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 Group I, claims 1-8, 18, and 19 in the reply filed on 3/22/26 is acknowledged.
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, 6, and 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Schuldt et al. (EP 2248758 A2, hereinafter Schuldt, cited by applicant.
Re Claim 1. Schuldt teaches a beam, comprising a beam body (Fig. 6), and further comprising:
a rolling support block (Fig. 6), fixedly connected with the beam body, wherein an end surface of the rolling support block is level with an end surface of the beam body (Fig. 6), the end surface of the rolling support block is provide with a lifting groove (item 43), a first sidewall of the rolling support block is provided with chutes (item E), each of the chutes is downwards oblique (Fig. 6) and comprises a first position and a second position, and the first position is higher than the second position (Fig. 6);
a roller assembly (item R), comprising one or more rollers and a roller shaft (item 45), wherein both ends of the roller shaft are slidable and disposed in the chute (Fig. 6), each of the rollers is capable of rolling and disposed in the lifting groove through the roller shaft (Fig. 6);
a drive positioning member (item K), disposed by extending into or retracting from the lifting groove, wherein the roller shaft is located in the first position when the drive positioning member extends into the lifting groove and located in the second position when the drive positioning member retracts from the lifting groove (Fig. 6 & 9).
Re Claim 6. Schuldt teaches a number of the chutes is two, and two ends of the roller shaft are slidable and disposed in the two chutes, respectively (Fig. 6).
Re Claim 8. Schuldt teaches wherein an end surface of the rolling support block is provided with openings, and each of the openings communicates with the chutes and the lifting groove (Fig. 6).
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1-6, 8, 18, and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yan et al. (CN 206012315 U, hereinafter Yan, cited by applicant) in view of Schuldt.
Re Claim 1. Yan teaches a beam, comprising a beam body (Fig. 1-6), and further comprising:
a rolling support block (Fig. 1-6), fixedly connected with the beam body, wherein an end surface of the rolling support block is level with an end surface of the beam body, the end surface of the rolling support block is provide with a lifting groove (item 110), a first sidewall of the rolling support block is provided with chutes (Fig. 3 & 6), each of the chutes comprises a first position and a second position, and the first position is higher than the second position (Fig. 3 & 6);
a roller assembly (Fig. 1-6), comprising one or more rollers (item 30) and a roller shaft (Fig. 1-6), wherein both ends of the roller shaft are slidable and disposed in the chute (Fig. 1-6), each of the rollers is capable of rolling and disposed in the lifting groove through the roller shaft (Fig. 1-6);
a drive positioning member (item 50), disposed by extending into or retracting from the lifting groove, wherein the roller shaft is located in the first position when the drive positioning member extends into the lifting groove and located in the second position when the drive positioning member retracts from the lifting groove (Fig. 1-6).
Yan fails to specifically teach that each of the chutes is downwards oblique.
The invention of Schuldt encompasses a counterbalance forklift truck. Schuldt teaches that each of the chutes is downwards oblique (Fig. 6, item E).
In view of Schuldt, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention to modify the invention of Yan to have each of the chutes being downwards oblique, since one would be able to move the roller gradually in smaller increment.
Re Claim 2. The combination teaches a pusher lump (Yan, Fig. 1-6, item 20), wherein the pusher lump is movably disposed in the lifting groove (Fig. 1-6), an upper surface of the pusher lump is an oblique plane having an oblique direction opposite to an oblique direction of each of the chutes (Fig. 1-6), the roller shaft is connected with the oblique plane to move (Fig. 1-6), and the drive positioning member is connected with and drives the pusher lump when the drive positioning member extends into the lifting groove (Fig. 1-6).
Re Claim 3. The combination teaches wherein the drive positioning member is a bolt (Fig. 1-6, item 50) passing through a second sidewall (Fig. 1-6) of the rolling support block and threaded with the second sidewall.
Re Claim 4. The combination teaches wherein the second sidewall is provided with a thickened wall (Fig. 2) protruded thereon, and the bolt successively passes through the thickened wall and the second sidewall, and is threaded with the thickened wall.
Re Claim 5. The combination fails to specifically teach that a number of the rollers is two, the two rollers are disposed on both sides of the roller shaft, and the pusher lump is disposed between the two rollers.
However, the number of rollers being used and how to locate the rollers in relation to the pusher lump is a matter of design choice within purview of one skill in the art. See MPEP 2144.04, part VI.
Re Claim 6. The combination teaches wherein a number of the chutes is two (Yan, Fig. 1-6 & Schuldt, Fig. 6), and two ends of the roller shaft are slidable and disposed in the two chutes, respectively.
Re Claim 8. The combination teaches wherein an end surface of the rolling support block is provided with openings (Yan Fig. 1-6), and each of the openings communicates with the chutes and the lifting groove.
Re Claims 18 and 19. See rejections of claims 3 and 8, respectively.
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schuldt or Yan in view of Schuldt as applied to claim 6 above, and further in view of Rasmussen et al. (US 8,657,553 B1, hereinafter Rasmussen, cited by applicant).
The teachings of Schuldt and Yan in view of Schuldt have been discussed above.
Schuldt and Yan in view of Schuldt further teaches that each of the chutes is a through groove (Schuldt, Fig. 6), but fails to specifically teach that each of the ends of the roller shaft is provided with a shaft cap, and the shaft cap protrudes from one of the chutes and radially along the roller shaft.
The invention of Rasmussen encompasses roller track loading device. Rasmussen teaches that each of the ends of the roller shaft (Fig. 7, item 260) is provided with a shaft cap (item 224 and a circular plate at the end of item 260), and the shaft cap protrudes from one of the chutes and radially along the roller shaft (Fig. 7).
In view of Rasmussen, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention to modify the invention of Schuldt or Yan in view of Schuldt to employ a shaft cap at each ends of the roller shaft, to ensure the roller not to fall off from the chutes.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892.
The rejections above rely on the references for all the teachings expressed in the text of the references and/or one of ordinary skill in the art would have reasonably understood from the texts. Only specific portions of the texts have been pointed out to emphasize certain aspects of the prior art, however, each reference as a whole should be reviewed in responding to the rejection, since other sections of the same reference and/or various combinations of the cited references may be relied on in future rejections in view of amendments.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KEVIN E YOON whose telephone number is (571)270-5932. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9 AM- 5 PM.
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, Keith Walker can be reached at 571-272-3458. 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.
/KEVIN E YOON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1735
4/7/2026
Prosecution Insights