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 .
Response to Arguments
The response filed on June 29, 2026 is acknowledged.
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.
Claim 20 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 20 recites the limitation "the right-angle wheel-drive gearbox mounts" in line 12. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. There are two (left and right) right-angle wheel-drive gearbox mounts in the claim, it is unclear which “right-angle wheel-drive gearbox mounts” are referred by the Applicant.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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) 20 is/are rejected, as best understood by the Examiner, under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Reinke (US5862997).
With respect to claim 20, Reinke discloses an irrigation system (Figs 1-7) comprising: a plurality of drive tower structures (10. Shown one in Fig. 1) each including a drive beam (26) including left right-angle wheel-drive gearbox mounts and right right-angle wheel-drive gearbox mounts (56 at the front and rear of 10), each of the mounts including a plurality of bolt holes (holes of 56) for (capable of) attaching a corresponding legacy right-angle wheel-drive gearbox (56. Fig. 2) to the mount; and
the plurality of bolt holes (two holes) being alternatively (one of the two holes) suitable for attaching (capable of) a universal inline drive mount adapter (elements holding shaft 154 and hub 150 including housing 156 shown in Fig. 7. Second embodiment) including bolt holes (for 27, 157 and holes at wheel hub) at a first (right) end of the adapter that correspond to (cooperate with) bolt holes in the right-angle wheel-drive gearbox mounts and the right right-angle wheel-drive gearbox mounts, each adapter further including bolt holes at a distal (left) end suitable for attaching an inline wheel-drive gearmotor assembly (100) with a transfer case (housing 156);
wherein the universal inline drive mount adapter is configured to (capable of) be attached (constructed or assembled) to the right-angle wheel-drive gearbox mounts of the drive bean using gearbox mounting holes of the drive right right-angle wheel-drive gearbox mounts (Fig. 7).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-19 allowed.
Response to Arguments
The applicant argues that Reinke fails to disclose the newly amended limitation in claim 20. The applicant’s argument has been considered but is moot due to the new interpretation of the Reinke reference. The plurality of bolt holes is now being interpreted as all holes of housing 57 (see new rejection above). It is the examiner’s position that Reinke discloses “wherein the universal inline drive mount adapter is configured to (capable of) be attached (constructed or assembled) to the right-angle wheel-drive gearbox mounts of the drive bean using gearbox mounting holes of the drive right right-angle wheel-drive gearbox mounts (Fig. 7).”
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 CHEE-CHONG LEE whose telephone number is (571)270-1916. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8am -5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Arthur O. Hall can be reached at (571)270-1814. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHEE-CHONG LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3752 July 20, 2026
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