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 .
This is a non-final rejection for 18/370,568 amendment filled on 03/03/2026
Claims 1, 3, 5, 8, 10, 13 – 15, 20 are amended
Claim 4, 11 – 12, 16 – 19 is cancelled.
Claim 24 – 30 are new
Claims 1 – 3, 9-20 and 20-30 are allowable
Claims 1 – 3, 5 – 10, 13 – 15, 20- 23, 24 – 30 are pending and rejected
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 03/25/2026 contains listed non-patent literature that is located in the file wrapper of parent application number 18/370,568. As such, all references have been considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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) 13 – 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable by WO2017136889 – Dryden et al. hereinafter as DRYDEN in view of US 6351929 – Gust et al. herein after as GUST
Regarding Claim 13
DRYDEN discloses:
A turf roller comprising:
a chassis; (See figure 1 chassis)
a roller assembly support the chassis, the roller assembly including a roller ; ( Fig. 1 – Wherein the roller 42 is part of the roller assembly ( see fig. 1 below, where in longitudinal axis is the x axis relative to an operator sitting facing forward in the seat. ))
a first actuator operably connected to the roller and configured to control an angular position of the roller; (page 5 – line 22 – 26 where in second hydraulic motor is connected to the left roller, where in the angular position is in the longitudinal axis)
a second actuator operably connected to the roller and configured to rotationally drive the roller; and (fourth hydraulic motor use to connect to right rollers 42 and 43)
an operator station supported by the chassis( operator station 22),
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DRYDEN discloses of the base method of a rolling apparatus and an operator station supported by the chassis, that can travel in lateral and longitudinal direction ( Fig. 1 wherein 33 and 42 are rolling apparatuses that move the chassis in longitudinal direction or lateral direction), DRYDEN discloses of operating the vehicle using hand mechanisms and pedals. (Fig. 1 – 25 and 80 and 81 hand mechanism and 91 pedals) DRYDEN discloses the operator station including a hand controls to provide output to drive the turf roller (fig. 1 - 81 and 80 hand controls to drive the turf roller) DRYDEN uses hydraulic or electrical control to drive the apparatus (page 10 – hydraulic pumps and hydraulic actuators , page10 – Electric motors, controllers and batteries) DRYDEN does not explicitly disclose of an operator station including a joystick to provide one or both steering and drive control for operating the turf roller .GUST discloses of rolling apparatus for use on golf greens and turf and an operator station supported by the chassis using a single input:
the operator station including a joystick .(Col 5 line 46 – 55 - activating moving the chassis using hydraulic control with joystick)
an electronic controller configured to send output commands to one or both of the first and second actuators based on an input signal relating to the position of the joystick to provide one or both steering and drove control for operating the turf roller ( col 9 line 34 – 45 - where electrical switches and valves are used to control the linkages to translate joystick commands to output commands)
GUST offers the improvement of a single interface one hand control operable to provide an output the rolling apparatus for use on golf greens. One of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized the adaptation of manual hand operator controls of DRYDEN would have recognized the adaptation of the one hand control operable to provide an output to the second actuator for the predictable result of improved a user control interface with one hand operation as needed in GUST.
Regarding Claim 14
DRYDEN / GUST discloses claim 13
DRYDEN discloses of operating on hydraulics or electrical motors / actuators, GUST discloses of a rolling apparatus that operates using:
2. (Original) The turf roller of claim 1, wherein the first actuator is a powered linear actuator( col 10 line 5 – 7 electric motor) and the second actuator is a powered rotary actuator. ( col 10 line 5 – 7 – hydraulic motor)
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the applicants invention to
DRYDEN and GUST are considered analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of endeavor of ground engaging apparatus. Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified DRYDEN to incorporate the teachings of GUST and combined using linear actuators and power rotary actuators. One would have made this combination to enhance the performance of the machine.
Regarding Claim 15
DRYDEN / GUST discloses claim 13
DRYDEN discloses:
The turf roller of claim 13, further comprising a second roller assembly supporting the chassis, the second roller assembly including a second roller ( page 10, where in there are rollers 40, 41, 42 and 43)
Allowable subject matter
Claims 1 -3, 9 – 10 and 20 – 30 are allowable
Independent claims 1 discloses of a turf roller TURF Rollers are known in the art, however DRYDEN / GUST does not explicitly disclose of a one handed control sending outputs to the first second third and fourth actuators, wherein two of the commands are unequal when a steering angle of the first roller assembly is non-zero as disclosed in detail within the independent claims.
Independent claims 20 discloses of a turf roller, TURF Rollers are known in the art, however DRYDEN / GUST do not explicitly disclose wherein the mechanical linkage coupling the input member to the roller assembly such that a position of the input member controls an angular position of the roller assembly, the sensor arranged to detect an angular position of input member and electronic control configured to send output command to actuator based on a n input signal from the position sensor to provide speed control for driving the turf roller as disclosed within the independent claim
Additionally, such a modification would not have been obvious without substantial modification and would rely on an improper degree of hindsight reasoning. The prior art of record teaches the general concept of the invention.
Conclusion
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/A.H.T/ Examiner, Art Unit 3671
/CHRISTOPHER J SEBESTA/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3671
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