Last updated: July 17, 2026

Application No. 18/524,569

CONDUCTING RAIL RETENTION SYSTEM

Non-Final OA

Filed

Nov 30, 2023

Examiner

KUHFUSS, ZACHARY L

Art Unit

3615

Tech Center

3600 — Transportation & Electronic Commerce

Assignee

Caterpillar Inc.

OA Round

1 (Non-Final)

Interview Optional

— +17.8% interview lift. Examiner has a relatively high allowance rate (78%); +17.8% interview lift. A written response may suffice.

Based on 1081 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

KUHFUSS, ZACHARY L View full profile →

Grants 78% — above average

Career Allowance Rate

845 granted / 1081 resolved

+26.2% vs TC avg

Strong +18% interview lift

Without

With

+17.8%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

2y 8m

Avg Prosecution

30 currently pending

Career history

1110

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101

0.2%

-39.8% vs TC avg

§103

83.4%

+43.4% vs TC avg

§102

8.4%

-31.6% vs TC avg

§112

2.7%

-37.3% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1081 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

Nov 30, 2023

Application Filed

May 29, 2026

Non-Final Rejection mailed (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

18/033,502

Patent 12643582

Extendable Coupler

3y 1m to grant Granted Jun 02, 2026

18/052,829

Patent 12643583

RAILWAY DETECTION SYSTEM, RAILWAY INFRASTRUCTURE AND METHOD FOR DETECTING THE PRESENCE OF A RAILWAY VEHICLE

3y 7m to grant Granted Jun 02, 2026

17/677,338

Patent 12637812

ADAPTIVE RAILWAY FASTENER AND ANCHOR INSTALLATION SYSTEM

4y 3m to grant Granted May 26, 2026

17/957,322

Patent 12637117

END ENCLOSURE FOR LIGHT RAIL VEHICLES

3y 7m to grant Granted May 26, 2026

18/463,227

Patent 12630239

TRACK DISASSEMBLING DEVICE

2y 8m to grant Granted May 19, 2026

Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

Strategy Recommendation AI-generated — please review before filing

Get a prosecution strategy drawn from examiner precedents, rejection analysis, and claim mapping.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2

Expected OA Rounds

78%

Grant Probability

96%

With Interview (+17.8%)

2y 8m (~0m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

Low

PTA Risk

Based on 1081 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.