DETAILED ACTION
The Information Disclosure Statement filed on June 14, 2023 has been reviewed and considered by the Examiner.
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 .
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) 16 and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Thorwarth (US 10,427,255).
Thorwarth discloses a manufacturing method for modular rail car pieces. The method comprises the steps of having parallel assembly lines 7, as shown in figure 1, to move components of the body shell of the railcar as described in paragraphs 13-16, and joining the components through welding, soldering or adhering as stated in paragraph 17.
Claim(s) 24-30 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wackerle et al (US 5,042,395).
Wackerle et al discloses a car body shell of a rail vehicle, generally shown in figure 1, and comprised of large assemblies directly adjoining one another, said large assemblies being selected from a group including an underframe, two side walls, a roof, two end walls or one end wall and a head of the car body shell; the components being joined are shown in figures 2, 4, and 5 with the underframe, floor, sidewalls and roof structures. The assemblies directly adjoining one another having edge portions, facing one another, formed from hollow chamber profiles as shown at the edges of the curved roof and straight wall structure and a sheet metal or profile strip 14, 32 overlapping said hollow chamber profiles. The hollow chamber profiles having sides, facing one another, with a threading aid 20 for prepositioning of said hollow chamber profiles relative to one another and shown in figure 3. The hollow chamber profiles having sides, associated with an outer side of the car body shell, being interconnected by said sheet metal or profile strip as shown with the floor and wall structure of figure 4 and the wall and roof structure of figure 5. The sheet metal or profile strip having edge portions 6, facing said hollow chamber profiles each being structurally bonded to a respective one of said hollow chamber profiles.
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.
Claim(s) 18-23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Thorwarth (US 10,427,255) in view of Wackerle et al (US 5,042,395).
Thorwarth discloses the parallel manufacturing method but does not specifically show the features of the railcar being manufactured. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have utilized a parallel manufacturing process, like that of Thorwarth, for a railcar, like that of Wackerle, with the expected result of providing an efficient manner for producing the floor, wall and roof components on parallel lines to then be met at designated points to quickly and efficiently mate the parts together.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Robert J McCarry Jr. whose telephone number is (571)272-6683. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7:00-3:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, S. Joseph Morano can be reached at 571-272-6684. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Robert J McCarry Jr/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3615
RJM
December 8, 2025
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