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 .
Status of Claims
This action is in reply to the Applicant’s claims, filed on 01/05/206.
Claims 19 and 22 have been amended.
Claims 1-18 and 26-27 have been canceled.
Claims 19-25, and 28-29 are currently pending and have been examined.
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed 01/05/2026 has been entered. Claims 19-25, and 28-29 remain pending in the application. Applicant’s amendments to the drawings, and claims have overcome each objection and rejection previously set forth in the Non-Final Office Action filed 08/22/2025.
Applicant’s argument with respect to the prior art rejections of claims 19-25, and 28-29 has been considered and are persuasive, therefore the rejections have been withdrawn.
However, upon further consideration, the amendments introduce new issues that a new ground(s) of rejection is made.
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.
Claims 19-25, and 28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over by Jantzen (US20090279987) in view of Binder et al. (US9523249).
Claim 19. Jantzen discloses: A method for operating ([0007-0012]) a drilling rig system (Fig. 1), the drilling rig system comprising a rig module (1 drilling or service rig, Fig. 1) adapted to perform drilling operations ([0007-0012]) and a separate setback module (10 trailer, Fig. 1) adapted to hold stands of drill pipe and/or drill collars (15 pipe sections, Fig. 1) to be used during the drilling operations, the method comprising:
where drill stands are secured to at least one fingerboard of the setback module (14 finger racks, Fig. 1);
placing drill stands from the rig module in the setback module ([0031-0032]);
moving the setback module away from the rig module, while the setback module is holding the drill stands ([0022], mobile storage rack, 10 trailer, is positioned as required adjacent to 1 service rig);
lowering the mast (2 mast, Fig. 1) of the rig module when the setback module is moved away from the rig module ([0031] 2 mast is angularly oriented as required demonstrating raising or lowering, Fig. 1-3);
relocating the setback module to a new drilling site, while the setback module is holding the drill stands ([0022], mobile storage rack, 10 trailer, is positioned as required adjacent to 1 service rig);
unloading the drill stands from the setback module at the new drilling site (tripping- in, [0008, 0033]). Jantzen does not disclose: securing the drill stands vertically on the setback module.
Regarding the limitation of: lowering of the mast, relocating the service rig, and relocating the trailer with the pipe sections at new drilling site; Jantzen does not explicitly disclose. However, Jantzen does disclose the reverse operation, wherein the service rig and trailer are made operational at a site by raising the mast and loading the rig with pipe from the trailer ([0008, 0033]). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to perform the reverse of Jantzen’s disclosed operation i.e. to lower the mast, relocate the service rig and trailer to a new location, and reconfigure the system into a drilling operation. Doing so merely represents the predictable use of known system according to its established function in a reverse sequence and has been held that a mere reversal of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art. in re Gazda, 219 F.2d 449, 104 USPC 400 (COPA L955).
As stated previously, Jantzen does not disclose securing the drill stands vertically on the setback module but does teach securing drill stands in a horizontal orientation.
Binder discloses a pipe store for supplying and discharging pipe bodies to and from a drilling rig, having at least one framework in the form of a transporting and a vertical storage framework for pipe bodies. Binder teaches: securing the drill stands (16 drill rods, Fig. 7) vertically (41 is vertical, Fig. 7) on the setback module (41 storage framework, Fig. 7).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to substitute the horizontal storage rack on the trailer system of Jantzen with the vertical storage and lifting rack system of Binder with a reasonable expectation of success as taught by Binder (Fig. 7) because both perform the same function in similar contexts. Such a substitution represents the use of a known element according to its established function, and the results would have been predictable. KSR Int'l Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. 398, 415-421, 82 USPQ2d 1385, 1395-97 (2007).
Claim 20. Jantzen in view of Binder teaches: The method of claim 19, wherein the placing the drill stands in the setback module is performed by means of a grabber system (Jantzen: 30 grapple, Fig. 1; Binder: 18 gripping unit, Fig. 8) of the setback module.
Claim 21. Jantzen in view of Binder teaches: The method of claim 20, wherein the grabber system is adapted to transfer the stands held in the setback module to the rig module (Jantzen: [0031-0032]; Binder: Col. 5, lines 4-40) when a distance between the rig module and the setback module is between 1 m and 50 m, preferably between 2 m and 40 m, more preferred between 3 m and 30 m, more preferred between 4 m and 20 m, most preferred between 5 m and 10 m (10 trailer is posited adjacent to the 1 drilling or service rig, Fig. 1; [0022]).
Jantzen in view of Binder is silent on the distance between the trailer and service rig however, Jantzen and Binder teach that the trailer/storage is adjacent (Jantzen: Fig. 1; Binder: Fig. 8). Therefore, Jantzen and Binder teaches the claimed invention, except for the specific numerical range recited in claim 21. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to position the trailer within 1m to 50m of the service rig, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable range involves only routine skill in the art. In other words, narrowing a general condition taught by the prior art to a specific numerical value has been held to be an obvious variation thereof. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233 and In re Boesch, 205 USPQ 215.
Claim 22. Jantzen in view of Binder teaches: The method of claim 1, wherein the moving the setback module away from the rig module is performed by means of a rig walking system (Jantzen: 10 trailer may be self-propelled with its own motor and drive train, [0022]) of the setback module.
Claim 23. Jantzen in view of Binder teaches: The method of claim 19, wherein the relocating the setback module to the new drilling site is performed by means of a setback moving dolly (Jantzen: 10 trailer comprises of 13 tires that function as the dolly, Fig. 1).
Claim 24. Jantzen in view of Binider teaches: The method of claim 23, wherein the relocating the setback module to the new drilling site comprises raising the setback module by means of setback raising cylinders (Jantzen: 11 and 12 downrigger legs deployed to lift the trailer, Fig. 1), placing a setback moving dolly under the raised setback module (Jantzen: 13 tires function as a dolly, Fig. 1), and retracting the setback raising cylinders (Jantzen: inherent reversal to configure the trailer onto the tires for relocating, Fig. 1).
Claim 25. Jantzen in view of Binder teaches: The method of claim 19, further comprising relocating the rig module to the new drilling site, wherein the drill stands are unloaded from the setback module to the rig module (Jantzen: tripping-in operations, [0008, 0033]; see previously rejected claim 1), the method further comprising using the drill stands during drilling operations (Jantzen: inherent function of drilling or service rig, [0022]).
Claim 28. Jantzen in view of Binder teaches: The method of claim 19, wherein the setback module is adapted to hold at least 10 stands, preferably at least 50 stands (Jantzen: Fig. 1 illustrates approximately 90 stands on 10 trailer), more preferred at least 100 stands, and most preferred at least 500 stands.
Claim 29 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over by Jantzen (US2009/0279987) in view of Binder et al. (US9523249) and further in view of Langowski et al. (US3655071).
Claim 29. Jantzen in view of Binder teaches: The method of claim 19, setback module is adapted to hold stands. Jantzen in view of Binder does not teach: at least two joints per stand, preferably at least three joints per stand.
Langowski teaches an apparatus for use in moving stands of drill pipe, either doubles or trebles, between a horizontally racked position and a position aligned with the center line of the derrick. Langowski teaches: at least two joints per stand, preferably at least three joints per stand (double or trebles stands of drill pipe, Col. 2, lines 15-20; DP, Fig. 2).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the mobile pipe storage rack of Jantzen in view of Binder to accommodate double to trebles stands of drill pipe as taught by Langowski with a reasonable expectation of success. Such a modification would create a handling system that is economically feasible and improve operational efficiency as suggested by Langowski (Col. 2, lines 15-75).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Lunde (WO2011014074) teaches a portable pipe storage device where the pipe is stored in a standing direction when the storage device is in position for use with a drilling rig.
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 Daniel Craig whose telephone number is (571)270-0747. The examiner can normally be reached M-Thurs 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM CST.
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/DANIEL T CRAIG/Examiner, Art Unit 3676
/TARA SCHIMPF/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3676