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 .
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Specification
The specification is objected to under 37 CFR 1.71 and MPEP 608.01 because paragraph [0035] identifies the illustrated surface-relief examples as pads 7B-7D, although that paragraph identifies pad 7D as flat and paragraph [0036] and Fig. 2A identify the patterned examples as pads 7A-7C. The inconsistent reference range should be corrected.
Suggested Correction: In the final sentence of paragraph [0035], replace "pads 7B-7D" with "pads 7A-7C".
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Claim Interpretation
Claim 12 recites alternative heater forms; the flat-sheet alternative does not also require a wire. Claim 14 requires the stated rear/front mirror-contour correspondence but does not exclude symmetric contours. Claim 17 is a standalone pad claim and does not incorporate claim 1; claim 19 is a standalone set claim without a rail-coupler-use limitation. Claim 20 compares the new pad's relief with the relief on the actual removed pad, without requiring a difference from that removed pad's original unworn relief. These interpretations are consistent with the pad, relief and heater embodiments in paragraphs [0018]-[0019], [0021], [0024] and [0035]-[0041].
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References Used
Reference 1 (Primary) - DE 10 2017 127 552 A1.
Reference 2 - US 5,174,457 A.
Reference 3 - US 6,848,486 B2.
Reference 4 - CN 103710639 A.
Reference 5 - EP 2 298 840 A1.
Reference 6 - US 6,524,681 B1.
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Claim Rejections - 35 U.S.C. 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.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Reference 1 in view of Reference 2.
Claim Text
(L1) A coupler face of a coupler head for a rail vehicle, (L2) comprising a plurality of contact surface segments (L3) which are distributed over the coupler face and elevated with respect to regions of the coupler face adjacent to the contact surface segments, (L4) wherein the plurality of contact surface segments is formed as a plurality of pads which are removably attached to the coupler face so as to be replaceable upon maintenance or repair services.
Analysis
(L1) Reference 1 teaches a rail-vehicle coupler head having front plate 10 and coupler head housing 11 ([0001], [0008]-[0010], [0030], and Fig. 1). (L2) Reference 1 teaches a plurality of contact surface segments 5 that form the face contact area ([0013]-[0017] and Figs. 1-2). (L3) The contact surface segments 5 are distributed over front plate 10, preferably in its four corner regions, and project above the adjacent regions containing open-edged recesses 3 ([0013]-[0018] and [0025]). (L4) Reference 1 does not expressly make the individual contact surface segments 5 removable. Reference 2 teaches removable wear pad 32 supported on platform 38 of holder-tray 30 and retained by removable holder plate 34; the pad can be removed, replaced or reversed during servicing while its support is retained (cols. 3-4 and Figs. 3-6). Providing each contact surface segment 5 as such a separately retained contact pad supplies the recited removable attachment and replacement capability. The proposed pads retain backing support and the spacing and elevation of Reference 1's contact regions; it is the individual contact member, rather than the entire front plate, that is released for replacement.
Motivation
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to form the contact surface segments 5 of Reference 1 as individual removable pads using the supported, releasably retained wear-pad construction of Reference 2, because Reference 2 teaches that releasing the contact member simplifies replacement without cutting away and rebuilding its permanent support (cols. 1-4). Applying that construction at Reference 1's separate load-contact regions permits local contact-member replacement while retaining front plate 10 and its snow-release spaces. Compression is transmitted through the supported pad into the plate; the retainers locate the pad rather than replacing the supporting plate as the compressive load path. This preserves the contact and snow-clearance functions of Reference 1 while obtaining the stated service benefit.
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Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Reference 1 in view of Reference 2 and Reference 3.
Claim Text
(L1) The coupler face according to claim 1, (L2) wherein the pads each comprise at least one hole which is adapted to cooperate with a screw in order to releasably connect the pads to the coupler face by means of screws.
Analysis
(L1) The claim 1 analysis is incorporated. (L2) References 1 and 2 do not expressly provide each removable pad with its own screw-cooperating hole. Reference 3 teaches wear plate 4 with threaded blind holes 13 and 20 in rear side 9, receiving screws/bolts inserted through knife disc 2 to releasably secure the plate (cols. 1-2 and 3-4; Figs. 2-4). Applying that individual-plate attachment to each proposed face pad supplies the claimed hole and screw connection. The holes 56 of Reference 2 are in the holder-tray and are not misidentified as pad holes.
Motivation
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to secure each removable contact pad by the individual-plate hole-and-screw attachment of Reference 3, because its rear fastening secures a replaceable wear member while leaving its exposed working surface uninterrupted. This is reasonably pertinent to retaining a service-removable contact member, and permits release for replacement while the pad remains backed by the face.
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Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Reference 1 in view of Reference 2 and Reference 3.
Claim Text
(L1) The coupler face according to claim 2, (L2) wherein the pads each comprise at least one threaded hole and the coupler face comprises corresponding through-holes through which screws can reach into the at least one threaded hole of the pads from a rear side of the pads in order to releasably connect the pads to the coupler face by screws.
Analysis
(L1) The claim 2 analysis is incorporated. (L2) Reference 3 places threaded blind holes 13 and 20 in rear side 9 of each wear plate 4 and passes the fastening bolts through the body of supporting knife disc 2 into those holes (cols. 1-2 and 3-4; Figs. 2-4). In the proposed coupler-face construction, the face is the supporting member through which the screws pass from behind into the pad threads. The arrangement satisfies the corresponding face through-holes and rear insertion direction; it does not rely on Reference 1's whole-plate screw openings 12 as pad threads.
Motivation
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to use the rear-inserted threaded connection of Reference 3 for each proposed pad, because the front contact surface remains continuous while the screws can be released from the rear for pad servicing. Supporting the pad on the face retains the disclosed compressive support independently of the screw-head location.
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Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Reference 1 in view of Reference 2.
Claim Text
(L1) The coupler face according to claim 1, (L2) wherein the pads are each arranged in one or more recesses provided in the coupler face.
Analysis
(L1) The claim 1 analysis is incorporated. (L2) Reference 2 teaches pad 32 fitted within the seat of holder-tray 30 on platform 38, bounded by lateral edges 40, rearward edge 42 and holder plate 34; the pad projects above the surrounding edges (cols. 3-4 and Figs. 3-4). The tray may be made as one integral steel piece with the platform machined out. Forming that receiving seat at each proposed pad location in the face provides the claimed recess. Reference 1's open-edged recess 3 between contact regions is not asserted to be this under-pad seat.
Motivation
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to form a receiving seat for each proposed pad using Reference 2's machined tray-seat construction, because its surrounding edges locate the removable pad while the platform supports it and its top remains exposed for contact. Machining the seat into the supporting face produces that same locating and supporting arrangement.
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Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Reference 1 in view of Reference 2.
Claim Text
(L1) The coupler face according to claim 4, (L2) wherein an inward-facing wall of the one or more recesses and at least a portion of a circumferential surface of each of the pads are designed with respect to each other so that the pads are centered relative to the coupler face when placed in the one or more recesses.
Analysis
(L1) The claim 4 analysis is incorporated. (L2) Reference 2 dimensions pad 32 to fit snugly on platform 38 between lateral edges 40, preventing lateral movement; a mitered edge 46 meets beveled portion 44 of rearward edge 42 and the opposite edge is retained by holder plate 34 (cols. 3-4 and Figs. 3-4). These inward-facing seat surfaces cooperate with the pad periphery to locate the pad within the seat. Applied at the proposed face recesses, that cooperation centers each pad relative to its assigned face location. The claim does not require a circular pad or a continuous wall around its entire perimeter.
Motivation
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to match the recess walls to the pad periphery as taught by Reference 2, because the snug lateral fit and mating edge surfaces locate the pad reproducibly and resist displacement while allowing removal upon release of its retainer.
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Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Reference 1 in view of Reference 2.
Claim Text
(L1) The coupler face according to claim 1, (L2) wherein the pads are made of non-hardened steel, an alloy, a cemented carbide material or a plastic material.
Analysis
(L1) The claim 1 analysis is incorporated. (L2) Reference 2 expressly permits removable wear pad 32 to be made from a nylon-and-graphite material or a hard alloy such as manganese (cols. 3-4). These satisfy the plastic-material or alloy alternatives. The claim is disjunctive; this ground does not require a showing of all four listed materials.
Motivation
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to make the removable face pads from Reference 2's hard-alloy wear-pad material, because the reference identifies it as an alternative durable contact-pad material for the rail-coupler environment. Selection of the alloy alternative retains a load-bearing contact member while enabling replacement as already explained for claim 1.
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Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Reference 1 in view of Reference 2 and Reference 4.
Claim Text
(L1) The coupler face according to claim 6, (L2) wherein the pads are made of a material having a yield strength of at least 600 MPa.
Analysis
(L1) The claim 6 analysis is incorporated. (L2) Reference 4 teaches a railway steel alloy having a yield strength of 690 MPa after the disclosed processing (original description [0015] and Table 4). This exceeds the claimed 600 MPa threshold. The material is applied to the alloy alternative of claim 6; it is not asserted to be non-hardened steel. Reference 1 identifies compressive load transmission through the face contact segments ([0014]-[0015]), providing the relevant strength requirement.
Motivation
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to select the high-yield railway steel alloy taught by Reference 4 for the proposed alloy pads, because the compressively loaded contact regions of Reference 1 require resistance to permanent deformation. The expressly reported 690 MPa yield strength supplies that property using a known railway structural material, with the pad attachment remaining serviceable.
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Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Reference 1 in view of Reference 2 and Reference 5.
Claim Text
(L1) The coupler face according to claim 1 (L2) wherein the pads are coated with a hydrophobic material.
Analysis
(L1) The claim 1 analysis is incorporated. (L2) Reference 5 teaches coating exposed metallic substrates to restrict ice accumulation ([0001]-[0002]) and identifies hydrophobic polymers, including polyethylene and polytetrafluoroethylene, as suitable coating materials ([0024]). It also contemplates use with conventional deicing systems ([0029]). Coating each proposed metal contact pad supplies the recited hydrophobic material. The coating has no assigned reference numeral in this publication.
Motivation
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to coat the exposed contact pads with Reference 5's hydrophobic material, because reducing water adhesion and ice accumulation directly addresses the coupling obstruction identified in Reference 1 ([0002]-[0003]). The teaching concerns the metal/ice interface and is reasonably pertinent despite the aerospace examples; the coating supplements the retained snow-release geometry.
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Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Reference 1 in view of Reference 2 and Reference 6.
Claim Text
(L1) The coupler face according to claim 1, (L2) wherein the pads each have a surface relief.
Analysis
(L1) The claim 1 analysis is incorporated. (L2) Reference 6 teaches patterned friction surface 18 comprising projecting friction composites 20, with intervening valleys and groove sets a, b and c (cols. 5-8 and Figs. 1-3). It explains that the profile determines contact area and that wear changes that area and the associated load per area (cols. 7-8). Providing such a defined profile on each proposed contact pad supplies a surface relief. Its geometry teaching is applied to the working pad surface; the rail coupling is not converted into a torque-transmitting clutch.
Motivation
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to provide the working surfaces of the removable pads with the defined relief of Reference 6, because that reference teaches controlling the contact area and accommodating fluid in the spaces between loaded contact regions (cols. 5-8). Those surface functions are pertinent to the exposed, potentially wet contact regions and restricted contact area of Reference 1 ([0002], [0013]-[0015]). The proposed modification retains the required supporting contact area and uses the relief to define local engagement and liquid spaces; it does not depend on an assertion that Reference 6 discloses pressure-induced ice melting.
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Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Reference 1 in view of Reference 2 and Reference 6.
Claim Text
(L1) The coupler face according to claim 9, (L2) wherein the surface relief comprises one or more of: a pattern of erected polyhedrons, a pattern of pyramids or truncated pyramids, and a pattern of grooves which are arranged in parallel to one another.
Analysis
(L1) The claim 9 analysis is incorporated. (L2) Reference 6 depicts pyramidal composites 20 and truncated pyramidal composites 20-prime (Figs. 1-3; cols. 5-8). Its surface 18 also includes three crossing sets a, b and c, each consisting of parallel grooves (Fig. 3; cols. 5-6). The parallel-groove alternative alone meets the recited disjunctive pattern limitation; the pyramidal embodiments additionally illustrate the stated relief options.
Motivation
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to use the parallel-groove profile of Reference 6 on the proposed pads, because the grooves define reproducible separated contact regions and connected liquid spaces within a loaded contact surface. This implements the contact-area and fluid-accommodation rationale stated for claim 9 with an expressly disclosed geometry.
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Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Reference 1 in view of Reference 2.
Claim Text
(L1) The coupler face of claim 1, (L2) wherein the pads are elevated with respect to regions of the coupler face adjacent to the pads by between 4 mm and 6 mm.
Analysis
(L1) The claim 1 analysis is incorporated. (L2) Reference 1 teaches that the contact surface segments project at least 2.5 mm, in particular at least 5 mm, above adjacent regions ([0027]). Selecting the expressly identified 5 mm elevation lies within 4-6 mm. The elevation is retained when those segments are formed as the removable pads of the claim-1 combination.
Motivation
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to retain a 5 mm pad elevation from Reference 1, because that disclosed elevation provides the snow-receiving clearance around the contact regions while preserving their contact plane. It falls directly within the claimed interval without deriving any dimension from an unscaled figure.
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Claim 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Reference 1 in view of Reference 2.
Claim Text
(L1) The coupler face of claim 1, (L2) wherein at least two pads of the plurality of pads have a shape mirroring each other, such that the contour of one of the two pads as seen from a rear side thereof corresponds to the contour of the respective other one of the two pads as seen from a front side thereof.
Analysis
(L1) The claim 1 analysis is incorporated. (L2) Reference 1 provides multiple contact locations around its central coupling elements ([0016]-[0017]). Reference 2 discloses pad 32 with corresponding front and back mitered edges 46, perpendicular ends 48 and the symmetrical plan contour shown in Fig. 6 (cols. 3-4). Using two such corresponding symmetric pad contours at two face locations gives a rear-view contour of one corresponding to the front-view contour of the other. The claim does not require the contours to be asymmetric. The modification is not based merely on the deleted identical-shape alternative or an assertion that Reference 1 expressly labels a mirror pair.
Motivation
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to use a pair of the symmetric removable-pad contours taught by Reference 2 at corresponding contact locations of Reference 1, because a common reversible contour simplifies fitting and replacement while the contact locations remain distributed around the coupling elements. The front/rear contour correspondence follows from that specified symmetric contour, rather than from identity of arbitrary asymmetric shapes.
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Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Reference 1 in view of Reference 2.
Claim Text
(L1) A front plate for a coupler head comprising a coupler face (L2) comprising a plurality of contact surface segments (L3) which are distributed over the coupler face and elevated with respect to regions of the coupler face adjacent to the contact surface segments, (L4) wherein the plurality of contact surface segments is formed as a plurality of pads which are removably attached to the coupler face so as to be replaceable upon maintenance or repair services.
Analysis
(L1) Reference 1 teaches a front plate for a rail-vehicle coupler head, namely front plate 10 and coupler head housing 11 ([0001], [0008]-[0010], [0030], and Fig. 1). (L2) Reference 1 teaches a plurality of contact surface segments 5 that form the face contact area ([0013]-[0017] and Figs. 1-2). (L3) The contact surface segments 5 are distributed over front plate 10, preferably in its four corner regions, and project above the adjacent regions containing open-edged recesses 3 ([0013]-[0018] and [0025]). (L4) Reference 1 does not expressly make the individual contact surface segments 5 removable. Reference 2 teaches removable wear pad 32 supported on platform 38 of holder-tray 30 and retained by removable holder plate 34; the pad can be removed, replaced or reversed during servicing while its support is retained (cols. 3-4 and Figs. 3-6). Providing each contact surface segment 5 as such a separately retained contact pad supplies the recited removable attachment and replacement capability. The proposed pads retain backing support and the spacing and elevation of Reference 1's contact regions; it is the individual contact member, rather than the entire front plate, that is released for replacement.
Motivation
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to form the contact surface segments 5 of Reference 1 as individual removable pads using the supported, releasably retained wear-pad construction of Reference 2, because Reference 2 teaches that releasing the contact member simplifies replacement without cutting away and rebuilding its permanent support (cols. 1-4). Applying that construction at Reference 1's separate load-contact regions permits local contact-member replacement while retaining front plate 10 and its snow-release spaces. Compression is transmitted through the supported pad into the plate; the retainers locate the pad rather than replacing the supporting plate as the compressive load path. This preserves the contact and snow-clearance functions of Reference 1 while obtaining the stated service benefit.
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Claim 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Reference 1 in view of Reference 2.
Claim Text
(L1) A coupler head having a coupler face, or a front plate having a coupler face, (L2) comprising a plurality of contact surface segments (L3) which are distributed over the coupler face and elevated with respect to regions of the coupler face adjacent to the contact surface segments, (L4) wherein the plurality of contact surface segments is formed as a plurality of pads which are removably attached to the coupler face so as to be replaceable upon maintenance or repair services, (L5) the coupler head comprising a coupling profile comprising a cone and a cup which allows the cone of the coupler head to be guided into and centered in the cup of an identical opposing coupler head during a coupling process, thereby aligning the two coupler heads.
Analysis
(L1) Reference 1 teaches a rail-vehicle coupler head having front plate 10 and coupler head housing 11 ([0001], [0008]-[0010], [0030], and Fig. 1). (L2) Reference 1 teaches a plurality of contact surface segments 5 that form the face contact area ([0013]-[0017] and Figs. 1-2). (L3) The contact surface segments 5 are distributed over front plate 10, preferably in its four corner regions, and project above the adjacent regions containing open-edged recesses 3 ([0013]-[0018] and [0025]). (L4) Reference 1 does not expressly make the individual contact surface segments 5 removable. Reference 2 teaches removable wear pad 32 supported on platform 38 of holder-tray 30 and retained by removable holder plate 34; the pad can be removed, replaced or reversed during servicing while its support is retained (cols. 3-4 and Figs. 3-6). Providing each contact surface segment 5 as such a separately retained contact pad supplies the recited removable attachment and replacement capability. The proposed pads retain backing support and the spacing and elevation of Reference 1's contact regions; it is the individual contact member, rather than the entire front plate, that is released for replacement. (L5) Reference 1 teaches coupling projection 1 formed as a cone and coupling opening 6 formed to receive a corresponding cone of the compatible opposing head. The opposing cone enters the opening/funnel to guide and center the coupled heads ([0008]-[0009], [0043], and Figs. 1-2). Repeating this cone-and-opening profile on the opposing head provides the recited identical opposing-head relationship.
Motivation
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to form the contact surface segments 5 of Reference 1 as individual removable pads using the supported, releasably retained wear-pad construction of Reference 2, because Reference 2 teaches that releasing the contact member simplifies replacement without cutting away and rebuilding its permanent support (cols. 1-4). Applying that construction at Reference 1's separate load-contact regions permits local contact-member replacement while retaining front plate 10 and its snow-release spaces. Compression is transmitted through the supported pad into the plate; the retainers locate the pad rather than replacing the supporting plate as the compressive load path. This preserves the contact and snow-clearance functions of Reference 1 while obtaining the stated service benefit. The cone 1 and opening 6 retain their disclosed positioning and guiding functions; replacing the separate contact regions does not require changing those coupling elements.
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Claim 17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Reference 1 in view of Reference 2 and Reference 3.
Claim Text
(L1) A pad for a coupler face of a coupler head for a rail vehicle (L2) comprising at least one threaded hole, (L3) wherein the threaded hole is a blind hole on a rear side of the pad.
Analysis
(L1) Reference 3 teaches a replaceable wear plate 4, a load-contact member supported on rear side 9 (cols. 1-4 and Figs. 1-4). It does not expressly identify that plate as a rail-coupler-face pad. Reference 1 teaches the rail-coupler contact locations and Reference 2 teaches replaceable pads for rail-coupler contact service. Adapting the plate's supported fastening construction to those face-contact locations supplies a pad constructed for the claimed rail use, not an assertion that an unmodified chipper plate is already the claimed coupler pad. (L2) Reference 3 provides threaded holes 13 and 20 for mounting plate 4 to its support (cols. 1-2 and 3-4; Figs. 2-4). (L3) The same holes 13 and 20 are expressly blind holes opening on rear side 9. They preserve the front working surface while receiving rear-inserted fasteners.
Motivation
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to adapt the supported wear-plate fastening of Reference 3 to the rail-coupler contact-pad use taught by References 1 and 2, because the rear blind threads permit individual replacement without exposing fastener heads on the working contact face. Reference 3 is reasonably pertinent to the mechanical problem of retaining and servicing a loaded wear member. Providing the pad footprint for the face location changes its use and dimensions while retaining that disclosed fastening and backing-support arrangement.
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Claim 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Reference 1 in view of Reference 2, Reference 3 and Reference 6.
Claim Text
(L1) The pad according to claim 17, (L2) wherein the pad has a surface relief, wherein the surface relief comprises one or both of: a pattern of one or more of erected polyhedrons, pyramids or truncated pyramids, and a pattern of grooves which are arranged in parallel to one another.
Analysis
(L1) The claim 17 analysis is incorporated. (L2) Reference 6 teaches patterned contact surface 18 with parallel groove sets a, b and c and pyramidal or truncated pyramidal composites 20/20-prime (cols. 5-8 and Figs. 1-3). Providing the rail-face pad of claim 17 with the parallel-groove profile supplies the recited alternative. The rear blind-hole attachment remains that of Reference 3 and is not replaced by a clutch backing attachment.
Motivation
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to provide the working surface of the claim-17 pad with Reference 6's parallel-groove relief, because its defined contact regions and liquid spaces control local loaded engagement in the same manner explained for claims 9 and 10. The surface-profile teaching is combined with the supported rear-threaded pad; torque-transmission hardware is not transferred to the rail coupler.
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Claim 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Reference 1 in view of Reference 2 and Reference 3.
Claim Text
(L1) A set of pads, (L2) wherein each of the pads comprises at least one threaded hole, (L3) wherein the threaded hole is a blind hole on a rear side of the pad, (L4) wherein at least two pads of the set of pads are identical in shape.
Analysis
(L1) Reference 1 teaches plural separated contact locations 5 on a rail-coupler face, Reference 2 teaches removable railroad wear pads 32, and Reference 3 teaches a plurality of wear plates 4 mounted around supporting knife disc 2 (Reference 1 at [0013]-[0017]; Reference 2 at cols. 3-4; Reference 3 at cols. 1-4 and Fig. 1). Claim 19 does not restrict the set to rail-coupler use. (L2) Reference 3 provides the individual plates with threaded holes 13 and 20 for mounting screws (cols. 1-2 and 3-4; Figs. 2-4). (L3) Holes 13 and 20 are expressly blind holes in rear side 9 of plate 4 (cols. 1-2 and 3-4). (L4) Reference 3 uses repeated sector-shaped plates and teaches interchangeability of new and reconditioned plates having restored original dimensions, avoiding separate inventories (cols. 1-4 and Figs. 1-4). In the plural replaceable-pad system taught by References 1 and 2, using at least two pads with that same nominal replacement shape supplies the claimed identical-shape set. Exact identity of two particular illustrated plates is not asserted as an express anticipatory statement.
Motivation
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to supply the plural replaceable pads suggested by References 1 and 2 as a set using Reference 3's rear blind-hole fastening and to make at least two pads identical in nominal shape, because Reference 3's stated interchangeability and inventory benefit is obtained by supplying the same replacement shape for repeated mounting positions. This maintains the prior-action combination and standardization rationale; it does not rely on an assertion that Reference 3 alone expressly anticipates the set.
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Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Reference 1 in view of Reference 2 and Reference 6.
Claim Text
(L1) A method of maintaining or repairing a coupler head of a rail vehicle, the coupler head having at least one of a coupler face, or a front plate having a coupler face, (L2) comprising a plurality of contact surface segments (L3) which are distributed over the coupler face and elevated with respect to regions of the coupler face adjacent to the contact surface segments, (L4) wherein the plurality of contact surface segments are formed as a plurality of pads which are removably attached to the coupler face so as to be replaceable upon maintenance or repair services, (L5) the method comprising the steps of removing one or more of the plurality of pads from the coupler face and replacing the removed one or more pads by attaching respective new pads or reattaching the removed one or more pads, (L6) wherein the method comprises the step of selecting a pad as the new pad which has a different surface relief than the removed pad that the new pad replaces.
Analysis
(L1) Reference 1 teaches the rail-vehicle coupler head and front plate 10 carrying its coupler face ([0001], [0008]-[0010], and Fig. 1). (L2) Reference 1 teaches plural contact surface segments 5 ([0013]-[0017]). (L3) Those segments are distributed over the front plate and raised relative to adjacent face regions ([0013]-[0018] and Figs. 1-2). (L4) Reference 1 does not expressly make the individual contact surface segments 5 removable. Reference 2 teaches removable wear pad 32 supported on platform 38 of holder-tray 30 and retained by removable holder plate 34; the pad can be removed, replaced or reversed during servicing while its support is retained (cols. 3-4 and Figs. 3-6). Providing each contact surface segment 5 as such a separately retained contact pad supplies the recited removable attachment and replacement capability. The proposed pads retain backing support and the spacing and elevation of Reference 1's contact regions; it is the individual contact member, rather than the entire front plate, that is released for replacement. (L5) Reference 2 expressly removes worn pad 32 and installs a new pad, or reverses the removed pad, after releasing holder plate 34 (cols. 3-4). Applied individually to the proposed face pads, removing and replacing one pad supplies removal of one or more and attachment of the respective new pad. The replacement branch is applied; removing every pad is not required. (L6) References 1 and 2 do not expressly select a new pad having relief different from the actual removed pad. Reference 6 teaches defined relief profiles 20/20-prime and that use increases their contact cross-sectional area, reducing load per area and changing wear behavior (cols. 7-8 and Figs. 1-2). For a proposed pad having that relief, selecting a new pad with the unworn profile when the removed pad's relief has worn restores a different relief from the profile actually present on that removed pad. This is a deliberate replacement selection based on the disclosed profile/wear relationship, not merely a statement that a supplier could offer different textures. The claim does not require selecting a pattern different from the removed pad's original, unworn pattern.
Motivation
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to form the contact surface segments 5 of Reference 1 as individual removable pads using the supported, releasably retained wear-pad construction of Reference 2, because Reference 2 teaches that releasing the contact member simplifies replacement without cutting away and rebuilding its permanent support (cols. 1-4). Applying that construction at Reference 1's separate load-contact regions permits local contact-member replacement while retaining front plate 10 and its snow-release spaces. Compression is transmitted through the supported pad into the plate; the retainers locate the pad rather than replacing the supporting plate as the compressive load path. This preserves the contact and snow-clearance functions of Reference 1 while obtaining the stated service benefit. For the relief selection, use Reference 6's defined surface profile and select a replacement restoring its unworn relief after the removed pad's relief has worn, because Reference 6 explains that wear changes contact area and load per area. Restoring the selected initial profile restores the intended local contact geometry and liquid spaces. The new pad's relief thereby differs from the actual worn relief of the pad it replaces, satisfying the amended comparison without treating ordinary removal alone as the selection step.
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Claim 22 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Reference 1 in view of Reference 2.
Claim Text
(L1) The coupler face of claim 1, (L2) wherein at least two pads of the plurality of pads are identical in shape.
Analysis
(L1) The claim 1 analysis is incorporated. (L2) Reference 1 provides multiple contact locations ([0016]-[0017]). Reference 2 teaches replaceable pad 32 with a defined, repeatable contour (cols. 3-4 and Fig. 6). Making at least two of the proposed pads to that same contour supplies identical shapes. This added feature does not require every face pad to be identical or erase the distributed and elevated contact arrangement inherited from claim 1.
Motivation
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to use at least two pads with the same shape at compatible contact locations, because the repeatable pad contour of Reference 2 permits common replacement stock and repeatable seating. Reference 1 allows contact size and geometry to be selected for the face arrangement ([0015]-[0017]); repeating a suitable contour does not alter the stated coupling functions.
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Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 11, 12, and 21 are objected to as being dependent upon rejected base claims, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claims and any intervening claims.
As allowable subject matter has been indicated, applicant's reply must either comply with all formal requirements or specifically traverse each requirement not complied with. See 37 CFR 1.111(b) and MPEP § 707.07(a).
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: For claims 11 and 12, the prior-action combination does not establish a separate heating element for each removable pad or the claimed flat-sheet or fitted-wire alternatives beneath each such pad. EP 1 805 073 B1 heats a detachable whole faceplate, and US 7,038,169 B2 uses rigid heater cartridges in coupler-head recesses; neither cures the individual-pad relationship missing from the maintained References 1 and 2 combination. CN 105821721 A likewise does not disclose the claimed relationship. It embeds three heating belts 6 in a longitudinal groove 9 in each turnout sliding bed plate 4, caps and seals the groove, and replaces the original structural bed plate with that integral heated plate. The bed plate is not a removable contact pad attached to a common coupler face, and the reference does not teach providing each such removable contact pad with its own heater. For claim 12, the disclosed heater is a belt or tape, while the separately disclosed thin steel sheet merely caps the groove and is not a heating element. Power lead 10 is not a heater wire positioned in a correspondingly sized depression on a coupler face or on the rear of a removable pad. Transferring the sealed, integral bed-plate construction would require redesigning the removable pad, its rear support and fastening, and its cable routing; the record does not identify a reason to make that redesign while preserving the claimed individually replaceable contact pads.
For claim 21, the art does not establish the complete claim-20 relief-changing maintenance procedure together with positioning a heater wire underneath the new or reattached pad in a correspondingly sized depression of the face and/or pad rear. EP 1 805 073 B1 provides generic heating elements beneath a detachable whole faceplate, and US 7,038,169 B2 provides rigid heater cartridges rather than the claimed wire. EP 0 160 536 A2 places wire in a fitted plastic-pad groove, but its melt-in retention and subsequent permanent-fusion operation provide no identified reason to adopt that installation process in the claimed service-removable coupler-pad procedure. The distinction rests on the specified service procedure and heater/pad relationship, not on an assertion that a wire in a groove alone is new.
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Response to Arguments
Applicant argues that the amended mirror-contour language of claim 14 and the actual-replaced-pad comparison of claim 20 resolve the prior indefiniteness, with the resulting cure carrying through claim 21 (Remarks filed July 1, 2026, pp. 6-7). The argument is persuasive. The prior rejections of claims 14, 20 and 21 under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) are withdrawn. New claim 22 separates the identical-shape alternative without new matter.
Applicant argues that Reference 1 has integral contact segments and that Reference 2 has an internal carrier pad, not removable contact pads on a coupler front face (Remarks, pp. 7-9). Those factual distinctions are acknowledged. The rejection is a combination: Reference 1 supplies the face geometry and contact locations; Reference 2 supplies a separately retained, supported contact member whose removal simplifies servicing (cols. 1-4). Applying that construction at each discrete face-contact location yields the recited removable pads. Neither the whole-plate screw openings 12 of Reference 1 nor the location of pad 32 in Reference 2 is misidentified. The specific service modification and resulting support arrangement are set out for claim 1.
Applicant argues that Reference 1 does not identify a wear problem and that a carrier pad undergoing sliding cannot establish suitability for a face transmitting compression of 2000 kN (Remarks, pp. 9-10). The rejection does not attribute an express wear statement to Reference 1 or transfer a particular nylon carrier pad unchanged. Reference 1 identifies localized compressive contact regions ([0014]-[0015]); Reference 2 teaches contact-member replacement and permits hard-alloy pads, as well as describing pad support and loading by the coupler (cols. 3-4). The proposed contact pads remain backed by front plate 10 and preserve the required contact area. The claim does not require a 2000 kN rating. The expected serviceability benefit follows from separating the replaceable contact member from its retained support; it does not depend on equating the two components' exact service forces.
Applicant argues that extra joints could loosen or misalign and that the modification would change the principle of operation under In re Ratti (Remarks, pp. 10-11). The proposed modification preserves the raised contact locations, backing support and snow-release spaces of Reference 1. Its operating principle remains compression transfer at separated elevated contacts with adjacent space for displaced snow. The supported seat and retainer of Reference 2 locate the contact member while allowing release for service (cols. 3-4); a freely moving or unsupported pad is not proposed. Considering retention and load support addresses the identified engineering issue and does not require changing the coupling cone/cup or the snow-release principle.
Applicant argues that the entire front plate is already removable, that remachining or hardfacing could repair it, and that the proposed combination uses hindsight (Remarks, pp. 11-12). Reference 1's whole-plate removability does not provide individual contact-member replacement. Reference 2 expressly identifies reduced replacement work from retaining the support and releasing its wear member (cols. 1-4). That stated service benefit supplies the reason for the proposed local-pad construction independently of applicant's disclosure. Remachining or replacing the whole plate remains an alternative but does not eliminate the benefit of replacing only the serviced contact member. The ground specifies both the modification and the preserved functions, rather than relying on the bare availability of components.
Applicant argues that Reference 6 is nonanalogous clutch friction art and does not address pressure-induced ice melting, and that amended claim 20 requires selecting relief different from the pad actually replaced (Remarks, pp. 12-13). Reference 6 is not relied upon for pressure-induced ice melting or for a literal coupler maintenance disclosure. It is reasonably pertinent to selecting the geometry of a loaded wet contact surface: it discloses contact profiles, intervening liquid spaces and the change in contact area and load per area with wear (cols. 5-8). Those surface functions are relevant to the exposed, reduced-area contact regions of Reference 1. For claim 20, the ground specifically selects a new unworn relief to replace the actual worn relief of the removed pad, restoring the chosen contact profile. The amended language compares with the removed pad, not with that pad's original unworn profile; ordinary removal alone has not been treated as meeting the selection limitation.
Applicant argues that Reference 3 is nonanalogous wood-chipper art, that its machining strips are welded and not removable pads, and that claims 17 and 19 depend on the failed face combination (Remarks, pp. 13-14). Reference 3 expressly attaches complete wear plate 4 by bolts entering rear blind holes 13 and 20 through supporting disc 2 (cols. 1-2 and 3-4; Figs. 2-4). The welded machining allowance strips 16 and 17 are different parts used in reconditioning that removable plate. The protected rear-threaded attachment and supported replacement member are reasonably pertinent to fastening a serviceable working pad. Claims 17 and 19 are independent. The claim-17 ground separately supplies rail-face suitability through References 1 and 2; claim 19 has no rail-use limitation and is addressed directly over Reference 3's repeated interchangeable plate set.
Applicant argues that claims 2-6, 8 and 11-13 are allowable through their dependency and that the strength and coating references cannot cure the base-claim deficiency (Remarks, p. 14). The base combination remains for the reasons given above. Each added limitation is separately addressed: Reference 3 supplies individual-pad rear fastening; Reference 2 supplies the seat, locating fit and material alternatives; Reference 4 supplies the identified yield strength; Reference 5 supplies the hydrophobic coating; and Reference 1 supplies the 5 mm elevation. No secondary reference is asserted to replace the reason for combining References 1 and 2.
Applicant separately argues that claims 9, 10 and 18 are allowable because Reference 6 is nonanalogous (Remarks, p. 14). The pertinent contact-surface problem and limited use of Reference 6 are explained above and in the claim-specific motivations. Groove sets a, b and c and profiles 20/20-prime are actually disclosed (cols. 5-8; Figs. 1-3). The grounds preserve the pad attachment and supporting structure while applying that surface geometry; they do not substitute a clutch assembly for a rail coupler.
Applicant argues that the prior coupler-heater references cannot supply the missing removable-pad combination (Remarks, p. 14). Persuasive. The prior 103 grounds for claims 11 and 12 involving EP 1 805 073 B1 and US 7,038,169 B2 are withdrawn because those references do not supply the individual-pad heater relationship. CN 105821721 A also does not supply that relationship or claim 12's heater-form limitations for the reasons stated under Allowable Subject Matter. Claims 11 and 12 are indicated as allowable subject matter. The prior 103 ground for claim 21 is also withdrawn because the complete claimed wire-placement service procedure is not established; claim 21 remains allowable subject matter.
Applicant requests allowance of all claims (Remarks, p. 15). The request is not persuasive for claims 1-10, 13-20 and 22 for the specific grounds and responses above. Claims 11, 12 and 21 contain allowable subject matter as stated. The reply provides legal and engineering argument but no declaration or separate objective-indicia evidence; the arguments have been addressed substantively, without treating the absence of such evidence as a substitute for the required reason to combine.
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Finality
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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.
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Conclusion
Claims 1-22 are pending. Claims 1-10, 13-20 and 22 are rejected. Claims 11, 12 and 21 are objected to as dependent upon rejected base claims and contain allowable subject matter. The specification objection stated above remains to be addressed.
The rejections of claims 14, 20 and 21 under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) in the April 1, 2026 Office action are withdrawn because the July 1 amendment resolves the identified ambiguities.
The previous 35 U.S.C. 103 grounds for claims 11 and 12 are withdrawn because the prior-action references do not establish the individual-pad heater limitations. CN 105821721 A does not establish those limitations or claim 12's heater forms for the reasons stated above. The previous 35 U.S.C. 103 ground for claim 21 is withdrawn for the wire-placement deficiency explained above.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
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Art Considered but Not Applied
CN 105821721 A discloses three electric heating belts embedded in a sealed groove in each railway turnout sliding bed plate. It does not disclose a separately heated removable contact pad attached to a common coupler face, a heating element disclosed as a flat sheet, or a heater wire fitted in a corresponding coupler-face or pad-rear depression as recited in claims 11 and 12.
US 7,038,169 B2 discloses rigid high-performance heater cartridges in coordinated coupler-head recesses. A cartridge is not identified as the claimed fitted wire, and the front covering is not the claimed replaceable contact-pad arrangement.
EP 0 160 536 A2 discloses placing a wire in a sized groove of a thermoplastic fusion pad and melting groove material to retain it. The disclosed installation culminates in permanent fusion of the pad to a pipe; it does not establish the complete service-removable coupler-pad procedure of claim 21 or provide the reason to adopt that permanent-fusion process there.
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/Jason C Smith/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3615
