DETAILED ACTION
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on April 30, 2026 has been entered.
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 9-10 and 13-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Flynn et al. (2023/0097028) in view of Henn et al. (DE 39 41 277). Flynn teaches a glass manufacturing system comprising a glass forming system including glass forming machines arranged adjacent to one another, and each including blank molds having blank mold loading axes, and blow molds spaced apart from the blank molds ([0033], fig. 1). Flynn also teaches a molten glass handling system including a glass feeder to feed molten glass along a feeder axis offset from the blank mold loading axes ([0033], [0037] fig. 1), and a molten glass transport system to transport the molten glass to the blank molds of the glass forming machines, the molten glass transport system including cup sub-carriages, and a gantry having rails along which carriages may ride, wherein the carriages comprises the cup sub-carriages with sub-rails extending transversely with respect to the other rails and along which one or more sub-carriages may ride ([0045]). Naturally the rails and sub-rails would be spaced laterally apart from one another, the sub-rails establishing a cup transport path, and the rails establishing a rail path, wherein the cup sub-carriages extend laterally between the sub-rails and movable back and forth along the cup transport path between the feeder axis and one or more blank mold loading axes, the cup sub-carriages including one or more transport cups 32 for receiving molten glass from the feeder and dispensing the molten glass to the blank molds along the blank mold loading axes ([0038]-[0039],[0045], fig. 1). Flynn doesn’t specify the sub-rails are movable carried along the rail path. However, Flynn teaches the sub-rails extends transversely with respect to the other rails, and given the carriages ride on the rails and sub-carriages (of a carriage) ride on the sub-rails, then it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to have expected the sub-rails to be movably carried along the rail path transverse to the cup transport path. This is further supported by desired to translate the transport cup in transverse directions, such as the X and Z directions in figure 7 ([0053]).
As just discussed, the sub-carriage is movably carried on the sub-rails via a carriage, and the carriage is movably carried on the rails. Flynn mentions a gantry, but does not specify a frame, it is well known for rails to be supported on a frame. For example, Henn teaches a carriage 25 that is laterally extended between rails 26 that are spaced apart from one another, wherein the rails are carried by a fixed frame (see right under 26 in figure 6, last paragraph on page 4). Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to have further provided for a fixed frame for supporting the rails on which the sub-rails are movably carried, as frames are a common feature of a gantry system, and for providing support for the rails, as taught by Henn.
Regarding claim 10, Flynn discloses the carriages/sub-carriages are suspended from the rails/sub-rails, especially when the gantry is an overhead gantry ([0045], fig. 1).
Regarding claim 13, Flynn teaches an additional gantry, which suggests additional rails spaced laterally apart from one another, and establishing an additional cup transport path vertically adjacent to the cup transport path, and additional cup carriages extending laterally between the additional rails and movable back and forth along the additional cup transport path between the feeder axis and the blank mold loading axes ([0047]-[0048], fig. 5).
Regarding claim 14, Flynn teaches the rails extend beyond a lengthwise extend of the blank molds of the glass forming machines ([0046], figures 1 and 5) to establish at least one cup carriage parking station, where it receives a cup treatment ([0044])
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 15 is allowed.
Claims 11-12, 16-17, 19-31, and 33 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art a molten glass transport system comprising rails spaced laterally apart from one another to establish a cup transport path, a fixed frame, at least one actuator operatively coupled between the fixed frame and the rails for moving the rails along a rail path on the fixed frame, the rail path being transverse to the cup transport path, wherein cup carriages with transport cups are moved along the cup transport path between a glass feeder and a blank mold.
The prior art also fails to disclose a shield located between the glass feeder and blank mold, extending laterally between the rails. The prior art also fails to suggest cup carriages carried by rails, wherein the cup carriages comprises carriage carts spaced laterally apart and coupled to the rails, and carriage frames coupled and extending between the carriage carts and extending laterally between the rails.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, filed April 30, 2026, with respect to the rejection of claim 9 under Flynn have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Henn.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to QUEENIE S DEHGHAN whose telephone number is (571)272-8209. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:00-4:30.
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/QUEENIE S DEHGHAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1741
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