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 § 102
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.
Claims 1-5, 12 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being clearly anticipated by Ryken et al. (US Patent No. 5,203,150).
In reference to claim 1, Ryken discloses a header 10 for an agricultural machine 12 (Fig. 1), the header 10 comprising:
a support structure 30 adapted to mount the header 10 to the agricultural machine 12 (Fig. 1);
a header frame 64 pivotally coupled to the support structure 30;
a floating cutterbar assembly 14 operatively coupled to the header frame 64 and pivotally coupled to the support structure 30, wherein the floating cutterbar assembly 14 is moveable between a first position (Fig. 2) and a second position (Fig. 4); and
a spring 58 coupled between the header frame 64 and the floating cutterbar assembly 14 for reducing a ground contact force on the cutterbar 14.
In reference to claim 2, Ryken discloses that the support structure 30 is couplable to the agricultural machine 12 (Fig. 1).
In reference to claim 3, Ryken discloses a float arm 22, wherein the floating cutterbar assembly 14 is pivotally coupled to the float arm 22 for pivoting movement about a generally horizontal axis between the first and second positions (Figs. 2 and 4).
In reference to claim 4, Ryken discloses that the support structure 30 comprises a lift linkage (Fig. 2, the joint between support structure 30 and float arm 22), and wherein the float arm 22 has a first end and a second end (Fig. 2), the float arm first end is coupled to the cutterbar 14, and the float arm second end is pivotally coupled to the lift linkage and configured to allow the floating cutterbar assembly 14 to pivot relative to the lift linkage (Figs. 2 and 4).
In reference to claim 5, Ryken discloses a support mechanism 36 coupled to the support structure 30 and operable to adjust a height of the header frame 64 relative to the ground (Figs. 2 and 4).
In reference to claim 12, Ryken discloses a driveline 20/34 coupled to the floating cutterbar assembly 14, and wherein the cutterbar assembly 14 further comprises a cutting disc 16 rotatably supported by the cutterbar 14 and operably coupled to the driveline 20 for rotating the cutting disc 16 (col. 2, lines 54-59).
In reference to claim 13, Ryken discloses that the driveline comprises a motor (Fig. 1, attached to power takeoff 20), a gearbox 34, and a flexible coupling (Figs. 1 and 2, any of the couplings between power takeoff 20 and cutterbar assembly 14).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-11 and 14-19 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. Enns et al. (US Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0150391) discloses a cutterbar support frame 40 (Figs. 1 and 2), Neuerburg et al. (US Patent No. 5,896,733) discloses a support for a cutterbar assembly (Fig. 4); and Kieffer et al. (US Patent No. 5,727,371) discloses a cutterbar assembly support (Fig. 2).
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
3/03/26