and a portion of the shelf covers a portion of the internal bore (Figs. 14-15b).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 14-25 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
Claims 11-12 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art of record fails to teach or suggest an anchor bolt locator comprising a chair having a plurality of legs, a bridge connecting the legs, a support connected to one or more of the plurality of legs, a structural nut disposed below the bridge, wherein the support is a shelf and connected to the plurality of legs, wherein at least two of the plurality of legs are opposed to each other and the shelf if formed from and bent from one of the at least two of the plurality of legs and connects to the other of the at least two of the plurality of legs that are opposed to each other and the shelf is disposed parallel to the bridge as recited in claim 11 in combination with claim 9 in its entirety; or a connection between anchor and a cement formwork by an anchor bolt locator, the connection comprising a formwork having one or more side walls and a bottom, an anchor bolt locator attached to the top surface of the bottom of the anchor bolt location, the bolt locator including a chair, legs, a bridge, wherein the legs rest on the top surface of the bottom of the formwork, a support connected to one of the legs, extending from the bridge, a structural nut disposed below the bridge, the structural nut having an internal bore, a plurality of fasteners inserted though mounting openings in the in the chair and inserted into the bottom of the of the formwork as recited in claim 14 in its entirety.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAMES J BUCKLE JR whose telephone number is (571)270-3739. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday, 8:00 am to 6:30pm EST.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Brian Glessner can be reached at 5712726754. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/JAMES J BUCKLE JR/Examiner, Art Unit 3633
Prosecution Insights