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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. In response to the amended claims, the citations have been amended accordingly.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 8 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Smith (U.S. Patent No. 8,919,085).
Regarding claim 1, Smith discloses a bale wrap assembly (252) for an agricultural baler (10), comprising: a segmented shaft (300) comprising a plurality of segments (302; 320) configured to couple to one another along a rotational axis of the segmented shaft (300); a bale wrap (200a) configured to be disposed about the segmented shaft (300); and at least one engagement feature (310; 326; 406) positioned at a trailing end (see Figs. 10-12 – the cited engagement features is on the inside portion of the bale wrap, thus adjacent the “trailing end” of the bale wrap) of the bale wrap (200a) and configured to engage the segmented shaft (300),
wherein the at least one engagement feature (310; 326; 406) is configured to couple the plurality of segments (302; 320) to one another while engaged with the segmented shaft (300), and the at least one engagement feature (310; 326; 406) is configured to disengage the segmented shaft (300) as the trailing end (see Figs. 10-12 – the cited engagement features is on the inside portion of the bale wrap, thus adjacent the “trailing end” of the bale wrap) of the bale wrap (200a) moves away from the segmented shaft (300) to enable the plurality of segments (302; 320) to uncouple from one another (see Column 9, line 64-67 and Column 10, line 01-05).
Regarding claim 8, Smith discloses an agricultural baler (10), comprising: a bale wrap assembly (252), comprising: a segmented shaft (300) comprising a plurality of segments (302; 320) configured to couple to one another along a rotational axis of the segmented shaft (300); a bale wrap (200a) configured to be disposed about the segmented shaft (300); and at least one engagement feature (310; 326; 406) positioned at a trailing end (see Figs. 10-12 – the cited engagement features is on the inside portion of the bale wrap, thus adjacent the “trailing end” of the bale wrap) of the bale wrap (200a) and configured to engage the segmented shaft (300), wherein the at least one engagement feature (310; 326; 406) is configured to couple the plurality of segments (302; 320) to one another while engaged with the segmented shaft (300), and the at least one engagement feature (310; 326; 406) is configured to disengage the segmented shaft (300) as the end of the bale wrap (200a) moves away from the segmented shaft (300) to enable the plurality of segments (302; 320) to uncouple from one another (see Column 9, line 64-67 and Column 10, line 01-05).
Regarding claim 15, Smith discloses a bale wrap assembly (252) for an agricultural baler (10), comprising: a segmented shaft (300) comprising a plurality of segments (302; 320) configured to couple to one another along a rotational axis of the segmented shaft (300); a bale wrap (200a) configured to be disposed about the segmented shaft (300); and at least one engagement feature (310; 326; 406) comprising a disruption element (306) configured to engage with adjacent segments
(302; 320) of the plurality of segments, wherein the disruption element (306) is coupled
to the bale wrap (200a), and the disruption element (306) is configured to drive the
adjacent segments (302; 320) to uncouple from one another as a trailing end (see Figs. 10-12 – the cited engagement features is on the inside portion of the bale wrap, thus adjacent the “trailing end” of the bale wrap) of the bale
wrap moves away from the segmented shaft (see Column 9, line 64-67 and Column
10, line 01-05).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-7, 9-14 and 16-20 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
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL JEREMY LEEDS whose telephone number is (571)272-2095. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thurs, 0730-1730.
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, Anna Kinsaul can be reached at 571-270-1926. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DANIEL JEREMY LEEDS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3731
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