DETAILED ACTION
Claims 16-30 are currently presented for examination.
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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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 16-30 are 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.
Claim 16 recites “a cutting head” at lines 1-2 and also “a cutting head” at line 8. It is unclear how many cutting heads are required by the claim, or whether the cutting head of line 8 is the same cutting head recited in lines 1-2. In the interest of advancing prosecution, the examiner will interpret the claim for the purpose of art rejections below as if the cutting head of line 8 is the same as the cutting head as recited in lines 1-2.
Claims 17-30 each depend from claim 16, and therefore are rejected for at least the reasons presented above with respect to claim 16.
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 16-18
Claims 16-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by United States Patent 2,905,030 to Cogsdill (hereinafter “Cogsdill”).
Regarding claim 16, Cogsdill discloses a delimitation device (see Fig. 1) for delimiting a penetration depth of a cutting head (10) into a workpiece, the delimitation device comprising: a detent sleeve (15) having a detent side (lowermost planar surface at the bottom of Fig. 1) for landing on a workpiece surface (intended use); a sleeve holder (7), wherein said sleeve holder (7) in relation to a rotation axis (imaginary centerline through device; see Annotated Figure) is mounted so as to be rotatable relative to said detent sleeve (15; see Col. 3, lines 3-17), and in relation to the rotation axis is fixed in an axial position (spring 29; see Fig. 1, limits movement axially) relative to said detent sleeve (15) and supports said detent sleeve (15); a cutting head (10), wherein said cutting head (10) during a rotation of said cutting head conjointly rotates with said sleeve holder (7) in relation to the rotation axis and has at least one cutting edge (see Figs. 1 and 5; cutting portion of tool 10 aligned with opening 43 and in contact with lead line 10 in Fig. 5), wherein said at least one cutting edge is disposed and configured proximal to said detent side (lowermost planar surface at bottom of Fig. 1) for cutting outside said detent sleeve (15); and said sleeve holder (7) further having a positioning face (uppermost horizontally extending face at member 9, shown abutting bottom of body 7; best shown in Fig. 1) disposed proximal to said detent side (lowermost surface of sleeve 15), transversely to the rotation axis (horizontal face extends transverse to axis about which device rotates), wherein said cutting head (10) contacts said positioning face (face at adapter member 9; see Fig. 1).
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Regarding claim 17, Cogsdill discloses the limitations of claim 16, and further Cogsdill discloses that said sleeve holder (7) has an insertion space (internal hollow containing spindle 5) and a sleeve holder wall (wall of body 7; see section view in Fig. 1), wherein said sleeve holder wall in relation to the rotation axis (see Annotated Figure above) circumferentially surrounds said insertion space (see Fig. 1) at least in portions; said cutting head (10) in portions is inserted into said insertion space (see Fig. 1; cutting head appears to be located at least partially within perimeter defining insertion space); and said positioning face (uppermost horizontally extending face at member 9, shown abutting bottom of body 7) is a face of said sleeve holder wall (see Fig. 1; shown as lowermost face of sleeve holder 7).
Regarding claim 18, Cogsdill discloses the limitations of claim 17, and further Cogsdill discloses that said positioning face (uppermost horizontally extending face at member 9, shown abutting bottom of body 7) is an end face of said sleeve holder wall (see Fig. 1; face is at lower end face of sleeve holder body 7).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 19-30 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 19, the prior art of record does not explicitly disclose or fairly teach “said cutting head so that said drive shaft sets said cutting head in cutting head rotation, wherein said drive shaft has a threaded portion and said threaded portion engages in said thread of said cutting head,” and further in combination with the remaining limitations of the claim. Cogsdill teaches a drive shaft (5) which includes a threaded portion (threaded portion receives screw 6), however Cogsdill does not teach that the threaded portion directly contacts the threaded portion of the cutting member (10). The
Regarding claim 21, the prior art of record does not explicitly disclose or fairly teach “said first cutting orbit is smaller than said second cutting orbit; said second cutting orbit from said positioning face has an orbit spacing measured parallel to the rotation axis; said detent side from said positioning face has a detent spacing measured parallel to the rotation axis; and said orbit spacing of said second orbit and said detent spacing are identical size” in combination with the remaining limitations of the claim.
Regarding claim 23, the prior art of record does not explicitly disclose or fairly teach “a plurality of dogs, said dogs in a region of said sleeve holder wall are disposed proximal to said insertion space, wherein at least two of said dogs contact said cutting head for rotational entrainment” in combination with the remaining limitations of the claim. While Cogsdill teaches a plurality of dogs (portions of sleeve holder 7 wall not including keyways 33 and 34), the plurality of dogs do not directly engage the cutting head (10), and instead an intervening structure (threaded adapter holder 9) is provided.
Regarding claim 29, the prior art of record does not explicitly disclose or fairly teach “wherein said sleeve holder supports said inner bearing race so as to be conjointly rotatable in a synchronous manner in relation to the rotation axis; wherein said detent sleeve supports said outer bearing race so as to be conjointly rotatable in a synchronous manner in relation to the rotation axis” and “wherein said rolling members contact in each case said inner bearing race and said outer bearing race,” and in further combination of the claim. Cogsdill teaches bearings (25), however does not fairly teach the bearing being supported on the sleeve holder and also on the detent sleeve such that there is synchronous rotation.
Regarding claim 30, the prior art of record does not explicitly disclose or fairly teach “further comprising a guide sleeve; wherein said detent sleeve is inserted into said guide sleeve” and “wherein said guide sleeve in relation to the rotation axis is mounted so as to be axially displaceable relative to said detent sleeve, so that said guide sleeve is adjustable from an initial position to a terminal position; wherein said guide detent side in the initial position protrudes in the axial direction beyond said detent side in relation to the rotation axis; wherein said guide detent side in the terminal position at least in portions terminates flush with said detent side,” in combination with the remaining limitations of the claim. Cogsdill does not fairly teach providing a guide sleeve externally of the detent sleeve (15).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
United States Patent 6,203,253 to Perrault (hereinafter “Perrault”) teaches a delimiting device (see Fig. 2).
United States Patent Application Publication 2010/0067996 to Hsu (hereinafter “Hsu”) teaches a delimiting device (20) for a cutting device (power tool 50).
United States Patent Application Publication 2005/0147478 to Greenberg (hereinafter “Greenberg”) United States Patent Application Publication 2005/0147478 to Greenberg (hereinafter “Greenberg”).
Regarding claim 16, Greenberg discloses a delimitation device (10; see Fig. 1) for delimiting a penetration depth of a cutting head (12) into a workpiece, the delimitation device comprising: a detent sleeve (outer sleeve 34) having a detent side (lowermost planar surface 38 of sleeve 34) for landing on a workpiece surface (20; intended use); a sleeve holder (inner sleeve 28), wherein said sleeve holder (28) in relation to a rotation axis (14; see paragraph [0020]) is mounted so as to be rotatable relative to said detent sleeve (via threaded engagement to outer sleeve 34), and in relation to the rotation axis is fixed in an axial position (via lock; see claim 17 and paragraph [0026]) relative to said detent sleeve (34) and supports said detent sleeve (34); a cutting head (12), wherein said cutting head (12) during a rotation of said cutting head conjointly rotates with said sleeve holder (28) in relation to the rotation axis and has at least one cutting edge (at cutting tip 22), wherein said at least one cutting edge is disposed and configured proximal to said detent side (38; see Fig. 1) for cutting outside said detent sleeve; and said sleeve holder (28) further having a positioning face (planar face 29) disposed proximal to said detent side (38), transversely to the rotation axis (surface 29 extends transverse to rotation axis 14; see Fig. 1). Greenberg does not fairly teach wherein said cutting head (12) contacts said positioning face.
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/DARRELL C FORD/Examiner, Art Unit 3726