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 .
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: In para. 0002, line 4 of Applicant’s specification, reference character “24” should be corrected to “14” to correctly identify the ring-shaped metal band saw blade depicted in fig. 1.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 3 is objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 3, lines 7-8 should be corrected as follows, “coupling plate away from the perforation, the movable plate is an L shape [[and has]] forming a horizontal surface and a vertical surface, the horizontal surface has an elongated” Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION — The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. Claim 1, lines 2-17 recite, “the workbench including a rail seat fixedly connected to a front side edge of the workbench, a linear side rail on the rail seat, and a slide slidably connected to the linear slide rail; the rail seat having a serrate portion on a front side edge thereof and extended out of an edge of a retaining plate assembly, a retaining plate assembly being provided on the front side edge of the workbench…” It is unclear if the recitation of “a retaining plate assembly being provided on the front side edge of the workbench” is intended to further define the previously introduced recitation of “a retaining plate assembly” associated with “the rail seat having a serrate portion on a front side edge thereof and extended out of an edge of a retaining plate assembly” [emphasis added] or if Applicant intends for “a retaining plate assembly being provided on the front side edge of the workbench” to introduce a separate and distinct “retaining plate assembly” on the workbench. For purposes of examination, the aforementioned claim limitation will be interpreted as further defining the initial recitation of “a retaining plate assembly, such that “[[a]] the retaining plate assembly being provided on the front side edge of the workbench.”
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 1 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
Please discussion regarding pertinent prior art references in the Conclusion below.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Dibble (US Patent 46,548) discloses an adjustment mechanism for a sawing machine with a worm that can be disengaged from a curved rack gear. Pickett (US Patent 987,390) discloses a metal shaping machine with gear driven adjustment mechanisms. Hanson (US Patent 1,422,971) disclose a wood working machine. Campbell (US Patent 2,285,897) discloses an acute angle gauge for saw tables with an adjustment worm (29) mounted on a thumb-actuated lever (32) configured to be moved into and out of engagement with curved gear rack (28). Roemer (US Patent 2,364,475) discloses an axially movable pinion (137) normally biased out of engagement with a rack (136) attached to table top (94). Withrow (US Patent 4,934,423) discloses a L-shaped retaining plate (32). Ceroll et al (US Patent 5,722,308) discloses a movable fence for a machine tool that uses a spring-biased pinion (152) mounted on axle (150) that is turned by hand crank (154). The user can press downward (i.e., perpendicular to the rotational axis thereof) on hand crank (154) to disengage pinion (152) from serrated rack portion (140). Adams et al (US Patent 6,061,921) discloses a fence positioning apparatus. Duginske (US Patent 7,390,960) discloses a support plate adjustment structure of a vertical band saw machine. Duginske fails to disclose the retaining plate assembly includes a first L-shaped retaining plate and a second L-shaped retaining plate. Duginske fails to disclose a fine adjustment unit pivotally connected beneath a connecting seat of the support unit, wherein the fine adjustment unit includes a clutch seat, a worm and a rotary handle connected to one end of the worm, the clutch seat having a side through hole and an opening facing the serrate portion, a worm wheel being pivoted inside the clutch seat and extending out of the opening; the worm being insertedly connected to the side through hole and meshing with the worm wheel; the clutch seat being pivotally connected to an underside of the connecting seat [33] via a shaft bolt [48], the clutch seat being rotatable about the shaft bolt for the worm wheel to mesh or not to mesh with the serrate portion.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/SAMUEL A DAVIES/Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3724 July 25, 2026
/BOYER D ASHLEY/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3724
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