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
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim 1-10 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) based upon a public use or sale or other public availability of the invention. US Patent US 8,672,063 B2 was published March 18, 2014, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
With regard to claim 1, ‘063 discloses a chain roller comprising: an exterior frame (Fig. 1, No. 3); a roller chain assembly including a plurality of rotatable and cylindrical rollers that are interconnected in a continuous series to form a closed chain and configured to circulate in a loop in the exterior frame (Fig. 2, No. 5), each of the plurality of rotatable and cylindrical rollers has an axis of rotation that is parallel to axes of rotation of all other of the plurality of rotatable and cylindrical rollers (claim 10, column 9, lines 34-35); and a load-bearing member in the loop and the exterior frame affixed to the exterior frame and including a first rigid portion affixed to the frame (Fig. 7), and having a recess (Fig. 7, No. 28), and a removable rigid insert(Fig. 7, No. 11), wherein: the first rigid portion and the removable rigid insert are configured such that the removable rigid insert fits in the recess (Fig. 7), the removable rigid insert is removably and directly attachable to the first rigid portion and a removable rigid insert surface of the removable rigid insert abuts a surface of the recess when the removable rigid insert is attached to the first rigid portion (Fig. 7); and the roller chain assembly and the load-bearing member are configured such that the plurality of rotatable and cylindrical rollers engages the removable rigid insert to cause movement of the chain roller (claim 1, column 8, lines 63-67).
With regard to claim 2, ‘063 discloses the chain roller according to claim 1, wherein the removable rigid insert is a rigid plate (column 3, lines 40-46; column 4, lines 40-43); and the plurality of rotatable and cylindrical rollers engage one surface of the rigid plate when the removable rigid insert is attached to the first rigid portion (Fig. 5, claim 2, column 9, lines 1-3).
With regard to claim 3, ‘063 discloses the chain roller according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of rotatable and cylindrical roller engages a first surface of the first rigid portion opposite to the one surface of the rigid plate (Fig. 5).
With regard to claim 4, ‘063 discloses the chain roller according to claim 1, wherein three or more of the plurality of rotatable and cylindrical rollers are in contact with the removable rigid insert when the removable rigid insert is attached to the first rigid portion (claim 5, column 9, lines 13-15).
With regard to claim 5, ‘063 discloses the chain roller according to claim 2, wherein the exterior frame has a load-bearing surface configured to bear a load (Fig. 1, No. 13); and the one surface is opposite the load-bearing surface when the removable rigid insert is attached to the first rigid portion (Fig. 7, Nos. 13 & 11).
With regard to claim 6, ‘063 discloses the chain roller according to claim 3, wherein the recess is in a second surface of the first rigid portion that is opposite the first surface (Fig. 7).
With regard to claim 7, ‘063 discloses the chain roller according to claim 1, wherein the recess has a bottom wall and side walls that define an opening (Fig. 7, No. 28); the removable rigid insert has walls facing and adjacent to the side walls when the removable rigid insert is attached to the first rigid portion; and the bottom wall is the surface of the recess that is abutted by the removable rigid insert surface when the removable rigid insert is attached to the first rigid portion (Fig. 7).
With regard to claim 8, ‘063 discloses the chain roller according to claim 7, wherein each the side walls of the recess are spaced inwardly from a corresponding sidewall of the first rigid portion (Fig. 7, No. 28).
With regard to claim 9, ‘063 discloses the chain roller according to claim 1, wherein the frame includes a plate configured to bear an object to be supported or transported (Fig. 7, No. 13); the removable rigid insert is attachable to the first rigid portion by screws (Fig. 7, No. 59a; column 4, lines 51-53); and the plate includes holes configured such that the screws pass through the holes to attach the removable rigid insert to the first rigid portion and detach the removable rigid insert from the first rigid portion (Fig. 7, No. 11).
With regard to claim 10, ‘063 discloses the chain roller according to claim 1, wherein the load-bearing member is configured such that the removable rigid insert surface abuts a bottom surface of the recess when the removable rigid insert is attached to the first rigid portion (Fig. 7, Nos. 28, 11 & 17).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AMARI JADAN MEDDLING whose telephone number is (571)272-8178. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Gene Crawford can be reached at 5712726911. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/AMARI J MEDDLING/ Examiner, Art Unit 3651
/GENE O CRAWFORD/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3651