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 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Brockmann (US Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0247527) in view of Matousek et al. (US Patent No. 10,492,363).
In reference to claim 1, Brockman discloses a drive system for a forage harvester 10, the forage harvester 10 comprising
a prime mover 11,
a chopper drum 14 driven from the prime mover 11 via a drive train (par. 0018), and
feed rolls 18,
the drive system comprising a clutch 21 operable between an engaged condition connecting the chopper drum 14 to the prime mover 11 and a disengaged position in which the chopper drum 14 is disconnected from the prime mover 11 (par. 0018),
a second hydraulic variable displacement pump 28 which pumps fluid around a second hydraulic circuit 30 to a feed roll motor 29 connected with the feed rolls 18 of the forage harvester 10 (Fig. 2).
Brockmann discloses a first hydraulic circuit 31 connected with the chopper drum 14 (Fig. 2) and a variable displacement pump 28 but fails to disclose a first hydraulic variable displacement pump connected with the chopper drum which pumps fluid around a first hydraulic circuit connected to a first motor,
characterised in that the drive system further comprises a single charge pump hydraulically connected to both the first hydraulic variable displacement pump and the second hydraulic variable displacement pump.
Matousek discloses a first hydraulic pump 138 connected with a first hydraulic circuit and a motor 55 (Fig. 20); a second hydraulic pump 140 connected with a second hydraulic circuit and a motor 60 (Fig. 20); characterized in that a single charge pump 136 hydraulically connected to both the first hydraulic pump 138 and the second hydraulic pump 140.
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to include first and second hydraulic pumps connected to a single charge pump with a reasonable expectation of success so that each hydraulic circuit can be individually operated.
In reference to claim 5, Brockmann discloses a foreign object sensor 45 (par. 0030) and quick stop valve 36 (par. 0030).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-4 and 6-8 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. Bohrer et al. (US Patent No. 8,869,522) discloses a forage harvester comprising a chopper drum 26, feed rolls 28 and hydraulic circuits 84 and 84’ (Fig. 2); Ameye et al. (US Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0172638) discloses a forage harvester comprising feedrolls 26 and 27 powered by a hydraulic motor 80; and Stoessel et al. (US Patent No. 4,073,377) discloses two variable displacement pumps 76 and 78 that pump fluid through two hydraulic circuits (Fig. 8).
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
2/17/26