DETAILED ACTION
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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
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: the end of the preamble recites “of said chamber of, said gauging instrument comprising:” which should read “of said chamber of said rifle, said gauging instrument comprising:” in accordance with the construction of the preamble of Claim 2. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim(s) 1 and 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2497196 to Woodward.
Regarding Claim 1, Woodward discloses a gauging instrument for measuring the headspace dimension of a rifle (Figs. 1-2 and 7, micrometer head space gauge; Col. 1, line 1 – Col. 24, line 27), said rifle comprising a bolt and a chamber, said bolt having a face, said chamber having a breeching feature, said headspace dimension being the distance between said face of said bolt and said breeching feature of said chamber of said rifle (Figs. 1-2 and 7, rifle head space of firing chamber 13 between shoulder 12 and bolt 14 face; Col. 1, line 1 – Col. 24, line 27), said gauging instrument comprising: a feature which interfaces with said face of said bolt (Figs. 1-2 and 7, rear section 19 with measuring head 31 engaging bolt 14 face; Col. 1, line 1 – Col. 24, line 27), and a feature which interfaces with said breeching feature of said chamber (Figs. 1-2 and 7, front section 18 merges into an inwardly-directed substantially frustro-conical shoulder which is complementary to shoulder 12; Col. 1, line 1 – Col. 24, line 27), said feature which interfaces with said face of said bolt and said feature which interfaces with said breeching feature of said chamber being joined by a threaded connection (Figs. 1-2 and 7, front section 18 and rear section 19 with measuring head 31 having beam 26 with measuring thread section 32 received threaded counterbore 24; Col. 1, line 1 – Col. 24, line 27), the distance between said feature which interfaces with said face of said bolt and said feature which interfaces with said breeching feature of said chamber being adjusted by rotating said threaded connection (Figs. 1-2 and 7, front section 18 and rear section 19 with measuring head 31 having beam 26 with measuring thread section 32 received threaded counterbore 24; Col. 1, line 1 – Col. 24, line 27).
Regarding Claim 3, Woodward discloses a method for measuring the headspace dimension of the chamber of a rifle (Figs. 1-2 and 7, micrometer head space gauge operation; Col. 1, line 1 – Col. 24, line 27), said rifle comprising a bolt and a chamber, said bolt having a face, said chamber having a breeching feature, said headspace dimension being the distance between said bolt face of said rifle and said breeching feature of said chamber of said rifle (Figs. 1-2 and 7, rifle head space of firing chamber 13 between shoulder 12 and bolt 14 face; Col. 1, line 1 – Col. 24, line 27), said method comprising: assembling a headspace gauge, said headspace gauge comprising a feature which interfaces with said face of said bolt, said headspace gauge further comprising a feature which interfaces with said breeching feature of said chamber (Figs. 1-2 and 7, assembling rear section 19 with measuring head 31 engaging bolt 14 face and front section 18 merges into an inwardly-directed substantially frustro-conical shoulder which is complementary to shoulder 12; Col. 1, line 1 – Col. 24, line 27), the distance between said feature which interfaces with said face of said bolt and said feature which interfaces with said breeching feature of said chamber being adjustable (Figs. 1-2 and 7, front section 18 and rear section 19 with measuring head 31 having beam 26 with measuring thread section 32 received threaded counterbore 24; Col. 1, line 1 – Col. 24, line 27); adjusting the distance between said feature of said headspace gauge which interfaces with said face of said bolt and said feature of said headspace gauge which interfaces with said breeching feature of said chamber such that said bolt will fully close without resistance when said headspace gauge is placed inside said chamber (Figs. 1-2 and 7, adjusting measuring head 31 up or down; Col. 3, line 33 – Col. 24, line 27); increasing the distance between said feature of said headspace gauge which interfaces with said face of said bolt and said feature of said headspace gauge which interfaces with said breeching feature of said chamber in small increments until a small force is required to fully close said bolt when said headspace gauge is placed inside said chamber (Figs. 1-2 and 7, incrementally adjusting measuring head 31 to intermediate settings; Col. 3, line 33 – Col. 24, line 27); and measuring the distance between said feature of said headspace gauge which interfaces with said face of said bolt and said feature of said headspace gauge which interfaces with said breeching feature of said chamber (Figs. 1-2 and 7, accurate measurement with gradations of measuring head 31; Col. 3, line 33 – Col. 24, line 27).
Claim(s) 2 and 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 20140196300 to Williamson.
Regarding Claim 2, Williamson discloses a gauging instrument for measuring the headspace dimension of a rifle (Figs. 1-3, headspace gauge 10 for rifle; ¶¶ [0020]-[0024]), said rifle comprising a bolt and a chamber, said bolt having a face, said chamber having a breeching feature, said headspace dimension being the distance between said bolt face of said rifle and said breeching feature of said chamber of said rifle (Figs. 1-3, rifle with headspace defined as distance from bolt face at battery position to a known datum point (shoulder) in chamber; ¶¶ [0002], [0013]-[0014], [0020]-[0024]), said gauging instrument comprising: a feature which interfaces with said face of said bolt (Figs. 1-3, cylindrical case 12 engaging bolt face; ¶¶ [0013]-[0014], [0020]-[0024]), and a feature which interfaces with said breeching feature of said chamber (Figs. 1-3, elongated cylindrical plunger 14 engaging known datum point (shoulder) in chamber; ¶¶ [0013]-[0014], [0020]-[0024]), said feature which interfaces with said face of said bolt and said feature which interfaces with said breeching feature of said chamber being joined by a sliding connection (Figs. 1-3, cylindrical case 12 receives elongated cylindrical plunger 14 in telescoping fashion; ¶¶ [0013]-[0014], [0020]-[0024]), the distance between said feature which interfaces with said face of said bolt and said feature which interfaces with said breeching feature of said chamber being adjusted by extending or compressing said sliding connection (Figs. 1-3, cylindrical case 12 receives elongated cylindrical plunger 14 in telescoping fashion; ¶¶ [0013]-[0014], [0020]-[0024]).
Regarding Claim 4, Williamson discloses a method for measuring the headspace dimension of the chamber of a rifle (Figs. 1-3, operation of headspace gauge 10 for rifle; ¶¶ [0020]-[0024]), said rifle comprising a bolt and a chamber, said bolt having a face, said chamber having a breeching feature, said headspace dimension being the distance between said bolt face of said rifle and said breeching feature of said chamber of said rifle (Figs. 1-3, rifle with headspace defined as distance from bolt face at battery position to a known datum point (shoulder) in chamber; ¶¶ [0002], [0013]-[0014], [0020]-[0024]), said method comprising: assembling a headspace gauge (Figs. 1-3, coupling and unlocking of headspace gauge 10; ¶¶ [0013]-[0014], [0020]-[0024]), said headspace gauge comprising a feature which interfaces with said face of said bolt (Figs. 1-3, cylindrical case 12 engaging bolt face; ¶¶ [0013]-[0014], [0020]-[0024]), said headspace gauge further comprising a feature which interfaces with said breeching feature of said chamber (Figs. 1-3, elongated cylindrical plunger 14 engaging known datum point (shoulder) in chamber; ¶¶ [0013]-[0014], [0020]-[0024]), the distance between said feature interfacing with said face of said bolt and said feature interfacing with said breeching feature of said chamber being changed by a compressive force (Figs. 1-3, cylindrical case 12 with space 16 receiving compression spring 18 and elongated cylindrical plunger 14 in telescoping fashion; ¶¶ [0013]-[0014], [0020]-[0024]); placing said headspace gauge into said chamber (Figs. 1-3, headspace gauge 10 inserted into firearm chamber; ¶¶ [0013]-[0014], [0020]-[0024]); closing said bolt, said closing action compressing said headspace gauge thereby changing the distance between said feature interfacing with said face of said bolt and said feature interfacing with said breeching feature of said chamber (Figs. 1-3, closing chamber thereby compressing plunger 14 into case 12 against force of spring 18; ¶¶ [0013]-[0014], [0020]-[0024]); opening said bolt; removing said headspace gauge from said chamber (Figs. 1-3, opening chamber 40 to remove gauge 10; ¶¶ [0013]-[0014], [0020]-[0024]); and measuring the distance between said feature of said headspace gauge interfacing with said face of said bolt and said feature of said headspace gauge interfacing with said breeching feature of said chamber (Figs. 1-3, dimension D.sub.2 is the actual headspace dimension and is subsequently measured after the locking substance 20 has locked the gauge at the dimension D.sub.2 by solidifying; ¶¶ [0013]-[0014], [0020]-[0024]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID J BOLDUC whose telephone number is (571)270-1602. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 10am-6pm.
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/DAVID J BOLDUC/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852