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 .
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.
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, 2, 6 and 13-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Singh et al. (US Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0071133) in view of Hackert et al. (US Patent Application Publication No. 2020/0404852).
In reference to claim 1, Singh discloses an agricultural machine 10 (Fig. 1) comprising:
a chassis 212 (Fig. 2);
a rotor 216 operatively connected to the chassis to rotate about a rotor axis in a rotation direction (Fig. 2);
a bottom floor 220 located adjacent to the rotor 216 and extending along the rotor axis from a first lateral side to a second lateral side, the bottom floor 220 extending along the rotation direction from a bottom floor leading end to a bottom floor trailing end, wherein the bottom floor 220 is spaced from the rotor 216 to define a crop flow passage (par. 0048, “crop collection channel”) between the rotor 216 and the bottom floor 220 (Fig. 2); and
a respective linkage 246 operatively connecting each lateral side of the bottom floor 220 to the chassis 212 and configured to allow the bottom floor 220 to move to move away from the rotor axis by application of force generated against the bottom floor 220 in the crop flow passage (Fig. 2).
Singh fails to disclose that the bottom floor is configured to move about multiple rotation axes.
Hackert discloses a bottom floor 62 configured to move about multiple rotation axes 140, 142, 144 and 146 (par. 0043). It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to configure the bottom floor so that it rotates about multiple axes with a reasonable expectation of success so that the bottom floor can better accommodate varying volumes of crop material.
In reference to claim 2, Singh discloses a single respective actuator 224 operatively connected at each lateral side of the bottom floor 220, and being operable to move the bottom floor 220 trailing end towards and away from the rotor axis (Fig. 2).
In reference to claim 6, Singh discloses that the respective linkage at the first lateral side and/or the second lateral side comprises:
a rocker arm 246;
a rocker pivot 234 connecting the rocker arm 246 to the chassis 212 to rotate about a rocker axis; and
a bottom floor pivot 236 connecting the rocker arm 246 to the bottom floor 220 to rotate about a bottom floor axis (Fig. 2).
In reference to claim 13, Singh discloses a bale forming chamber 20 (par. 0047) located downstream of the rotor 216 and bottom floor 220 to receive crop material exiting the crop flow passage.
In reference to claim 14, Singh discloses a method of operating an agricultural machine 10 (Fig. 1) comprising
a chassis 212;
a rotor 216 operatively connected to the chassis 212 to rotate about a rotor axis in a rotation direction (Fig. 2);
a bottom floor 220 located adjacent to the rotor 216 and extending along the rotor axis from a first lateral side to a second lateral side, the bottom floor 220 extending along the rotation direction from a bottom floor leading end (Fig. 2, near pivot 232) to a bottom floor trailing end (Fig. 2, par. 0048, “rearward end”), wherein the bottom floor 220 is spaced from the rotor 216 to define a crop flow passage (par. 0048, “crop collection channel”) between the rotor 216 and the bottom floor 220 (Fig. 2); and
a respective linkage 246 operatively connecting each lateral side of the bottom floor 220 to the chassis 212 and configured to allow the bottom floor trailing end to move away from the rotor axis by application of force generated against the bottom floor 220 in the crop flow passage (par. 0047, “pressure on the bottom floor assembly 220 may exceed the tension of the compressible members 226, such that the rearward end of the bottom floor assembly 220 pivots radially around the first pivot point 232 away from the rotor and blades 216”), the method comprising:
receiving crop material in the crop flow passage at the bottom floor leading end (Fig. 2, par. 0048, at inlet 257);
moving the crop material towards the bottom floor trailing end (par. 0048); and
moving the bottom floor trailing end away from the rotor axis by a force generated at a second location on the bottom floor 220 by the crop material (par. 0048).
Singh fails to disclose the bottom floor leading end moving away from the rotor axis.
Hackert discloses a bottom floor 62 configured for both its leading and trailing edges to move away from a rotor 133 (par. 0043). It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to configure the bottom floor so that the leading and trailing edges can move away from the rotor with a reasonable expectation of success so that the bottom floor can better accommodate varying volumes of crop material.
In reference to claim 15, Singh discloses that the agricultural machine 10 further includes a single respective actuator 224 operatively connected at each lateral side of the bottom floor 220, and being operable to move the bottom floor trailing end towards and away from the rotor axis, and the method further comprises operating each single respective actuator 224 to move the bottom floor trailing end away from the rotor axis (Fig. 2, par. 0048).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-5 and 7-12 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. McClure et al. (US Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0219790) discloses a drop floor for a baler (Figs. 1 and 5) and McWilliams (US Patent No. 5,255,501) discloses a baler with a drop floor 36 (Fig. 1).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRAD HARCOURT whose telephone number is (571)272-7303. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday, 9am to 6pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Doug Hutton can be reached at (571)272-4137. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BRAD HARCOURT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3674
2/12/26