DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application is being examined under the pre-AIA first to invent provisions.
Response to Amendment
This is a Final Detailed Action in response to amendment filed on 30 April 2025. The present application claims 1 and 9-25, submitted on 30 April 2025 are pending. Applicants’ cancelation of claims 2-8, indicated on 30 April 2025 has been acknowledged.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of pre-AIA 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 –
(b) the invention was patented or described in a printed publication in this or a foreign country or in public use or on sale in this country, more than one year prior to the date of application for patent in the United States.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
(a) A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1 and 9-25 are rejected under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Garthaffner (U.S. Pub. No. 2009/0166376) in view of Garthaffner (U.S. Pub. No. 2009/014724).
Regarding claim 1, Garthaffner (‘376) discloses (as seen Figure 1) a bead feeder (10) comprising: a metering plate (30) configured to receive a plurality of beads (12), the metering plate (30) defining a plurality of through-holes (32, as seen in Figure 1), each of the through-holes (32) being configured to receive the plurality of beads (see Paragraph 0019), a stationary dead plate (34) defining an aperture therethrough (see Paragraph 0020, line 01-08), the aperture being a single transfer point for beads (12) away from the metering plate (30), the aperture configured to transfer a single bead (12) from one of the plurality of through-holes (32) when the aperture is aligned with the one of the plurality of through-holes (32; see Paragraph 0020, line 01-08), a diameter of the aperture being equal to a diameter of one of the plurality of through-holes (see Paragraph 0020, line 01-08); and a transfer wheel (36) configured to receive the single bead (12) from the stationary dead plate (34, Paragraph 0020, line 01-08).
Garthaffner (‘376) discloses all of the elements of the current invention as stated above except for explicit disclosure of the diameter of the equal to the diameter of the one of the plurality of through-holes.
Garthaffner (‘724) discloses (see Figure 1 and Figure 4) a bead feeder (10) comprising a bead supply wheel (14) consisting of a plurality of through-holes (20) and a stationary dead plate (26) defining an aperture (30) dimensioned to include diameter being equal to a diameter of one of the plurality of through-holes (20; as seen in Figure 4).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the applicant's claimed invention, to have modified Garthaffner (‘376) to incorporate the disclosure of Garthaffner (‘724) to include diameter of the equal to the diameter of the one of the plurality of through-holes. Doing so would enable the lowermost bead to drop away in a downward direction to a bead transfer wheel.
Regarding claim 9, Garthaffner (‘376) discloses (as seen Figure 1) wherein the plurality of through-holes (32) are equally spaced apart (see Paragraph 0019, line 03-06).
Regarding claim 10, Garthaffner (‘724) discloses (see Figure 3A and Figure 4) wherein the stationary dead plate (26) has a consistent thickness (as seen in Figure 3A and Figure 4).
Regarding claim 12, Garthaffner (‘376) discloses (as seen Figure 1) a bead supply (14) including a plurality of passageways (20) extending radially from a supply bowl (18), the passageways (20) configured to transport the plurality of beads (12) from the supply bowl (18) to the metering plate (30).
Regarding claim 13, Garthaffner (‘376) discloses (as seen Figure 1) wherein the metering plate (30) is configured to rotate at a speed different from a speed of the bead supply (see Paragraph 0019, line 06-10).
Regarding claim 14, Garthaffner (‘376) discloses (as seen Figure 1) a feed plate (26) between the metering plate (30) and the bead supply (14), the feed plate (26) defining a plurality of pockets (28), the feed plate (26) configured to rotate with the bead supply about the first axis (see Paragraph 0018).
Regarding claim 15, Garthaffner (‘376) discloses (as seen Figure 1) a conveyor (42) aligned beneath the transfer wheel (36), the conveyor (42) configured to transport the plurality of beads (see Paragraph 0024, line 11-14).
Regarding claim 16, Garthaffner (‘376) discloses (as seen Figure 2) a vacuum source (33) in fluid communication with the plurality of through-holes (32) in the metering plate (see Paragraph 0020).
Regarding claim 17, Garthaffner discloses (as seen Figure 1) a method for serially delivering a plurality of beads (12), the method comprising: transferring a plurality of beads (12) from a bead supply (14) to a metering plate (30), the metering plate (30) including a plurality of through-holes (32, as seen in Figure 1), each of the plurality of through-holes (32) being configured to receive the plurality of beads (12) from the bead supply (14); and serially transferring each of the plurality of beads (12) from each of the plurality of through-holes (32) via an aperture defined in a stationary dead plate (34) to a transfer wheel (36; Paragraph 0020, line 01-08), and serially delivering the plurality of beads from the transfer wheel (Paragraph 0020, line 01-08).
Garthaffner (‘376) discloses all of the elements of the current invention as stated above except for explicit disclosure of the diameter of the equal to the diameter of the one of the plurality of through-holes.
Garthaffner (‘724) discloses (see Figure 1 and Figure 4) a bead feeder (10) comprising a bead supply wheel (14) consisting of a plurality of through-holes (20) and a stationary dead plate (26) defining an aperture (30) dimensioned to include diameter being equal to a diameter of one of the plurality of through-holes (20; as seen in Figure 4).
Regarding claim 18, Garthaffner (‘376) discloses (as seen Figure 1) rotating the bead supply (14) about a first axis (16); and rotating the transfer wheel (36) about a second axis (38), the second axis (38) being orthogonal to the first axis (16; as seen in Figure 1).
Regarding claim 19, Garthaffner (‘376) discloses (as seen Figure 1) rotating the metering plate (30) about the first axis (16) such that the metering plate (30) is aligned with the bead supply (14).
Regarding claim 20, Garthaffner (‘376) discloses (as seen Figure 1) wherein the serially transferring comprises: transporting the plurality of beads (12) from a supply bowl (18) of the bead supply (14) to the metering plate (30) through a plurality of passageways (20) radially extending from the supply bowl (18), the plurality of passageways (20) rotating with the supply bowl (18) and the bead supply (see Paragraph 0018).
Regarding claim 21, Garthaffner (‘376) discloses (as seen Figure 1) wherein the transferring the plurality of beads (12) from the bead supply (14) to the metering plate (30) comprises: rotating a feed plate (26) between the metering plate (30) and the bead supply (14) about the first axis (see Paragraph 0018).
Regarding claim 22, Garthaffner (‘376) discloses (as seen in Figure 1) wherein the transferring the plurality of beads (12) from the bead supply (14) to the metering plate (30) comprises: rotating the metering plate (30) at a speed different from a speed of the feed plate (see Paragraph 0019, line 06-10).
Regarding claim 23, Garthaffner (‘376) discloses (as seen in Figure 1) wherein the transferring the plurality of beads (15) from the bead supply (14) to the metering plate (30) comprises: transferring the plurality of beads (12) through a plurality of pockets (28) in the feed plate (see Paragraph 0018).
Regarding claim 24, Garthaffner (‘376) discloses (as seen in Figure 1) serially transferring the plurality of beads (12) from the transfer wheel (36) to a conveyor (42) in alignment with the transfer wheel (36); and transporting, by the conveyor (42), the plurality of beads (12) to a downstream location (see Paragraph 0024, line 11-14).
Regarding claim 25, Garthaffner (‘376) discloses (as seen in Figure 2) wherein the transferring comprises: applying a vacuum (33) to each of the plurality of through-holes (32) in the metering plate (see Paragraph 0020).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to Claim 9 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to XAVIER A MADISON whose telephone number is (571)272-7786. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m..
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Thanh Truong can be reached at (571) 272-4472. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/XAVIER A MADISON/Examiner, Art Unit 3731
/THANH K TRUONG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3731
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