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 and 2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Hill III et al. as part of US 7198687 B2, hereinafter referred to as Hill.
Regarding Claim 1: Hill teaches of a work attachment for a work machine (Fig. 1, blades 14 of heavy equipment 10), comprising:
a moldboard comprising a plurality of moldboard apertures (Fig. 5, blade 46 comprising mounting holes 52),
and a plurality of moldboard fasteners extending from a bottom portion of a surface of the moldboard (Col. 3, line 28-30, fasteners 34 are inserted through mounting holes 52);
and a clamp bar comprising a first set of clamp bar apertures and a plurality of wedge structures on a surface of the clamp bar (Fig. 6, mounting plate 48 comprises a set of apertures matching mounting holes 52, and a plurality of wedge shaped runners 56),
wherein each moldboard fastener of the plurality of moldboard fasteners extends through a respective clamp bar aperture of the first set of clamp bar apertures to couple the clamp bar to the moldboard (Fig. 5-6, mounting holes 52 allow fasteners to pass through the mounting plate 40 and a portion of blade 46),
wherein, when the clamp bar is coupled to the moldboard, the clamp bar is configured to be slidable along a longitudinal axis of the moldboard to an open position and a closed position (Col. 3, line 20-32, the keyhole shaped openings of holes 52 comprise channel portions 55, which allow the bolts to slide laterally during attachment and removal).
Regarding Claim 2: Hill teaches of the apparatus described above in claim 1.
Hill further teaches wherein the clamp bar further comprises a second set of clamp bar apertures, the second set of clamp bar apertures having a different shape than the first set of clamp bar apertures (Col. 3, line 42-45, one of the mounting holes 52 may be arranged in a different direction of the rest of the mounting holes 52).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-10 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.
After a complete and thorough search of prior art, while examples were found in prior art of cutting edge attachments, removably secured to the moldboard and translatable relative to the moldboard, no such examples were found wherein the clamp bar coupled to the moldboard was capable of translating laterally long the longitudinal axis of the moldboard, and wherein a cutting edge was configured to be removably coupled to the moldboard through a set of moldboard apertures and a set clamp bar apertures. To modify existing references to satisfy the language of the claim would rely on an improper degree of hindsight reasoning to arrive at the claimed invention.
Claims 11-20 are allowable over prior art.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 11, while examples of clamp bars and attachment bars for use with moldboard assemblies are known in the art, such as Winter et al. as part of US 20120260537 A1, hereinafter referred to as Winter, comprising a clamp bar with a first aperture with an oblong shape, configured to receive a moldboard fastener, wherein a cutting edge is secured to the moldboard through a cutting edge fastener, no such examples were found wherein the clamp bar is capable of sliding in a longitudinal direction relative to the moldboard between an open and closed position, wherein a second clamp bar aperture comprised a first and second radius portion configured to receive a cutting edge fastener that passes through a moldboard aperture, further wherein a wedge structure of the clamp bar is configured to slide under the head portion of the cutting edge fastener when the clamp bar is slid into the closed position. To modify or combine existing references to satisfy the language of the claim would rely on an improper degree of hindsight reasoning to arrive at the claimed invention.
Regarding Claim 17, while examples of moldboard assemblies having a moldboard fastener for coupling a clamp bar to the moldboard, wherein the moldboard fastener extends from a bottom portion of a surface of the moldboard, and wherein the moldboard defines a moldboard aperture, the clamp bar coupled to the moldboard at the bottom portion, wherein the clamp bar has an oblong shaped clamp bar aperture surrounding the moldboard aperture when the clamp bar is coupled to the moldboard, and a wedge structure on a surface of the clamp bar, wherein the clamp bar is configured to be slidable along the longitudinal axis of the moldboard to an open position and a closed position are known in the art, such as those described by Hill as part of claim 1, no such assemblies were found that were capable or appropriate to be coupled to the frame or drawbar-circle moldboard assembly of a motor grader as required by the claim language. To modify or combine existing references to satisfy the language of the claim would rely on an improper degree of hindsight reasoning to arrive at the claimed invention.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Holman as part of US 20190276999 A1 teaches of a clamp bar for attaching a cutting edge to a moldboard, comprising clamp bar apertures configured to receive a fastener and attached to a bottom portion of the clamp bar engaging side of the moldboard, the clamp bar being slidable relative to the moldboard, wherein the clamp bar apertures are configured to receive a cutting edge fastener to secure a cutting edge to the moldboard.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EVAN ANTHONY BREGEL whose telephone number is (571)272-0922. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30-5:30 Eastern, M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christopher J Sebesta can be reached at (571)272-0547. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/EVAN A BREGEL/Examiner, Art Unit 3671
/CHRISTOPHER J SEBESTA/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3671