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 .
Claim Objections
The claims are inconsistent with the use of the term of “follower”, “cam follower”, and “tine bar follower.” Appropriate correction is required.
The claims are inconsistent with the use of the term of: “tine bar” vs “reel tine bars”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 10 is objected to because of the following informalities: claim 10 is missing a word. It is presumed that “engages” should be between “reel tine bars cams” and “against the diverter.” Appropriate correction is required.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-3 and 14-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lehman et al. (US 2020/0256437 A1), hereinafter Lehman.
Regarding claim 1, Lehman discloses a harvester reel (200, fig. 1-2, [0017-0020]) for an agricultural harvester header (102, fig. 1, [0017-0020]) comprising:
a central rotatable shaft (202, fig. 2, [0018-0020]);
a plurality of reel tine bars (206, fig. 2-4, [0018-0021, and 0028]) extending widthwise across the reel and connected to the central rotatable shaft for rotation therewith (fig. 2, [0020]), each of the plurality of reel tine bars including:
a biasing member (412, fig. 4, [0021 and 0029-0030]) biasing each reel tine bar to rotate about a central longitudinal axis of each reel tine bar (fig. 4, 0021), and
a tine (208, fig. 2-4, 0020); and
a cam assembly (300, fig. 2-4, [0018 and 0021]) for guiding rotation of the plurality of reel tine bars (fig. 2-4, [0021]).
Regarding claim 2, Lehman further discloses wherein each of the plurality of reel tine bars (206, fig. 2-4, [0021]) further comprises a cam follower (308, fig. 2-3, [0023-0030]) for engaging the cam assembly (fig. 2-3, [0023-0030]).
Regarding claim 3, Lehman discloses wherein the cam follower (308) comprises an elongated shaft (402, fig. 4, [0021 and 0027-0030]) and a curved head (404, fig. 4, [0027-0028]).
Regarding claim 14, Lehman discloses an agricultural harvester header (102, fig. 1, [0017-0020]) comprising:
the harvester reel (200, fig. 1-2, [0017-0020]) of claim 1 (see claim 1); and
a cutterbar (110, fig. 1, [0017]) carried below the harvester reel (fig. 1).
Regarding claim 15, Lehman further discloses, an agricultural harvester (100, fig. 1, [0017]) comprising the agricultural harvester header (102, fig. 1, [0017-0020]) of claim 14 (see claim 14).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 16-22 allowed.
Claims 4-13 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:
Regarding claim 4, 9, 16, 17 and 20 Lehman is considered the closest prior art, but fails to teach a secondary cam … moveable between a disengaged position and an engaged position. No prior art was found that teaches a second cam that is moveable between a disengaged position and an engaged position, when taken in combination with the other limitations of the claims.
Claims 5-8 and 10-13 would be allowable for depending on claims 4 and 9. Claims 18-19 and 21-22 are allowable for depending on claims 17 and 20.
Claim 23 is allowable for the same reasoning as 4, 9, 16, and 20, but fails to teach a secondary tine bar guiding mechanism configured to guide rotation of the tine bars during a portion of a complete revolution of rotation of the central rotatable shaft. No prior art was found that teaches secondary tine bar guiding mechanism configured to guide rotation of the tine bars during a portion of a complete revolution of rotation of the central rotatable shaft, when taken in combination with the other limitations of the claims.
Claims 24-26 are allowable for depending on claim 23.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Cook (US 20190082599 A1) – agricultural harvester with a cam, but teaches away from a second cam [0063]
Jost et al. (US 20170311546 A1) - agricultural harvester with a cam and teaches a second cam track, but not a second cam [0022-24]
Honey et al. (US 20150272001 A1) - agricultural harvester with a cam that briefly mentions a second cam [0018]
Pollich et al. (US 4993275 A) - agricultural harvester with a main cam and an auxiliary cam
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Jennifer A Railey whose telephone number is (571)270-7353. The examiner can normally be reached M-F (8-4).
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/JENNIFER A RAILEY/Examiner, Art Unit 3676
/Nicole Coy/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3672
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