DETAILED ACTION
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the following must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s):
An oscillating roller drive gear engaged with the can body idler gear of claim 5;
The closed loop lubrication system of claim 11;
The internal passages adapted for cooling water of claim 12;
The three cam followers of claim 13.
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they do not include the following reference sign(s) mentioned in the description:
970a and 970b, ¶ 0134;
686, 660, 670, 610 ¶ 135;
650a, 652a, 652b, 616a, ¶ 0137;
694, ¶ 0139;
620u, 620a, 620b, 628, 630, ¶ 0143;
622u, 622a, 622b, 621 ¶ 0144.
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character(s) not mentioned in the description:
650, Fig. 11;
616, Fig. 11;
648u, 648b, Fig. 14;
654b, Fig. 13;
652, Fig. 11.
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(4) for the following reasons:
Reference character “670” has been used to designate two different things in Fig. 14;
Reference character “605” has been used to designate two different things in Fig. 11;
Reference character “692d” has been used to designate two different things in Fig. 14;
Reference character “648b” has been used to designate two different things in Fig. 14;
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(4) because reference characters "610, 610u, 610a, 610b" and "611, 611u, 611a, 611b" both appear to have been used to designate identical oscillating roller assemblies.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
No new matter should be entered.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-13 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding claim 1, “the oscillating roller” in line 13 lacks a proper antecedent basis;
Regarding claim 6, “the inker assembly frame” in line 2 lacks a proper antecedent basis;
Further regarding claim 6, “the cam follower supports” in line 1 lacks a proper antecedent basis.
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.
Claim 13 is 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 13 recites that the at least one cam follower is three cam followers. This makes the scope of the claim indefinite, as each of the three oscillating roller assemblies is disclosed as having a single cam follower, and it is not clear how the invention would operate with nine cam followers for only three oscillating rollers. That is, each oscillating roller can only have one cam follower engaged with the cam, in order for the roller to oscillate in the pattern determine by the shape of the cam.
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 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Stirbis, US 4,741,266 (hereinafter Stirbis).
Regarding claim 1, Stirbis teaches an inker assembly of a can decorator, comprising:
an ink well (88, Fig. 4);
plural laterally-fixed roller assemblies (70, 72, 74, 80, 82, 84, 85, 86, 87, Figs 4 and 31);
plural oscillating roller assemblies (76, 78, 83, Figs. 4 and 31), each oscillating roller assembly including an oscillator body (rollers 76, 78, and 83 each have a body), an oscillator shaft supporting the oscillator body (shafts 832 and 530, Figs. 35 and 35A), and a cam follower coupled to the oscillator shaft (cam follower 864, cam 876, Fig. 35A);
the oscillating roller assemblies and the laterally-fixed roller assemblies adapted for cooperation to transmit ink from the ink well to a plate cylinder of the can decorator (plate cylinder 70, Figs. 4 and 31);
a cam body having a cam that is engaged with at least one of the cam followers of the oscillating roller assemblies (cam 876, Fig. 35A); and
a cam drive transmission for rotating the cam body and cam; whereby rotation of the cam body moves the cam followers fore and aft, thereby moving the oscillating roller fore and aft (“Each of the cam pulley assemblies 840, 842 comprises a flanged hub member 860 with a continuous axially inclined cam slot 862 located between axially spaced flange portions 863, 864. Each hub member 860 is fixedly attached to gear 836 or 838 by bolt means 866 and is fixedly connected to shaft members 530 or 832 by an end plate 870 and bolt means 871, 872, 873, 874. A cam roller means 876 mounted on a fixed shaft member 877 is located in each cam slot 862 in abutting engagement with slot side surfaces 878, 879 so as to effect reciprocable back and forth movement of shafts 530, 832 and vibrator rolls 76, 78, 83 during rotation of the hub member 860 relative to cam rollers 876. It is to be understood that the drive system for each vibrator roll 76, 78 and associated form roll 72, 74 are similarly constructed and arranged,” col. 19, lines 8-23).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-12 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 2, the claim is deemed to be directed to a nonobvious difference over US 4,741,266. Claim 2 comprises a single cam that engages each one of the upper, left, and right oscillating roller assemblies, which is different than US 4,741,266, which uses individual cams to engage each of the upper (83, Fig. 31), left (76, Fig. 31), and right (78, Fig. 31) oscillating roller assemblies, so as to optimize the synchronized operation of the upper, left, and right oscillating roller assemblies.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 20130174753 A1 discloses a cylindrical can decorator inker assembly having a non-oscillating first transfer roll, a non-oscillating second transfer roll and a non-oscillating third transfer roll, and further having axially oscillating distributor and ghost chaser rolls to prevent ghosting on the decorated cans. The inker assembly preferably has an improved oscillator drive assembly, oscillating roll structure, transfer roll structure and inker assembly mount.
US 20130098256 A1 discloses a modular decorator ink temperature control system for use with a blanket wheel, the blanket wheel having inker station configured with an inker station panel and at least one roller operatively mounted thereto. The modular decorator ink temperature control system includes a thermal transfer fluid conduit having an entry end distal to the blanket wheel and an exit end proximate to the blanket wheel with the thermal transfer fluid conduit in contact with the at least one roller and configured to convey at least one thermal transfer fluid therethrough. The modular decorator ink temperature control system also includes at least one control manifold device mounted on the inker station panel in operative communication with the thermal transfer fluid conduit.
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/LEO T HINZE/
Patent Examiner
AU 2853
16 May 2026
/STEPHEN D MEIER/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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