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 .
Drawings
Figure 1 should be designated by a legend such as --Prior Art-- because only that which is old is illustrated. See MPEP § 608.02(g). Corrected drawings in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. The replacement sheet(s) should be labeled “Replacement Sheet” in the page header (as per 37 CFR 1.84(c)) so as not to obstruct any portion of the drawing figures. If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
Claim 5 is objected to because of the following informalities: claim 5 depends on itself. Rejection under 112 (b) or 112, 2nd paragraph for ambiguity is not applied at this time, since it appears, in view of claim 11 that the claim deficiencies are of form and not of clarity.
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 1-3 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Griffin (412,176).
Griffin meets all of the limitations of claim 1, i.e., a clamp comprising first C and second opposed jaws C, top jaw, with said first jaw C comprising first, second, [AltContent: textbox (2nd JAW)]annotated having parallel axes and said second jaw C top jaw comprising a first annotated Fig. 2 having internal threads and a protuberance annotated of which at least a portion is complementary to and receivable within said second through aperture of said first jaw, and
a threaded fastener r receivable within said first through aperture of said first jaw, threadingly receivable within said first Fig. 2, except for the second aperture to be a trough hole, first jaw to have a third through aperture and for the first aperture of the second/top jaw to be a through aperture.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective date of the invention, to modify the clamp by providing a second threaded through aperture defining the recited third aperture of the first jaw to pass through both jaws to receive another fastener r to double the holding action of the clamp. One of ordinary skill would have been motivated to do so, in adapting the clamp for applications requiring higher clamping force and further since it has been held that mere duplication of the essential working parts of a devise involves only routine skill in the art. St. Regis Paper Co. v. Bemis Co., 193 USPQ 8.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective date of the invention, to further modify the clamp by extending the second aperture of the first jaw and the first aperture of the second jaw through the respective jaws, to increase and augment the holding force, i.e., by threading the bolt through the top jaw and by projecting the perturbance through the first or bottom jaw, in adapting for applications requiring high holding force and since such modifications would require routine experimentations with predictable results.
[AltContent: textbox (2nd JAW)]Regarding claim 2, PA (prior art, Griffin modified for two bolts and through holes) meets the limitations, i.e., the clamp of claim 1, wherein a portion of an opposing face of said first jaw C is a grip face gripping teeth relieved thickened arear per instant application Fig. 6 from said opposing face annotated here, and said first and second modified for duplication of parts through apertures of said first jaw pass through said grip face Fig. 2 Griffin.
Regarding claim 3, PA meets the limitations, i.e., the clamp of claim 2, wherein a perimeter of said second jaw is congruent to a perimeter of said grip face Figs. 1, 2 Griffin.
Regarding claim 6, PA meets the limitations, i.e., the clamp of claim 1, wherein said threaded fastener is a fastener selected from the set of fasteners consisting of: a fastener having a head with a hexagonal perimeter, a fastener having a head with a hexagonal cavity, a socket head cap screw, a fastener having a slotted head, Fig. 2 Griffin, a Phillips screw, a fastener having a knurled head, and a fastener having a head with a radial array of protuberances.
Claims 7-9 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Campagnolo (4,290,180) in view of Griffin.
[AltContent: textbox (1st PIN)][AltContent: arrow] Campagnolo meets all of the limitations of claim 7, i.e., sprocket gripping tool Fig. 3, comprising
a lever arm 11 having a grip end @12 comprising a first pin receivable within a gap between teeth of a sprocket 14’, and a first through aperture annotated for receiving a second fastener annotated; and a length of roller chain having its first end @12 secured by said second fastener annotated above to said grip end of said lever arm, except for a clamp as recited and for the second end of the roller chain to be secured by a third fastener to said clamp. Firstly, it is noted that providing a clamp, lock or a holder at a second end of a chain wrench to secure it to the workpiece, e.g., a sprocket, is known in the art as evident by cited references, indicated below.
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Griffin teaches a clamp comprising first and second jaws with a threaded connection and a perturbance. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective date of the invention, to provide the wrench of Campagnolo with an end clamp as taught by Griffin to securely retain the end link, in adapting the wrench for applications requiring high retention force.
[AltContent: textbox (2nd JAW)]The combination meets the claim, i.e., first C and second opposed jaws C, top jaw, with said first jaw C comprising first, second, annotated having parallel axes and said second jaw C top jaw comprising a first annotated Fig. 2 having internal threads and a protuberance annotated of which at least a portion is complementary to and receivable within said second through aperture of said first jaw, and a first, threaded fastener r receivable within said first through aperture of said first jaw, threadingly receivable within said first first through aperture of said first jaw Fig. 2, except for the second aperture to be a trough hole, first jaw to have a third through aperture and for the first aperture of the second/top jaw to be a through aperture. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective date of the invention, to modify the clamp by providing a second threaded through aperture defining the recited third aperture of the first jaw to pass through both jaws to receive another fastener r to double the holding action of the clamp. One of ordinary skill would have been motivated to do so, in adapting the clamp for applications requiring higher clamping force and further since it has been held that mere duplication of the essential working parts of a devise involves only routine skill in the art. St. Regis Paper Co. v. Bemis Co., 193 USPQ 8.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective date of the invention, to further modify the clamp by extending the second aperture of the first jaw and the first aperture of the second jaw through the respective jaws, to increase and augment the holding force, i.e., by threading the bolt through the top jaw and by projecting the perturbance through the first or bottom jaw, in adapting for applications requiring high holding force and since such modifications would require routine experimentations with predictable results.
Regarding claim 8, PA (prior art, Griffin modified for two bolts and through holes) meets the limitations, i.e., the sprocket gripping tool of claim 7, wherein a portion of an opposing face of said first jaw C is a grip face gripping teeth relieved thickened arear per instant application Fig. 6 from said opposing face annotated here, and said first and second modified for duplication of parts through apertures of said first jaw pass through said grip face Fig. 2 Griffin.
Regarding claim 9, PA meets the limitations, i.e., the clamp of claim 2 or the sprocket gripping tool of claim 8, wherein a perimeter of said second jaw is congruent to a perimeter of said grip face Figs. 1, 2 Griffin.
Regarding claim 12, PA meets the limitations, i.e., the clamp of claim 1 or the sprocket gripping tool of claim 7, wherein said threaded fastener is a fastener selected from the set of fasteners consisting of: a fastener having a head with a hexagonal perimeter, a fastener having a head with a hexagonal cavity, a socket head cap screw, a fastener having a slotted head, Fig. 2 Griffin, a Phillips screw, a fastener having a knurled head, and a fastener having a head with a radial array of protuberances.
Claims 4, 5, 10 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over PA as applied to claims 1 and 7 above, and further in view of Appleyard et al. (9,085,320 “Appleyard”).
PA, prior art, i.e., modified Griffin as applied to claim 1 or Campagnolo modified by Griffin as applied to claim 7 above, meets all of the limitations of claim 4, as best understood or the sprocket wrench of claim 10, except for said second through aperture modified of said first jaw is other than round, and said complementary portion of said protuberance of said second jaw is also other than round, so that with said other than round portion of said protuberance received within said second through aperture, rotation of said second jaw about an axis of said protuberance is prevented. Appleyard teaches using D-shaped rods to prevent rotation 07:30-33. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective date of the invention, to further modify the modified invention of PA with D-shaped perturbance as taught by Appleyard to prevent relative rotation between the threaded fastener and the perturbance.
Regarding claims 5 and 11, PA (prior art, either modified Griffin further modified by Appleyard or Campagnolo modified by Griffin and Appleyard) as applied to claims 4, as best understood and claim 10 above, meets the limitations, i.e., wherein while said other than round portion of said protuberance is received within said second through aperture, said first through aperture of said first jaw is coaxially aligned with said first through aperture of said second jaw Fig. 2, Griffin.
Claims 13-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over PA as applied to claim 7 above, and further in view of Evans (1,290,530).
PA, prior art, i.e., Campagnolo modified by Griffin as applied to claim 7 above, meets all of the limitations of claim 13, except for a lever arm as recited.
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Evens teaches a flexible wrench comprising
a lever arm 12 having a grip end 11 comprising a first pin 16 receivable within a gap between teeth of a sprocket Fig. 1, and a first through aperture receiving pin 17 for receiving a second fastener 17, wherein said grip end 11 of said lever arm further comprises a first planar membrane 15 and said pin of said grip end 16 is affixed to said planar membrane Fig. 2, and said first through aperture @17 of said grip end resides in said planar membrane 15, Fig. 2. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective date of the invention, to further modify the modified invention of PA with the lever arm as taught by Evens for an arrangement allowing quick adjustment to act upon an object and/or as an alternative means of arranging the parts.
Regarding claim 14, PA (Campagnolo modified by Griffin and Evens) meets the limitations, i.e., the sprocket gripping tool of claim 13, wherein said grip end 11 further comprises a second planar membrane 15, lower jaw, Fig. 2 spaced apart parallel to said first planar membrane.
Regarding claim 13, PA meets the limitations, i.e., the sprocket gripping tool of claim 14, wherein said pin of said grip end 11 resides between said first and second planar membranes Fig. 2 Evens and is also affixed to said second membrane by fasteners 16 and 17, and said second membrane further comprises a through aperture @17 coaxial with said first through aperture of said first planar membrane.
Conclusion
Prior art made of record and not relied upon at this time, are considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure. Wu, Haughwout, Takamatsu holder 34 and Heintz keeper 106 are cited to show related inventions.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HADI SHAKERI whose telephone number is (571)272-4495. The fax phone number for forwarding unofficial documents for discussion purposes only is (571) 273-4495. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Brian Keller can be reached on 571 272 8548. The fax number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Hadi Shakeri/
November 1, 2025 Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3723