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 Objections
Claims 1-6, 8-15 objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding claim 1, in lines 2-3 the phrase “said liner element having a back side arranged to face the mill shell and a front side arranged to face an interior of the mill, when mounted on the mill shell” should be changed to “wherein when the liner element mounted on the mill shell, the liner element having a back side arranged to face the mill shell and a front side arranged to face an interior of the mill”.
Regarding claim 1, in lines 5-21 the recitation of the claim should be re-written as following:
one or more fastening bolts, each of the one or more fastening bolts having a bolt head and a bolt body extending from the bolt head, each of the one or more fastening bolts being structured and arranged to be inserted into an associated liner element through-hole of the liner element from the front side thereof and to secure each of the one or more fastening bolts from an outside the mill shell using an associated fastener; and
an associated liner interface guide element associated with each of the one or more fastening bolts; and the associated liner interface guide elements having a locking portion with a cross-sectional dimension being larger than a cross-sectional dimension of the bolt body;
wherein each of the one or more fastening bolts and the associated liner interface guide element are structured and arranged to be attached to each other such that, when the associated liner interface guide element inserted into the associated liner element through-hole, by means of the locking portion, locks each of the one or more fastening bolts to the liner element and the associated liner interface guide element protrudes out from the back side thereof to define a guide portion;
wherein, during mounting of the liner element on the mill shell, the guide portion is arranged to penetrate into an associated mill shell through-hole thereby guiding the liner element into a mounting position at which the liner element is in abutment with the mill shell, and at the mounting position the guide portion at least partly protrudes out from the mill shell to the outside the mill shell thereof so as to present an externally accessible engagement portion.
Regarding claim 2, the phrase “said externally accessible engagement portions for allowing temporarily locking the liner element to the mill shell prior to securing the liner element using said one or more fastening bolts and their associated fasteners” should be changed to “the externally accessible engagement portion for allowing temporarily locking the liner element to the mill shell prior to securing the liner element using the one or more fastening bolts and the associated fasteners”.
Regarding claim 3, the phrase “in each engagement portion, and an associated locking element arranged to be received in said locking through-hole” should be changed to “in the externally accessible engagement portion, and an associated locking element arranged to be received in the locking through-hole”.
Regarding claim 4, the phrase “herein the guide portion of each liner interface guide element is at least partly tapered” should be changed to “wherein the guide portion is at least partly tapered”.
Regarding claim 5, the phrase “wherein each fastening bolt and its associated liner interface guide element are attachable to each other by means of threaded engagement” should be changed to “wherein each of the one or more fastening bolts and the associated liner interface guide element are attachable to each other by means of threaded engagement”.
Regarding claim 6, the phrase “wherein each fastening bolt comprises a liner interface guide element attachment portion at an end of the bolt body for providing said threaded engagement, and a fastener attachment portion for engagement with the fastener” should be changed to “wherein each of the one or more fastening bolts comprises a liner interface guide element attachment portion at an end of the bolt body for providing the threaded engagement, and a fastener attachment portion for engagement with the associated fasteners”.
Regarding claim 8, the phrase “and wherein a cross-sectional dimension of the threaded attachment portion is substantially equal to a cross-sectional dimension of the bolt body” should be changed to “and wherein a cross-sectional dimension of a threaded attachment portion of the liner interface guide element attachment portion is substantially equal to the cross-sectional dimension of the bolt body”.
Regarding claim 9, the phrase “the associated liner interface through-hole during use of the mill” should be changed to “an associated liner interface through-hole of the liner element during use of the mill”.
Regarding claim 10, the phrase “further comprising one or more collars, each of the one or more collars structured and arranged to be disposed around the bolt body inside the mill shell through-hole” should be changed to “further comprising one or more collars each structured and arranged to be disposed around the bolt body of the fastening bolt inside the associated mill shell through-hole”.
Regarding claim 11, in line 1 the phrase “a mill” should be changed to “the mill”.
Regarding claim 11, in line 2 the phrase “a system according to claim 1” should be changed to “the system according to claim 1”.
Regarding claim 11, in lines 1-5 the phrase “a liner element having a back side arranged to face the mill shell and a front side arranged to face an interior of the mill, when mounted on the mill shell, wherein the liner element comprises one or more liner element through-holes each extending from the back side to the front side and comprising a respective waist portion which presents said minimum cross-sectional dimension of the liner element through-hole” should be changed to “wherein when the liner element mounted on the mill shell, the liner element having the back side arranged to face the mill shell and the front side arranged to face the interior of the mill, and wherein the liner element comprises the associated liner element through-hole extending from the back side to the front side, and the associated liner element through-hole comprising a respective waist portion which presents a minimum cross-sectional dimension of the associated liner element through-hole”.
Regarding claim 12, the phrase “the liner element through-hole extending from the waist portion to the front side is tapered” should be changed to “the associated liner element through-hole extending from the respective waist portion to the front side is tapered”.
Regarding claim 13, in lines 2-3 the phrase “said liner element having a back side arranged to face the mill shell when mounted, and a front side arranged to face an interior of the mil” should be changed to “wherein when the liner element mounted on the mill shell, the liner element having a back side arranged to face the mill shell and a front side arranged to face an interior of the mill”.
Regarding claim 13, in lines 4-25 the recitation of the claim should be re-written as following:
a) inserting one or more fastening bolts into an associated liner element through-hole of the liner element from the front side thereof, each of the one or more fastening bolts having a bolt head and a bolt body extending out from the bolt head;
b) to each of the one or more fastening bolts, attaching an associated liner interface guide element having a locking portion with a cross-sectional dimension being larger than a cross-sectional dimension of the bolt body, such that the associated liner interface guide element locks each of the one or more fastening bolts to the liner element and protrude out from the back side of the liner element to define a guide portion;
c) lifting by means of a lifting tool the liner element into a position with respect to the mill shell at which the associated liner interface guide element axially coincides with one or more associated mill shell through-holes;
d) displacing by means of the lifting tool the liner element into a mounting position at which the liner element is in abutment with the mill shell by allowing the guide portion to penetrate into the one or more associated mill shell through-holes, thereby guiding the liner element into the mounting position, and at the mounting position the guide portion at least partly protrude out from the mill shell to an outside the mill shell thereof so as to present an externally accessible engagement portion;
e) displacing, by engaging the externally accessible engagement portion, each of the one or more fastening bolts and the associated liner interface guide element with respect to the liner element to a fastening position at which the bolt head engages with the liner element;
f) removing each of the associated liner interface guide element from its associated fastening bolt; and
g) securing each of the one or more fastening bolts from outside the mill shell using an associated fastener.
Regarding claim 14, the phrase “arranging said one or more fastening bolts and their associated one or more liner interface guide elements attached thereto such that their bolt heads protrudes out from the front side of the liner element to define lifting portions, and lifting the liner element by engaging the lifting tool with said lifting portions” should be changed to “arranging each of the one or more fastening bolts and the associated liner interface guide element attached thereto such that the bolt head protrudes out from the front side of the liner element to define a lifting portion, and lifting the liner element by engaging the lifting tool with the lifting portion”.
Regarding claim 15, the phrase “temporarily locking the liner element to the mill shell by activating locking means which provides an engagement between the engagement portions and the mill shell prior to securing the liner element using said associated fastener” should be changed to “temporarily locking the liner element to the mill shell by activating locking means, wherein the locking means provides an engagement between the externally accessible engagement portion and the mill shell prior to securing the liner element using the associated fastener”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-12 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 1, in the body of the claim the phrases “the liner element, an associated liner element through-hole, the mill shell and an associated mill shell through-hole” render the claim indefinite because the examiner notes that “the liner element and the mill shell” is recited in the preamble of the claim, however the claim appears to be drawn to “the system” as set forth in lines 3-4. Therefore, the recitation of " the liner element, an associated liner element through-hole, the mill shell and an associated mill shell through-hole " in the body of the claim renders the claim unclear because it is unclear if the scope of the claim is to a mill assembly having a liner element, a mill shell, and a system for mounting the liner element to the mill shell or merely a system. The liner element and the mill shell do not appear to be positively recited in the body of the claim.
Claims 2-12 are rejected because they depend from claim 1.
Claim 6 recites the limitation "said threaded engagement" in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 8 recites the limitation "the threaded attachment portion" in line 4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Regarding claim 8, in line 4 the phrase “the threaded attachment portion” render the claim indefinite because it is unclear which element having “the threaded attachment portion”.
Claim 9 recites the limitation "the associated liner interface through-hole" in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 11 recites the limitation "said minimum cross-sectional dimension" in lines 6-7. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 12 recites the limitation "the part" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 1, 4-8 and 11-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Waters (US20200061626A1).
Regarding claim 1, as best understood, Waters discloses a system (fig.5C: (503), abstract and paragraphs 0135-0137) for mounting a liner element (fig.5C: (502)) to a mill shell (fig.5C: (501)) of a mill, said liner element having a back side arranged to face the mill shell and a front side arranged to face an interior of the mill, when mounted on the mill shell (the claim is drawn only to the system, the recitation of a liner element, a mill shell and a mil is intended use), the system comprising:
one or more fastening bolts (fig.5C: (503)) each having a bolt head and a bolt body extending from the bolt head (fig.5C: the head and the body of the bolt (503)), each fastening bolt being structured and arranged to be inserted into an associated liner element through-hole of the liner element from the front side thereof and to be secured from outside the mill shell using an associated fastener (intended use); and
one or more associated liner interface guide elements (fig.5C: (510)) each having a locking portion (fig.5B: (514)) having a cross-sectional dimension being larger than a cross-sectional dimension of the bolt body of the one or more fastening bolts (fig.5); and
wherein each fastening bolt and an associated liner interface guide element are structured and arranged to be attached to each other such that (fig.5C), when inserted into said associated liner element through-hole, said associated liner interface guide element, by means of the locking portion, locks the fastening bolt to the liner element and protrudes out from the back side thereof to define a guide portion (fig.5C: the tapered section of the element (514) below the lower edge of the element (505)) which, during mounting of the liner element on the mill shell, is arranged to penetrate into an associated mill shell through-hole thereby guiding the liner element into a mounting position at which the liner element is in abutment with the mill shell (intended use), and at which mounting position the guide portion at least partly protrudes out from the mill shell on an outside thereof so as to present an externally accessible engagement portion (intended use, and depends on the dimensions of the mill shell)
Regarding claim 4, Waters discloses wherein the guide portion of each liner interface guide element is at least partly tapered (fig.5C: the tapered section of the element (514) below the lower edge of the element (505)).
Regarding claim 5, Waters discloses wherein each fastening bolt and its associated liner interface guide element are attachable to each other by means of threaded engagement (paragraph 0135).
Regarding claim 6, Waters discloses wherein each fastening bolt comprises a liner interface guide element attachment portion at an end of the bolt body for providing said threaded engagement, and a fastener attachment portion for engagement with the fastener (fig.5C: see the threaded element of the bolt (503)).
Regarding claim 7, Waters discloses wherein the liner interface guide element attachment portion comprises a male thread (fig.5C: see the threaded element of the bolt (503)) and wherein the associated liner interface guide element (fig.5C: (510)) comprises a female thread arranged to be received in the male thread.
Regarding claim 7, Waters discloses wherein a cross-sectional dimension of the liner interface guide element attachment portion (f is smaller than a cross-sectional dimension of the bolt body, and wherein a cross-sectional dimension of the threaded attachment portion is substantially equal to a cross-sectional dimension of the bolt body (fig.5C).
Regarding claim 11, Waters discloses A liner assembly for a mill comprising:
a system according to claim 1 (see the rejection of claim 1 above); and
a liner element (fig.5C: (502)) having a back side arranged to face the mill shell and a front side arranged to face an interior of the mill, when mounted on the mill shell, wherein the liner element comprises one or more liner element through-holes (fig.5C: see the hole of the element (502)) each extending from the back side to the front side and comprising a respective waist portion (fig.5C: see the waist portion at the bottom of the element (502)) which presents said minimum cross-sectional dimension of the liner element through-hole.
Regarding claim 12, Waters discloses wherein the waist portion is disposed in vicinity of the back side of the liner element and the part of the liner element through-hole extending from the waist portion to the front side is tapered(fig.5C: see the waist portion at the bottom of the element (502)) .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 2-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Waters (US20200061626A1) in view of Rattle Hitch Pin Bolt with Keeper Grip Clip Kit (RHPB, first date available 01/14/2016).
Regarding claims 2-3, Waters does not disclose locking means arranged to engage with the mill shell and said externally accessible engagement portions for allowing temporarily locking the liner element to the mill shell prior to securing the liner element using said one or more fastening bolts and their associated fasteners; and wherein the locking means is defined by a locking through-hole formed in each engagement portion, and an associated locking element arranged to be received in said locking through-hole.
RHPB teaches a bolt comprising:
locking means is defined by a locking through-hole formed in each engagement portion, and an associated locking element arranged to be received in said locking through-hole (pages 1 and 3).
Both of the prior arts Waters and RHPB are related to a bolt;
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the bolt of the apparatus of Waters to have locking means is defined by a locking through-hole formed in each engagement portion, and an associated locking element arranged to be received in said locking through-hole as taught by RHPB, since it has been held that combining prior art elements according to known methods to yield predictable results requires only routine skill in the art. [KSR Int’l Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 127 S.Ct. 1727, 1742, 82 USPQ2d 1385, 1396 (2007)]; Thereby having locking means arranged to engage with the mill shell and said externally accessible engagement portions for allowing temporarily locking the liner element to the mill shell prior to securing the liner element using said one or more fastening bolts and their associated fasteners; and wherein the locking means is defined by a locking through-hole formed in each engagement portion, and an associated locking element arranged to be received in said locking through-hole.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Waters (US20200061626A1) in view of Bolt Covers Screw Caps (BCSC, first date available 09/08/2020).
Regarding claim 9, Waters does not disclose wherein the bolt head of each fastening bolt comprises an outer wear plug structured and arranged to prevent material from entering the associated liner interface through-hole during use of the mill.
BCSC teaches a bolt comprising:
a bolt head of a fastening bolt comprises an outer wear plug (page 1).
Both of the prior arts Waters and BCSC are related to a bolt;
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the bolt head of the apparatus of Waters to have an outer wear plug as taught by BCSC, since it has been held that combining prior art elements according to known methods to yield predictable results requires only routine skill in the art. [KSR Int’l Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 127 S.Ct. 1727, 1742, 82 USPQ2d 1385, 1396 (2007)]; Thereby having wherein the bolt head of each fastening bolt comprises an outer wear plug structured and arranged to prevent material from entering the associated liner interface through-hole during use of the mill.
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Waters (US20200061626A1) in view of Orloff (US3655227A).
Regarding claim 10, Waters does not disclose one or more collars each structured and arranged to be disposed around the bolt body of the fastening bolt inside the mill shell through-hole.
Orloff teaches a bolt comprising:
a collar (fig.3: (3)) structured and arranged to be disposed around a bolt body inside a hole (fig.1).
Both of the prior arts Waters and Waters are related to a bolt;
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the bolt head of the apparatus of Waters to have the configuration of a collar structured and arranged to be disposed around a bolt body inside a hole as taught by Orloff, since it has been held that combining prior art elements according to known methods to yield predictable results requires only routine skill in the art. [KSR Int’l Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 127 S.Ct. 1727, 1742, 82 USPQ2d 1385, 1396 (2007)]; Thereby having one or more collars each structured and arranged to be disposed around the bolt body of the fastening bolt inside the mill shell through-hole.
Allowable Subject Matter
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 13, the closet prior art is Rubie (US20210129155A1), however in the opinion of the Examiner that the arts of record neither anticipates nor render obvious the limitation of “b) to each of said one or more fastening bolts, attaching an associated liner interface guide element having a locking portion having a cross-sectional dimension being larger than a cross-sectional dimension of the bolt body of the one or more fastening bolts-such that said associated liner interface guide element-locks the fastening bolt to the liner element and protrude out from the back side of the liner element to define an associated guide portion; c) lifting by means of a lifting tool the liner element into a position with respect to the mill shell at which the one or more liner interface guide elements axially coincide with one or more associated mill shell through-holes; d) displacing by means of the lifting tool the liner element into a mounting position at which the liner element is in abutment with the mill shell by allowing said associated guide portions to penetrate into said one or more associated mill shell through-holes, thereby guiding the liner element into said mounting position, and at which mounting position each guide portion at least partly protrude out from the mill shell on the outside thereof so as to present an externally accessible engagement portion; e) displacing, by engaging said engagement portion, each liner interface guide element and its associated fastening bolt with respect to the liner element to a fastening position at which the bolt head engages with the liner element; f) removing each of the one or more liner interface guide elements from its associated fastening bolt” in combination with the other limitations of the claim.
Claims 14-15 are depended from claim 13.
Claim 13 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the claim objections, set forth in this Office action.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MOHAMMED S ALAWADI whose telephone number is (571)272-2224. The examiner can normally be reached 08:00 am- 05:00 pm.
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/MOHAMMED S. ALAWADI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3725