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
Claim 19 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 19 line 3 “of finned roller” should be –of the finned roller--.
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 1-5, 9-15, and 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by (US 11224166 B2), provided in Applicant’s IDS filed 02-05-2024.
Regarding claim 1, Almeida discloses an agricultural harvester (sugarcane harvester 20), comprising:
a chassis (rear portion of main frame 44 designated in Fig. 1);
a forward frame (forward portion of main frame 44, connected to rear portion as shown in Fig. 1 reproduced below) fixed to the chassis;
a lateral support bar (82) movably coupled to the forward frame, the lateral support bar being at least partially positioned within the forward frame (Fig. 2-3, col. 3 lines 56-67 rotary bar assembly 82 is coupled rotatably at opposite ends to frame 44 for relative rotation about axis 90);
a base cutter (26) coupled to the lateral support bar (col. 3 lines 54-57); and
a finned roller (30, Fig. 2) coupled to the lateral support bar such that movement of the lateral support bar moves the base cutter and the finned roller together (col. 4 lines 48-52 actuator 86 pivots rotary bar assembly 82 about axis 90 so as to cause the base cutter 26 and the lower knockdown roller 30 to pivot in translation together).
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Annotated Image of Fig. 1 of Almeida
Regarding independent claim 11, Almeida discloses a system for adjusting a finned roller of an agricultural harvester (sugarcane harvester 20), the system comprising:
a chassis (rear portion of main frame 44 designated in Fig. 1);
a forward frame (forward portion of main frame 44, connected to rear portion as shown in Fig. 1 reproduced above) fixed to the chassis;
a lateral support bar (82) movably coupled to the forward frame, the lateral support bar being at least partially positioned within the forward frame (Fig. 2-3, col. 3 lines 56-67 rotary bar assembly 82 is coupled rotatably at opposite ends to frame 44 for relative rotation about axis 90);
a base cutter (26) coupled to the lateral support bar (col. 3 lines 54-57);
a finned roller (30, Fig. 2) coupled to the lateral support bar and an actuator (86) configured to selectively move the lateral support bar relative to the forward frame to adjust a position of the base cutter and the finned roller together (col. 4 lines 48-52 actuator 86 pivots rotary bar assembly 82 about axis 90 so as to cause the base cutter 26 and the lower knockdown roller 30 to pivot in translation together).
Regarding claims 2 and 12, Almeida discloses the agricultural harvester of claim 1 and the system of claim 11, wherein the lateral support bar (82) comprises a lateral support portion (84), a first mounting bracket (first side link 88), and a second mounting bracket (second side link 88), the base cutter (26) being coupled to the lateral support bar by the lateral support portion (col. 4 line 6-7), the first and second mounting bracket being coupled to the lateral support portion proximate a respective first and second lateral side of the lateral support portion (Fig. 2), and the finned roller (30) being coupled to the lateral support bar by the first and second mounting brackets (Fig. 2, col. 4 lines 17-31 side links 88 connect to respective sidewalls 56,58 between which roller 30 is mounted).
Regarding claims 3 and 13, Almeida discloses the agricultural harvester of claim 2 and the system of claim 12, wherein each of the first and second mounting bracket (first and side links 88) are movably coupled to the forward frame (forward frame portion of 44) by at least one link (Fig. 3, links 88 coupled to frame via “mounting ears” designated in annotated image below and described in col. 4 lines 10-31) such that the lateral support bar (82) is movably coupled to the forward frame.
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Annotated Image of Fig. 3 of Almeida
Regarding claim 4 and 14, Almeida discloses the agricultural harvester of claim 2 and the system of claim 12, further comprising:
a first support arm (56), a first end (rearward, upper end) of the first support arm being coupled to the first mounting bracket (first side link 88) (Fig. 2, col. 4 lines 18-20), and a second end (forward, lower end) of the first support arm being rotatably coupled to the finned roller (30) (col. 3 lines 9-11); and
a second support arm (58), a first end (rearward, upper end) of the second support arm being coupled to the second mounting bracket (second side link 88) (Fig. 2, col. 4 lines 25-26), and a second end (forward, lower end) of the second support arm being rotatably coupled to the finned roller (30) (col. 3 lines 9-11).
Regarding claims 5 and 15, Almeida discloses the agricultural harvester of claim 4 and the system of claim 14, wherein the first end of the first support arm (56) is rotatably fixed to the first mounting bracket (first side link 88), and wherein the first end of the second support arm (58) is rotatably fixed to the second mounting bracket (second side link 88) (col. 4 lines 18-20, 25-26 teaches links 88 are pivotally coupled to respective side walls 56,58).
Regarding claims 9 and 17, Almeida discloses the agricultural harvester of claim 1 and the system of claim 11, wherein the finned roller (30) is positioned forward of the base cutter (26) relative to a direction of travel of the agricultural harvester (20) (Fig. 2, col. 2 lines 18-19).
Regarding claim 10, Almeida discloses the agricultural harvester of claim 1, further comprising an actuator (86) configured to selectively move the lateral support bar (82) relative to the forward frame (44) (col. 4 lines 1-2).
Regarding claim 18, Almeida discloses the system of claim 11, further comprising a computing system in communication with the actuator (86), the computing system being configured to control, with one or more computing devices, an operation of the actuator to adjust the position of the finned roller (30) (inherent from col. 4 lines 39-43).
Regarding claim 19, Almeida discloses the system of claim 18, wherein the computing system is further configured to receive, with the one or more computing devices, an input (from “operator input device” and/or “input signals”) indicative of adjusting a position of the finned roller (30), and
wherein the computing system is configured to control the operation of the actuator to adjust the position of the finned roller in response to the input indicative of adjusting the position of the finned roller (col. 4 lines 39-43).
Regarding claim 20, Almeida discloses the system of claim 19, further comprising a user interface (“operator input device at the operator's station 36”), wherein the computing system is configured to receive the input indicative of adjusting the position of the finned roller via the user interface (col. 4 lines 39-41).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-8 and 16 are 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Almeida et al. (US 20180177130 A1) discloses a multi-row sugarcane harvester feed section. Hinds (US 20120110967 A1) discloses an adjustable base cutter assembly. Ernst (US 20110154793 A1) discloses a forage chopper header having a movable roller. Quick (US 4924662 A) discloses a sugarcane harvester having a vertically adjustable forward roller.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JULIA C TRAN whose telephone number is (571) 272-8758. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5 EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Joesph Rocca, can be reached on (571) 272-8971. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JULIA C TRAN/Examiner, Art Unit 3671
/ADAM J BEHRENS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3671