DETAILED ACTION
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 1-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Eckstein et al. (US 20230104148) and Gopalsamy et al. (US 20150159344).
Regarding claim 1, Eckstein discloses a tractor bottom guard device, comprising:
a skid plate adapted to protect underside components of a tractor, said skid plate comprising a planar member (annotated fig 2) having a front end (front end of planar member, annotated fig 2) opposite a rear end (rear end of planar member, annotated fig 2), said planar member have a left side opposite a right side (annotated fig 2), said skid plate defining at least a first draining aperture (aperture covered by 242, annotated fig 2) configured to provide access to an OEM transmission fluid drain hole of the transmission of the tractor ([0002], [0021]-[0022], figs 1-);
a first transmission bracket (240) adapted to removably connect to the transmission of the tractor with at least a first bolt (254 @ right on 236, fig 4), said first transmission bracket defining at least a first bracket aperture (236 @ left on 240, fig 4) through which at least a first skid bracket bolt (254 @ left 236 on 240, fig 4) removably connects the skid plate to said first transmission bracket (figs 1-2, [0036]); and
a second transmission bracket (246) adapted to removably connect to the transmission of the tractor with at least a second bolt (254 @ top on 246, fig 2), said second transmission bracket defining at least a second bracket aperture (v1 @ 246, fig 2) through which at least a second skid bracket bolt removably connects the skid plate to said second transmission bracket (figs 1-5).
Eckstein is silent regarding the fact that said skid plate having a transversal plate extending upwards from the rear end at an angle normal to a plane of the planar member the transversal plate defining at least one transversal plate aperture through which at least one transversal bolt removably connects the skid plate to at least a first rear axle bracket, said rear axle bracket adapted to removably connect to a rear axle of a tractor.
Gopalsamy teaches the fact that said skid plate having a transversal plate (annotated fig 2) extending upwards from the rear end at an angle normal to a plane of the planar member (annotated fig 2) the transversal plate defining at least one transversal plate aperture (aperture containing fasteners shown on first axle bracket, annotated fig 2) through which at least one transversal bolt (bolt shown on first axle bracket, annotated fig 2) removably connects the skid plate to at least a first rear axle bracket (annotated fig 2, [0003]), said rear axle bracket adapted to removably connect to a rear axle of a tractor ([0002], annotated fig 2).
Before the effective filling date, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, having the teachings of Eckstein and Gopalsamy before him or her, to modify the apparatus/method disclosed by Eckstein to include the transversal plate as taught by Gopalsamy in order to protect vital components ([0002]).
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Regarding claim 2, Eckstein further discloses that said skid plate comprising a diagonal wall (annotated fig 2) disposed at the front end of the planar member at an angle that departs from a horizontal plane of the planar member (annotated fig 2), such that a plane of the diagonal wall extends upwards according to a ray defined by said angle (fig 2).
Regarding claim 3, Eckstein further discloses that said skid plate comprising a first vertical wall (annotated fig 2) and a second vertical wall (annotated fig 2), the first vertical wall disposed at the left side of the planar member at an angle that is perpendicular to the horizontal plane of the planar member (annotated fig 2), the second vertical wall disposed at the right side of the planar member at an angle that is perpendicular to the horizontal plane of the planar member (annotated fig 2).
Regarding claim 4, Eckstein further discloses the first vertical wall and the second vertical wall each respectively define a plurality of apertures (annotated fig 2) adapted to respectively receive a plurality of bolts configured for removable connection to an underside frame of the tractor (annotated fig 2).
Regarding claim 5, Eckstein further discloses that said skid plate defines at least a second draining aperture (aperture covered by 244, annotated fig 2) adapted to provide access through the skid plate to an OEM transmission fluid drain hole of the transmission of the tractor (annotated fig 2).
Regarding claim 6, Eckstein further discloses that said first transmission bracket defining at least a second aperture (238 @ left on 240, fig 4 ) through which at least a second skid bracket bolt (254 @ left 238 on 240, fig 4) removably connects the skid plate to said first transmission bracket (figs 1-4, [0036]).
Regarding claim 7, Eckstein discloses that said second transmission bracket defining at least two apertures (apertures of 246 ) through which at least four respective skid bracket bolts (254 on 246, fig 2) removably connect the skid plate to said second transmission bracket (figs 1-5).
Eckstein discloses two apertures and two respective bolts instead of 4.
However, Gopalsamy teaches a transmission bracket (42a) with at least four apertures (aperture containing 102, fig 5) and four resective bolts (102) (fig 5).
Before the effective filling date, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, having the teachings of Eckstein and Gopalsamy before him or her, to modify the apparatus/method disclosed by Eckstein to include the two extra bolts and apertures as taught by Gopalsamy in order to strengthen the connection.
Regarding claim 8, Eckstein further discloses that said skid plate defines a first plurality of bolt access apertures (apertures on 242, fig ) configured to provide access through said skid plate for a user to tighten the bolts connecting the first transmission bracket to the transmission of the tractor (figs 1-4).
Regarding claim 9, Eckstein further discloses a second plurality of bolt access apertures (apertures on 244) configured to provide access through said skid plate for a user to tighten the bolts connecting the second transmission bracket to the transmission of the tractor (figs 1-5).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10 and 11 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANY E AKAKPO whose telephone number is (469)295-9255. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am - 5pm.
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/DANY E AKAKPO/Examiner, Art Unit 3672
03/04/2026