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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
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)(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.
Claims 1, 2, 4, 5, 9, 10 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by patent application publication number US 2023/0074805 A1 to Hall et al. (hereinafter referred to as Hall).
Regarding claims 1 and 2, Hall discloses a support bracket (components 203 – 207, Fig. 2) configured to be secured to a jack (jack 202), the jack including an extendable shaft (jack foot 203) that supports a front end (See Fig. 2) of a trailer frame (trailer frame 201), the support bracket comprising:
[Claim 1] a central web (saddle 205) having a first end (the upper horizontal portion of saddle 205, in Fig. 2) and a second end (holding bar 208, in Fig. 2);
a mounting flange (the opening in saddle 205 through which jack 202 extends, Fig. 2) connected to the first end of the central web, the mounting flange configured for securing the support bracket to the extendable shaft of the jack such that the central web projects outward from the extendable shaft (See Fig. 2); and
a support arm (hinge 206) that projects upwardly from the second end of the central web, the support arm extending in spaced relation from the extendable shaft of the jack to which the support bracket is secured (See Fig. 2), wherein the support arm is configured to support a hitch engaging assembly thereon (the weight of the compliant moment bars 209, which indirectly engages the coupling portion of the hitch, via holding bar 208, See Fig. 2); and
[Claim 2] further comprising means for securing the mounting flange (the opening in saddle 205 through which jack 202 extends, Fig. 2) to the extendable shaft (jack foot 203) of the jack (jack 202; the opening in the saddle itself is the means for securing).
Regarding claims 4 and 5, Hall discloses a support bracket (components 203 – 207, Fig. 2) configured to be secured to a jack (jack 202), the jack including an extendable shaft (jack foot 203) that supports a front end of a trailer frame (trailer frame 201, Fig. 2) to which a weight distributing hitch system (moment bars 209) is connected, the weight distributing hitch system including a hitch engaging assembly (having the hitch ball in Fig. 2) having a first prong and a second prong both extending forwardly from a fork base and having a gap extending therebetween, the support bracket (components 203 – 207, Fig. 2; having prongs like that of hitch head 602, in the embodiment shown in Fig. 6, through which two bolts extends) comprising:
[Claim 4] a central web (saddle 205) having a first end (the upper horizontal portion of saddle 208, in Fig. 2) and a second end (holding bar 208 in Fig. 2);
a mounting flange (the opening in saddle 205 through which jack 202 extends, Fig. 2) that projects from the first end of the central web, the mounting flange configured to be secured to the jack (jack 202); and
a support arm (hinge 206) projecting upwardly from the second end of the central web, wherein the support arm extends in spaced relation from the mounting flange at a spacing greater than a width of the fork base, and the support arm is configured to support the hitch engaging assembly thereon (the hinge 206 indirectly supports the portion having the hitch ball via the moment arms 209, in Fig. 2); and
[Claim 5] further comprising means for securing the mounting flange (the opening in saddle 205 through which jack 202 extends, Fig. 2) to the extendable shaft (jack foot 203) of the jack (jack 202; the opening in the saddle itself is the means for securing).
Regarding claims 9, 10 and 12, Hall discloses a support bracket assembly (components 203 - 207, Fig. 2) configured to be secured to a jack (jack 202), the jack including an extendable shaft (jack foot 203) for supporting a front end (See Fig. 2) of a trailer frame (trailer frame 201), the support bracket assembly comprising:
[Claim 9] a weight distributing hitch system (moment bars 209) connectable to the trailer, the weight distributing hitch system including:
a spring arm assembly (moment bars 209) that includes a first spring arm (left moment bar 209, Fig. 2) and a second spring arm (right moment bar 209, Fig. 2), the first spring arm and the second spring arm each having a first end (attached to the hitch on the right side in Fig. 2) and a second end (attached to the trailer frame on the left side in Fig. 2), and
a hitch engaging assembly (having the hitch ball in Fig. 2) secured to the first end of the first spring arm and to the first end of the second spring arm, the hitch engaging assembly having a fork base (the portion of the hitch holding the hitch ball and having two bolts in Fig. 2) with a first prong and a second prong extending forwardly therefrom, the first prong and the second prong having a gap extending therebetween (the prongs being like those of hitch head 602 having openings to receive bolts, in the embodiment shown in Fig. 6); and
a support bracket (components 203 – 207, Fig. 2) including:
a central web (saddle 205) having a first end (the upper horizontal portion of saddle 205, in Fig. 2) and a second end (holding bar 208), a mounting flange (the opening in saddle 205 through which jack 202 extends, Fig. 2) connected to and projecting from the first end (the flange around the opening in saddle 205, in Fig. 2) of the central web, the mounting flange configured for securing the support bracket to the extendable shaft (jack foot 203) of the jack such that the central web projects outward from the extendable shaft (the flange raised surrounding the opening on 205, Fig. 2), and a support arm (hinge 206) projecting upwardly from the second end of the central web, the support arm extending in spaced relation from the extendable shaft of the jack to which the support bracket is secured, the support arm extending in spaced relation from the mounting flange at a spacing greater than a width of the fork base (the portion of the hitch holding the hitch ball and having two bolts, like 602 in Fig. 6), and the support arm configured to support the hitch engaging assembly (the hinge indirectly supports the portion having the hitch ball via the moment arms 209, in Fig. 2) thereon;
[Claim 10] further comprising means for securing the mounting flange (the opening in saddle 205 through which jack 202 extends, Fig. 2) to the extendable shaft (jack foot 203) of the jack (jack 202; the opening in the saddle itself is the means for securing); and
[Claim 12] wherein the support arm (hinge 206) has a width greater than the gap between the first prong and the second prong (the first and second prongs being the left and right sides of hitch ball base having bolts, similar to the hitch head 602 of the embodiment of Fig. 6) of the hitch engaging assembly (having the hitch ball in Fig. 2).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 3 is allowed.
Claim and 6 – 8, 11, 13 and 14 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.
Regarding claim 3, Hall discloses the support bracket of Claim 1, but does not disclose the support bracket further comprises an engaging member extending from an upper end of the support arm, the engaging member having a width that is narrower than a width of the support arm such that a pair of shoulders is formed on the upper end of the support arm on opposite sides of the engaging member.
Regarding claim 6, Hall discloses the support bracket of Claim 4 but does not disclose the support bracket further comprises an engaging member that is configured to extend into the gap between the first prong and the second prong of the hitch engaging assembly of the weight distributing hitch system connected to the trailer frame.
Regarding claim 7, Hall discloses the support bracket of Claim 4, but does not disclose further wherein the support arm has a width greater than the gap between the first prong and the second prong of the hitch engaging assembly.
Regarding claim 8, Hall discloses the support bracket of Claim 4, but does not disclose wherein the support arm includes an engaging member extending from an upper end of the support arm and having a width that is narrower than the support arm such that first and second shoulders are formed on opposite sides of the engaging member on the upper end of the support arm, and the width of the engaging member is narrower than the gap between the first prong and the second prong of the hitch engaging assembly such that the first prong and the second prong of the hitch engaging assembly are supportable on the first and second shoulders of the support arm with the engaging member extending from the support arm into the gap formed between the first prong and the second prong.
Regarding claim 11, Hall does not disclose the support bracket assembly of Claim 9 further comprising an engaging member extending from the support arm, the engaging member extending into the gap between a first prong and a second prong of a hitch engaging assembly connected to the trailer frame.
Regarding claim 13, Hall discloses the support bracket assembly of Claim 9. Hall does not disclose the support arm includes an engaging member extending from an upper end of the support arm and having a width that is narrower than the support arm such that first and second shoulders are formed on opposite sides of the engaging member on the upper end of the support arm and the width of the engaging member is narrower than the gap between the first prong and the second prong of the hitch engaging assembly such that the first prong and the second prong of the hitch engaging assembly are supportable on the first and second shoulders of the support arm with the engaging member extending from the support arm into the gap formed between the first prong and the second prong. Claim 14 depends from claim 13, and therefore, is also allowed.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed August 19, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues “the Hall patent does not support the moment bar coupler 605, either directly or indirectly”. (Remarks, Page 10) However, the claims do not require this feature. Claim 1 requires “the support arm is configured to support a hitch engaging assembly thereon” (Claim 1, lines 10 – 11) Also, claim 9 requires “the support arm [[is]] configured to support the hitch engaging assembly thereon” (Claim 9, lines 24 – 25). In the first case of claim 1, Hall only needs to teach support of any “hitch engaging assembly”. Hall discloses hinge (206) that supports holding bar (208) which is connected to and supports compliant moment bars (209) which are connected to saddle (205); all part of a hitch engaging assembly. Therefore, Hall does disclose the support arm supporting a hitch engaging assembly. Hall does teach all of claim 1, including the support arm. Since, claim 9 does not require a direct connection of the support arm with the hitch engaging assembly, only that the hitch engaging assembly is support on the support arm, then Hall does disclose the indirect support of the hitch engaging assembly (205) via holding bar (208, Paragraph [0106]). That is, each component of Hall’s device is supporting the other components in order for the device to function properly. Therefore, Hall also discloses the support bracket assembly of claim 9.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Felicia L Brittman-Alabi whose telephone number is (313)446-6512. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 9-6.
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/Felicia L. Brittman-Alabi/ Examiner, Art Unit 3611
/VALENTIN NEACSU, Ph.D./ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3611
