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 .
Response to Amendment
This Final Rejection is in response to the Amendment dated March 5, 2026 filed in response to the Non-final Rejection dated December 5, 2025.
The claim objections in the previous Office action are withdrawn in view of the claim amendments addressing the objections.
The 35 U.S.C. 112(b) rejection in the previous Office action are withdrawn in view of the claim amendments addressing the rejection.
The 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 103 rejection in the previous Office action are withdrawn in view of the amendment to claim 11 differentiating the claim from the anticipation rejection. However, the claims are unpatentable over the prior art as explained below.
Response to Arguments
Starting at the bottom of page 15 of the Amendment, applicant argues the amendments made to claim 11 distinguishes the claim from Ikushima (Japanese Patent Document No. JPH 01-95808 A). Examiner agrees. Accordingly, the 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) rejection in the previous Office action is withdrawn. However, new grounds of rejection necessitated by the amendments are present below.
The remaining arguments are moot in view of the new grounds of rejection below.
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.
Claims 11 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Korean Patent Document No. KR 10-0883494 B1 by Ho et al., hereinafter “Ho”.
Regarding claim 11, Ho discloses a robotic system for a plant for rolling a metal strip (Ho’s robotic system shown in Figs. 2-6 is capable of being used with a roll stand of a rolling mill plant recited in the preamble of claim 11 as intended use of the claimed robot), said robotic system comprising: a robot comprising:
a carriage comprising a first frame fitted with wheels (carriage base 10 with wheels 12 in Fig. 3; ¶[33]) cooperating with rails disposed on the ground in line with the access opening of the stand of the rolling mill, said first frame being configured to move along the rails, by the action of a first motor driving the wheels (wheels 12 are capable of cooperating with rails disposed on the ground in line with the access opening of the stand as shown in Fig. 2 and are configured to be moved along the rails by the action of a motor in work roll changing car 190; ¶[31]),
a second frame (second frame made up of guide plate 50 and connecting rods 64 in Figs. 3 and 5; ¶[36] and [37]) and a first slide system connecting the second frame and the first frame configured to move the second frame relative to the first frame in the direction of the metal strip (first slide system in Fig. 5 with shaft 44, motor 45 and pinion 46 moves sliders 60 in Fig. 3),
a third frame (third frame horizontal bar 40 in Fig. 3; ¶[36]) and a second slide system connecting the third frame and the second frame, configured to move the third frame relative to the second frame according to a vertical direction, by the action of a third motor (second slide system in Fig. 4 with vertical moving member 30 moves plate 50 relative to bar 40 by action of motor 25; ¶[35]),
a fourth frame (fourth frame support plate 21 in Fig. 3; ¶[34]), and rotational guide connecting the fourth frame and the third frame about a vertical axis of rotation, configured to drive the rotation of the fourth frame relative to the third frame, by the action of a fourth motor (rotational guide made up of bearing thread 21a and bearing 22 is driven by motor 26 in Fig. 3; ¶[34]),
a grasping system (grasping system gripping means 70 in Figs. 3 and 6; ¶[38]), embedded on the fourth frame comprising an actuator configured to control locking and unlocking of grasping of a fitting secured to a roll, or else grasping of a fitting of a gripping system of a roll of the rolling mill (actuator made up of rotating shafts 72, cylinder 73, rack 73a, pinion 72a, drive shafts 75, gears 76 and motor 77; ¶[38]),
wherein the first slide system provides a straight-line prismatic translation of the second frame along the direction of the metal strip that is independent of the rotation of the fourth frame about the vertical axis of rotation, and is operable to align the grasping system with an axis of a roll or of a fitting to be grasped (sliders 60 of the first slider system provide straight-line prismatic translation of second frame 50 and 64 along the direction of the metal strip that is independent of rotation of fourth frame support plate 21 and operates to align grasping system 70 with the axis of a roll to be grasped),
and wherein the robotic system is configured to ensure the extraction of a roll, by grasping the fitting secured to the roll, or else by grasping the roll by the gripping system locked by the grasping system (grasping system 70 in Figs. 3 and 6 is configured to grasp a roll), with the deposition of the roll, laterally to the rails, after pivoting of the roll by rotation of the fourth frame relative to the third frame about the vertical axis of rotation (the rotational guide made up of bearing thread 21a and bearing 22 in Fig. 3 is capable of pivoting a grasped roll by rotation of fourth frame support plate 21 relative to third frame bar 40 to laterally deposit the roll).
Regarding claim 13, Ho anticipates the robotic system according to claim 11 as explained above. Ho further discloses the grasping system comprises a tubular frame inside which a locking/unlocking device is provided (grasping system gripping means 70 in Figs. 3 and 6 comprises tubular frame parallel supports 71inside which locking/unlocking device clamps 78 are provided), pivotally mounted through bearings (bearings 71a in Fig. 6), about an axis of rotation, intended to be parallel with the axis of the grasped roll (clamps 78 pivot about an axis intended to be parallel with a grasped roll), through a motor, in particular a sixth motor (drive motor 77 in Fig. 6), and wherein the locking/unlocking device comprises the actuator, including a motor configured to switch the locking device from a state of locking the fitting to a state of unlocking the fitting (actuator cylinder 73 in Fig. 6).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 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.
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ho in view of U.S. Patent No. 3,323,345 to Lyle et al., hereinafter “Lyle”.
Regarding claim 12, Ho anticipates the robotic system according to claim 11 as explained above. However, Ho does not disclose the grasping system is hinged to the fourth frame according to a second horizontal hinge axis perpendicular to the vertical axis of rotation between the fourth frame and the third frame, called first axis of rotation, and perpendicular to the axis of the roll grasped by the grasping system, the robotic system including motor means, in particular fifth motor means, configured to set the inclination of the grasping system, and thus the inclination of the grasped roll, by rotation of the grasping system about said second axis of rotation.
In the same field of roll changing apparatus, Lyle teaches it was known before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include a second horizontal hinge axis (axis of pivotal connection 28 in Figs. 2 and 4) perpendicular to a first vertical axis of rotation of a roll grasping means (axis of element 21 in Figs. 2 and 4) configured to set the inclination of the grasped roll. See column 3, line 30-75.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate a horizontal hinge axis into Ho’s robotic system to set the inclination of the grasped roll in the same way Lyle teaches. A person of ordinary skill would have recognized applying Lyle’s teaching to Ho’s system would achieve the predictable result of including a horizontal hinge axis to compensate for roll inclination droop as Lyle teaches.
Claims 14, 16-17 and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ho in view of Japanese Patent Document No. JPH 01-95808 A by Ikushima et al., hereinafter “Ikushima”.
Regarding claim 14, Ho anticipates the robotic system according to claim 11 as explained above. However, Ho does not disclose a rolling plant as claimed in claim 14 in combination with the robotic system.
In the same field of robotic systems for rolling mill plants, Ikushima discloses a rolling plant comprising a robotic system (the plant shown in Fig. 1), wherein one said rolling mill comprising said stand and said set of rolls, internal to the stand, including the two work rolls, the backup rolls or the backup rollers, and possibly the intermediate rolls in particular the first intermediate rolls and the second intermediate rolls (roll stand housing 5 shown in Fig. 4 including internal work rolls 1, intermediate rolls 2, 3 and 4; line 7-11 of page 6), the roll stand having said access opening, possibly closed by the door system, the metal strip Bm extending longitudinally according to a horizontal direction (metal strip extends in an X direction from left to right in Fig. 4 and in-and-out of the page in Fig. 1), and transversely according to a horizontal direction Y, parallel to the axes of the rolls of the rolling mill (Y direction is from left to right in Fig. 1) and
and wherein said plant comprises a loading/unloading rack, removably positioned on a support frame anchored to the ground at an anchorage position at a distance from the rolling mill according to the transverse direction Y and laterally to the rails (loading/unloading rack roll stand 17 in Fig. 1 is positioned in the Y direction laterally to rails 21; line 12-17of page 8), clearing a maintenance walkway according to the direction X, along the access opening of the rolling mill, the rack resting on the support frame having housings, directed according to the direction X (Fig. 2 shows spacing in the X direction which may be used as a maintenance walkway), and wherein the robotic system is configured to deposit the roll, on the loading/unloading rack resting on the support frame, after pivoting of the roll by rotation of the fourth frame relative to the third frame about the vertical axis of rotation, the roll then being directed according to the direction X (Fig. 2 shows rolls 2 are deposited on roll stand 17 directed according to the X direction after being pivoted on fourth frame swivel base 13).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to substitute the robot disclosed by Ho for the robot taught by Ikushima to achieve the predictable result of Ikushima’s rolling plant comprising a robotic system as disclosed by Ho. A person of ordinary skill would have recognized Ho’s robot is capable of carrying out the same roll changing operations as the robot taught by Ikushima.
Regarding claim 16, the prior art reference combination of Ho in view of Ikushima renders the rolling plant according to claim 14 unpatentable as explained above. Ikushima further teaches the support frame (roll stand 17 in Fig. 2) comprises a first support, and a second support, respectively anchored to the ground parallelly according to the direction Y (see “First Support” and “Second Support” annotation to Fig. 2 of Ikushima reproduced below) and wherein said at least one rack is configured to rest by bearing, the support frame, by resting simultaneously on the first support and the second support, at two opposite edges of the rack (The rack holding rolls 2 simultaneously rests at two opposite edges on the First and Second Supports. See “Rack” annotation below) and wherein the first support and the second support of the support frame leave therebetween a free intermediate clearance configured to be crossed by a rack handling vehicle, in particular a self-guided vehicle, when this vehicle deposits a rack on the support frame, said rack comprising a rack free of rolls intended to receive the worn rolls removed by the robotic system, and/or else a rack including in its housings new rolls intended to be grasped by the robotic system to be inserted into the stand of the rolling mill (Fig. 2 shows free intermediate clearance is left between the First and Second Supports, as annotated below, configured for a self-guided vehicle).
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Regarding claim 17, the prior art reference combination of Ho in view of Ikushima renders the rolling plant according to claim 14 unpatentable as explained above. Ikushima further teaches the rolling mill shown in Fig. 4 is a 20-High rolling mill, having with respect to the plane of the metal strip to be rolled: two work rolls, including an upper work roll and a lower work roll, four first intermediate rolls, including two upper first intermediate rolls, in contact with the upper work roll, and two lower first intermediate rolls, in contact with the lower work roll, six second intermediate rolls, including three upper second intermediate rolls, in contact with the two upper first intermediate rolls, and three lower second intermediate rolls, in contact with the two lower first rolls, eight sets of backup rollers, each provided with a bracket secured to the stand, including four sets of upper rollers, bearing with the three upper second intermediate rolls, and four sets of lower rollers, bearing with the three second intermediate rolls (see lines 7-11 of page 6).
Roll changing device 10 in Figs. 1-3 is disclosed as being capable of changing work rolls 1 and first intermediate rolls 2. It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to extend the roll changing capability to also change the second intermediate rolls and backing rolls to make the roll changing process more efficient, as suggested in lines 4-6 of page 3.
Regarding claim 19, the prior art reference combination of Ho in view of Ikushima teaches a roll extraction method implemented in a rolling plant according to claim 14 (see rejection of claim 14 above), wherein it is proceeded with the extraction of a roll (see line 17 of page 8 through line 14 of page 10), by grasping a fitting secured to a roll by the grasping system, or else by grasping a roll by the gripping system locked by the grasping system (grasping system roll clamp device 36 in Fig. 1 is capable of grasping a fitting secured to a roll), including:
align the gripping system and/or the grasping system with the axis of the roll to be grasped by moving the grasping system according to the direction X by the action of the second motor means and according to the direction Z by the action of the third motor means (grasping system roll clamp device 36 is aligned by second motor 35 in conjunction with swivel base 13 and raised in the Z direction by lifting table 12 motor 24),
grasp the roll by the grasping system or said gripping system secured to the grasping system after the advance of the carriage along the rails according to the direction Y by the action of the first motor means (carriage 11 in Fig. 1 is advanced in the Y direction along rails 21 by motor 23 after roll clamp device 36 grasps roll 2),
extract the roll out of the stand of the rolling mill by the recoil of the carriage along the rails according to the direction Y, by the action of the first motor means (carriage 11 in Fig. 1 recoils along rails 21 in the Y direction by action of motor 23),
pivot by a quarter turn the extracted roll about said vertical axis of rotation by the action of the fourth motor means, and lower the roll pivoted by a quarter turn by the action of the third motor means to ensure deposition, on the loading/unloading rack, disposed laterally to the rails and to the area of displacement of the carriage (roll 2 held by holding device 16 is pivoted by a quarter turn by swivel base 13 as shown in Fig. 2 and lowered by lift table 12 in Fig. 1),
release the roll by the recoil of the grasping system according to the direction X, by the action of the second motors (roll 2 is released by recoil of grasping system roll clamp device 36 by the action of motor 35).
Regarding claim 20, the prior art reference combination of Ho in view of Ikushima teaches a roll insertion method implemented in a rolling plant according to claim 14 (see rejection of claim 14 above), wherein it is proceeded with the insertion of a roll, by grasping a fitting secured to a roll by the grasping system, or else by grasping a roll by the gripping system locked by the grasping system, including:
align the gripping system and/or the grasping system with the axis of the roll to be grasped on the unloading/loading rack by moving the grasping system according to the direction Y by the action of the first motor means and according to the direction Z by the action of the third motor means (Fig. 2 shows roll clamp device 36 is aligned with the axis of roll 2 by action of motor 23 and motor 24 in Fig. 1),
grasp the roll by the grasping system or said gripping system secured to the grasping system after the advance of the carriage along the rails according to the direction X by the action of the second motor means (motor 35 advances roll holding device 16 with clamping device 36 according to the X direction when swivel base 13 swivels roll holding device 16 as shown in Fig. 2 so that clamping device 36 may grasp roll 2),
raise the roll off the rack according to the direction Z by the action of the third motor means (motor 24 raises roll 2 off of rack 17 in Fig. 2), and pivot the extracted roll about said vertical axis of rotation by the action of the fourth motor means by a quarter turn (roll 2 is pivoted by swivel base 13 by swivel cylinder 28),
align the axis of the roll in an alignment position in the stand of the rolling mill, by moving the grasping system according to the direction X by the action of the second motor means and according to the direction Z by the action of the third motor means (the axis of roll 2 is aligned in an alignment position in stand 5 of the rolling mill by moving grasping system roll clamping device 36 in the X direction by motor 35 in conjunction with swivel base 13 and raised in the Z direction by lifting table 12 motor 24)
insert the roll into the stand of the rolling mill in the alignment position, by the advance of the carriage according to the direction Y by the action of the first motor means (carriage 11 is advanced in the Y direction by motor 23 in Fig. 1), and release the roll by the recoil of the robot according to the direction Y, by the action of the first motors (roll 2 is released by recoil of carriage 11 in the Y direction).
Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ho in view of Ikushima and further in view of U.S. Patent No. 2,829,697 to Rockhoff et al., hereinafter “Rockhoff”.
Regarding claim 15, the prior art reference combination of Ho in view of Ikushima renders the rolling plant according to claim 14 unpatentable as explained above. However, Ikushima does not disclose details of roll stand 17 in Fig. 2. Thus Ikushima does not disclose from claim 15: the support frame has a length, according to the direction Y, larger than the dimension of said at least one rack, the direction Y then being perpendicular to the axes of housings of said at least one rack, said support frame configured to support several racks, distributed over the length of the support frame at different positions along the direction Y.
In the same field of roll changing apparatus, Rockhoff teaches it was known before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use a support frame roll storage apparatus having length longer than the width which receives the length of the mill rolls. See Fig. 1 of Rockhoff.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to substitute Rockhoff’s roll storage apparatus for Ikushima’s roll stand 17. A person of ordinary skill would have recognized applying the teaching of Rockhoff to the rolling plant of Ikushima would achieve the predictable result of Ikushima’s rolling plant with a roll storage apparatus as taught by Rockhoff.
Claim 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ikushima in view of U.S. Patent No. 3,147,648 to Sendzimir, hereinafter “Sendzimir”.
Regarding claim 18, the prior art reference combination of Ho in view of Ikushima renders the rolling plant according to claim 17 unpatentable as explained above. However, Ikushima is silent regarding the rolling mill in Fig. 4 having sprinkling ramps as claimed in claim 18.
In the same field of cluster mills, Sendzimir teaches a 20-High cluster mill with sprinkling ramps 24 and 24’ in Fig. 4. See column 4, line 70-74.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to extend the component changing capability of Ikushima’s roll changing device 10 to change the sprinkling ramps adjacent the back up rolls to make the roll changing process more efficient, as suggested in lines 4-6 of page 3.
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 PAUL DEREK PRESSLEY whose telephone number is (313)446-6658. The examiner can normally be reached 7:30am to 3:30pm Eastern.
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/P DEREK PRESSLEY/Examiner, Art Unit 3725
/BOBBY YEONJIN KIM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3725
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