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 .
Response to Amendment
Pursuant to the applicant’s response filed 17 June 2026, the Request for Continued Examination (RCE) has been accepted and the claims have been amended. According to the claim amendments, claims 1-6 are cancelled, claims 7-12 have been added, and claims 7-12 are currently pending in the application. The previously noted objections and section 102 rejections have been overcome by the amendments and are hereby withdrawn. After additional search and/or consideration, the following rejections are presented to address the new claims.
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.
(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.
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(s) 7-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being clearly anticipated by U.S. Patent 6,216,348 issued to Martirossian (Martirossian).
Regarding claim 7, Martirossian discloses an ergonomic casing and tool holder for use in reloading firearm ammunition (See at least Figure 2, clearly illustrated) comprising: a body (1’) configured to be manually grasped by a user during a firearm ammunition reloading operation (Understood); a collet (25) supported by the body and configured as a multi-jaw chuck having a tapered contact surface for radially clamping and releasing a firearm casing or reloading tool (See at least Col. 5 Lines 9-41); a locking head (26) operatively associated with the collet and movable relative to the body for selectively compressing the collet between a released condition and a clamped condition (See at least Col. 5 Lines 9-41); at least one independently adjustable backstop (4) positioned relative to the body and configured to engage an end portion of the firearm casing or reloading tool to establish a selected protruding length of the firearm casing or reloading tool relative to the collet (See at least Col. 5 Lines 9-41); and wherein adjustment of the at least one independently adjustable backstop permits positioning of different firearm casings or reloading tools at a desired working position while the collet maintains the firearm casing or reloading tool in a secured condition during a reloading operation (See at least Col. 5 Lines 9-41).
Regarding claim 8, Martirossian further discloses wherein the at least one adjustable backstop includes a hardened tip configured to resist deformation during repeated contact with firearm casings (See Figures, clearly illustrated and understood).
Regarding claim 9, Martirossian further discloses wherein the collet comprises a double-angle collet (See at least Figure 2, clearly illustrated).
Regarding claim 10, Martirossian further discloses wherein the holder is configured to selectively retain either a firearm casing or a reloading tool (See at least Figure 2, clearly illustrated).
Regarding claim 11, Martirossian discloses a method of holding a firearm casing or reloading tool during a firearm ammunition reloading operation (See at least Figure 2, clearly illustrated) comprising: providing a hand-held casing and tool holder having a body (1’), a collet (25) supported by the body (See at least Figure 2, clearly illustrated), a locking head (26) associated with the collet (See at least Figure 2, clearly illustrated), and at least one adjustable backstop (4); adjusting the at least one adjustable backstop relative to the body to establish a selected working position of a firearm casing or reloading tool (See at least Col. 5 Lines 9-41); inserting the firearm casing or reloading tool into the collet (See at least Col. 5 Lines 9-41); operating the locking head to axially compress the collet and thereby radially clamp the firearm casing or reloading tool (See at least Col. 5 Lines 9-41); manually grasping the body while performing a reloading operation on the firearm casing or reloading tool (See at least Col. 5 Lines 9-41, the phrase “while performing a reloading operation on the firearm casing or reloading tool” is broad and could be considered to be a wide variety of operations such as trimming as ammunition casing with a blade); and releasing the locking head to remove the firearm casing or reloading tool from the holder (See at least Col. 5 Lines 9-41).
Regarding claim 12, Martirossian discloses an ergonomic casing and tool holder (See at least Figure 2, clearly illustrated) comprising: a generally elongated hand-held body (1’) having a gripping portion configured for manual manipulation by a user (See at least Col. 5 Lines 9-41); a collet (25) disposed within the body (See at least Figure 2, clearly illustrated) and including a plurality of resilient jaws configured to engage an outer surface of a firearm casing or reloading tool (See at least Col. 5 Lines 9-41); a locking head (26) threadedly coupled to the body and configured to move axially relative to the body to compress the collet jaws radially inwardly (See at least Col. 5 Lines 9-41); an adjustable positioning member (4) disposed within the body (See at least Figure 2, clearly illustrated) and configured to engage an end of the firearm casing or reloading tool to establish a selected axial position thereof (See at least Col. 5 Lines 9-41); and wherein the firearm casing or reloading tool extends outwardly from the body in a selected working position while being retained by the collet (See at least Figures 1a-2, clearly illustrated and at least Col. 5 Lines 9-41).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the claim(s) have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JONATHAN C WEBER whose telephone number is (571)270-5377. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8AM-5PM EST.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Troy Chambers can be reached at 571-272-6874. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/Jonathan C Weber/Primary Examiner,
Art Unit 3641
JONATHAN C. WEBER
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3641
Prosecution Insights