DETAILED ACTION
Drawings
Replacement Sheets (3) for Figs. 1-6 were received on April 22, 2026. These drawings are acceptable. The Drawing Objections presented in the January 22, 2026 Office Action are withdrawn.
Specification
The Amendments to the Specification are acceptable and will be entered.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on January 21, 2026 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement has being considered by the examiner. It is noted that the references submitted in the January 21, 2026 IDS were cited in examination of the corresponding Japanese Application, in which Claims 1-10 of this Japanese Application were rejected as lacking an inventive step. Based on this information, a new substantive rejection is provided below. In addition, a translation of the Japanese Examination Office Action is provided with this Office Action.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see page 8, filed April 22, 2026, with respect to 35 USC 112(b) rejection of Claims 1, 3, and 12 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The 35 USC 112(b) rejection of Claims 1-18 has been withdrawn.
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 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over EP 384,344 (“EP ‘344”; cited by Applicant) in view of WO 2019/123495 (“WO ‘495”; cited by Applicant).
With regard to Claim 1, EP ‘344 discloses multiple guide devices (11) arranged sequentially along a longitudinal axis for feeding bars to a machine tool (Figs. 1-10, C2, L36 – C6, L53), each guide device comprising:
a first holding and guide arrangement (18, Figs. 1-4, 7-8) and a second holding and guide arrangement (17) arranged to define an advancement zone for the bars (15, towards (12, 13) shown in Fig. 1), the advancement zone extending according to a longitudinal axis (Fig. 1),
the first holding and guide arrangement and the second holding and guide arrangement being configured to establish one or more contact zones (19a/47; 19b/48, Figs. 1, 4, 7-8) with the bar so as to retain in position and guide the bar along the advancement zone (Figs. 6-8),
the first holding and guide arrangement and the second holding and guide arrangement extending parallel to the axis and being mutually positioned at opposite sides with respect to the longitudinal axis (Figs. 1, 4),
the first holding and guide arrangement and the second holding and guide arrangement being relatively movable between a resting position, wherein the first holding/guide arrangement and the second holding/guide arrangement are at a greater mutual distance and at furthest positions from the advancement zone to allow the positioning of the bar to be guided along the advancement zone (Figs. 1-4), and an engagement position, wherein the first holding/guide arrangement and the second holding/guide arrangement are at a smaller distance and closest to the advancement zone so as to come into contact with the bar adapting to different diameter values of the bar (Figs. 7-8),
the first holding/guide arrangement (18) including a first series of distinct block-shaped guide-elements (19b) mutually spaced apart and distributed parallel to the axis (Fig. 4) and the second holding/guide arrangement (17) including a second series of distinct block-shaped guide elements (19a) mutually spaced apart and distributed parallel to the axis (Fig. 4).
EP ‘344 fails to teach that the guide elements of the first holding/guide arrangement are staggered with respect to the guide elements of the second holding/guide arrangement, and that the first and second guide elements are connected to each other. WO ‘495 discloses a bar guide device (1, Figs. 1-2, P4, L8 – P11, L22) that includes a first holding/guide arrangement (2, Figs. 1-2) having first guide elements (7/9/11) and a second holding/guide arrangement (3) having second guide elements (8/10/12), the first guide elements being arranged staggered with respect to the second guide elements so as to entirely involve the advancement zone (P5, L20 – P6, L3), the first guide elements being mechanically connected to the second guide elements connecting members (5, 13/14/15/16/17/18/19/22, Claim 8 ), so as to form an articulated guide structure (Fig. 2), wherein the first guide elements and the second guide elements are movable in a simultaneous and synchronized manner (via fluid cylinder (6), C7, L11-12) between a resting position and an engagement position (C4, L10-19), the connecting members includes connecting rod elements (13/14/15; 13/16/17) the ends of which are connected respectively to the first guide element (22/2) and the second guide element (18/3), the connecting rod elements being configured to rotate around respective pivot (Fig. 2, Claim 8). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of Applicant’s invention, to modify each of the guide devices of EP ‘344 to include first and second holding/guide arrangements that have staggered first and second guide elements because this configuration would provide a more secure way to hold the bar while it is being advanced since one half of the diameter of the bar would be in contact with the entire length of guide device as described by EP ‘344 (P1, L20-29, which describes that one advantage of a continuous channel bar guiding device is a high level of performance). In addition, the staggered nature of the first and second guide elements allows one or both of the first and second holding/guide arrangements to include channels for feeding lubricant fluid to the bar, as taught by WO ‘495 (P7, L23-29). Another reason for providing staggered guide members is that it allows for “infinite adjustment between the two sets of support blocks 16, 18 over a predetermined range”, as taught by US 5,535,653 (cited by Applicant; see Fig. 1, C4, L34-54). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of Applicant’s invention, to modify each of the guide devices of EP ‘344 to include connecting members between the first and second guide elements because this structure act as a synchronization link rod that ensures the centering of the seat of the guide elements when the guide device is being moved to its engagement/closed position, as taught by WO ‘495 (P7, L30 – P8, L3).
With regard to Claim 2, EP ‘344 discloses wherein on the first holding and guide arrangement and on the second holding and guide arrangement housing seats are obtained that are suitable for housing and guiding the bars (C2, L48 – C3, L4; C4, L53-56).
With regard to Claim 3, EP ‘344 discloses a driving member (22, Fig. 3) connected to an end of the first holding and guide arrangement and/or of the second holding and guide arrangement for moving the first and second holding and guide arrangement arrangements between the rest position and the engagement position (C3, L14-46).
With regard to Claims 4-6, EP ‘344 fails to disclose connecting members/connecting rod elements that forms an articulated structure having respective pivots. WO ‘495 discloses a guide device having a connecting member/connecting rod element (13) wherein the pivot is in a middle zone interposed between the first series of guide elements and the second series of the guide elements (Figs. 1-2), so that a rotation of the connecting rod element results in a displacement that is equal but in opposite directions of the first series of guide elements and of the second series of guide elements (P6, L24 – P8, L6). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of Applicant’s invention, to modify each of the guide devices of EP ‘344 to include a connecting member/connecting rod element between the first and second guide elements because this structure act as a synchronization link rod that ensures the centering of the seat of the guide elements when the guide device is being moved to its engagement/closed position, as taught by WO ‘495 (P7, L30 – P8, L3). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of Applicant’s invention, to connect each of the guide devices of EP ‘344 with a connecting member/connecting rod between each of the guide devices of EP ‘344 with a second connecting member/connecting rod that would have its pivot in an intermediate zone of the respective connecting rod elements such that the two or more connecting rods define an articulated parallelogram connection between the first and second guide elements because this configuration would allow each of the first and second guide elements in as many of the guide devices that are connected together by the connecting rod elements to all move together towards and away from each other at the same time. The ordinarily skilled artisan would be able to make this modification using known methods and the modification would yield only predictable results.
With regard to Claim 7, EP ‘344 discloses wherein each of the housing seats (19b/48, 19a/47) has, according to a transverse plane, a curved concave profile (Figs. 4, 7, 8, C4, L53-56).
With regard to Claim 8, EP ‘344 discloses wherein each of the housing seats has, according to a transverse plane, a semicircular profile so as to define a cylinder-shaped advancement zone having a diameter with such dimensions as to house the bars with a diameter equal to or lower than the diameter (19b/48, 19a/47, Figs. 4, 7, 8, C4, L53-56).
With regard to Claim 9, EP ‘344 discloses in which the housing seat (19b/48, 19a/47) is coated or integrally obtained in a single piece of material having anti-friction properties (C2, L48-56). WO ‘495 also discloses that the housing seats (7, 8) are made from a polymeric material (P4, L23-25). While neither or these references specifically disclose polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), a polyamide containing graphite, or a metal or metal alloy coated with graphite or a ceramic material, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of Applicant’s invention, to include any of these recited materials because these materials are well known and often used to reduce the friction between objects (e.g. see US 3,515,289, C3, L8-11) and the ordinarily skilled artisan would be able to make this modification using known methods and the modification would yield only predictable results.
With regard to Claim 10, EP ‘344 discloses wherein the driving member (22) includes a hydraulic or pneumatic actuator (C3, L14-46).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 11-18 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 3,515,289 describes the use Teflon®, i.e., polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), to reduce friction between objects (e.g. see US 3,515,289.
The following references disclose the use of an articulated parallelogram in a device having opposed gripping elements:
US 3,796,332
US 4,515,050
US 6,098,972
US 7,695,267
US 8,191,947
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LYNN E SCHWENNING whose telephone number is (313)446-4861. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 8:30 am - 5 pm 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, Saul Rodriguez can be reached at (571) 272 -7097. 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.
/LYNN E SCHWENNING/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3652
Prosecution Insights