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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 2-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the enablement requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to enable one skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and/or use the invention. The floating clamping pin, the angular head, unhindered pivoting, machine screws, and the reliefs are not found in the specification.
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 1-4 are replete with lack of antecedent informalities: the set screw, the vertical.., the bridge plate, the path, the set, the attachment, the body, the guitar, and the shaft, The applicant is behooved to review all of the claims for such lack of antecedent informalities.
The phrase “like a” is vague and fails to specifically disclose the applicant’s invention.
Regarding claim 4, the specification states paragraph 0031 that the lock screws (10) and clamping pins (11) are machine into the block. Therefore, it is unclear how the multiplicity of machine screws comprising an angular head like a countersunk screw to provide unhindered pivoting of the bridge. There is no mention in the specification of the machine screws or the angular head.
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 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schwartz (US 11100905) in view of Saijo (US 5088375).
Regarding claim 1, Schwartz discloses the use of a locking block (36) for a guitar tremolo bridge (see figure 15) comprising horizontally and threaded holes (51 )for each string which intersect the vertical string bore passages (122) just below the bridge plate (see the plate in figure 6) so that screws clamp down the strings (18) locking them in place so they cannot move, while offering tuning stability.
Schwartz does not disclose the specific use of drilled holes.
However, it would have been obvious to one or ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the device as disclosed in Schwartz to include holes that are drilled since drilling holes is a conventional way of forming holes.
Regarding claim 2, Schwartz discloses a locking block (36) for a guitar tremolo bridge (see figure 15) comprising horizontally drilled (51) and threaded holes for each string which intersect the vertical string bore passages (122) just below the bridge plate (see the plate in figure 6) so that screws and a means (38) for clamping down the strings locking them in place so they cannot move, said drilled and threaded hole having a pocket in the path of the set screw (90) and string passage to hold a floating clamping pin interface securely to clamp the string without damaging it, while offering tuning stability.
Schwartz does not disclose the specific use of drilled holes.
However, it would have been obvious to one or ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the device as disclosed in Schwartz to include the drilled holes as recited by the applicant, and the holes that are drilled since drilling holes is a conventional way of forming holes.
Schwartz does not disclose the use of clamping pins.
Saijo discloses the use of clamping pins (50) for locking down the strings.
It would have been obvious to one or ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the device as disclosed in Schwartz and the clamping pins as disclosed in Saijo in order to provide a means for keeping the strings in place.
Regarding claim 3, as the examiner is best understood Schwartz discloses the use of a guitar tremolo bridge comprising a multiplicity of machine screws (53) to provide adjustment and secure the attachment of the tremolo bridge to the body of the guitar (see figure 1), said screws having cuts into the shaft (see figure 6) of the screw to provide smooth pivoting.
Schwartz does not disclose the use of metallic inserts.
WO2015120503A1 discloses the use of screws (53) threaded into metallic inserts (50), which in turn are threaded into the guitar.
Schwartz and WO2015120503A1 do not disclose the attachment to the body.
However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the device as disclosed in Schwartz to include the metallic inserts as disclosed in WO2015120503A1 in order to provide a sturdy attachment means.
Regarding claim 4, as the applicant’s invention is best understood Schwartz discloses the use of a countersunk head screws (53) to provide unhindered pivoting of the bridge along its horizontal axis.
10. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KIMBERLY R LOCKETT whose telephone number is (571)272-2067. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30-5:00 pm M-F.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Dedei Hammond can be reached at 571-270-7938. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KIMBERLY R LOCKETT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837