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 .
Prior art of Record
The prior art made of record in this office action shall be referred to as follows;
U.S. 6,109,086 Gambrel et al. (‘Gambrel hereafter), Filed 06/24/1999;
U.S. 7,441,433 Ghiran et al. (‘Ghiran hereafter), App 11/622013 Filed 01/11/2007
U.S. 7,478,468 Stephen Kuschel (‘Kuschel hereafter), App 10/563755
U.S. 2009/0031655 Kennedy et al. (‘Kennedy hereafter), App 11/596708
U.S. 2007/0095010 Victor Amend (‘Amend hereafter), App 11/250470
U.S. 4,068,434 Day et al. (‘Day hereafter), Filed 04/05/1976;
The above references will be referred to hereafter by the names or numbers indicated above.
Claim status:
Claims 1 - 5 are currently being examined.
No Claims have been canceled.
No Claims are allowed or objected to for allowable subject matter.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
Item 121 and item 141, Spec Pg 5, ln 7, is not shown in the drawings.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claims 1 – 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 does not claim the punches to be the same or equal. It is unclear how the threads could be created in the burrs and continuously connected to each other unless the same scrapless burring punch was either the same or equal for the inner burr and the outer burr.
Conclusion
Examiner encourages Applicant to fill out and submit form PTO-SB-439 to allow internet communications in accordance with 37 CFR 1.33 (MPEP 02.03). Should the need arise to perfect applicant-proposed or examiner’s amendments, authorization for e-mail correspondence would have already been authorized and would save time.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LAWRENCE AVERICK whose telephone number is (571)270-7565. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00AM - 3:00PM M- F ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Thomas Hong can be reached at 571-272-0993. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/LAWRENCE AVERICK/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3799
01/13/2026
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