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 .
Amendment received 12/4/25 was entered into the record.
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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 5, 6, and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by JP 59-128159 (“JP ‘159”).
Regarding claim 1, JP ‘159 disclosed a paper sheet feeding device that presses paper sheets placed in an intake section towards a feed roller by a bill press and takes in the paper sheets into a machine body, wherein the bill press comprises:
a main pressing section (3) that is provided to be movable up and down in the intake section and can press a substantial center of the paper sheets, and auxiliary pressing sections (4) that are provided independently of said main pressing section and can press regions of the paper sheets other than the substantial center,
said auxiliary pressing sections are configured to be connected to said main pressing section via a rotating shaft (7) and to be movable up and down in the intake section in conjunction with said main pressing section and to be swingable about the rotating shaft (Figures 3-5),
wherein when the bill press is on standby, said auxiliary pressing sections are configured to maintain a horizontal posture (as seen in Figure 5 noting that the horizontal posture may be called a standby state of the press during which the pile could be bound).
Regarding claim 2, JP ‘159 disclosed said auxiliary pressing sections are respectively arranged in a front-rear direction extending along a longitudinal direction of the paper sheets with said main pressing section being a reference (as seen in the figures).
Regarding claim 3, JP ‘159 disclosed the rotating shaft (7) is provided to extend along a left-right direction perpendicular to the front-rear (as seen in the figures).
Regarding claim 5, JP ‘159 disclosed said auxiliary pressing sections are arranged in a left- right direction extending along a short direction of the paper sheets with said main pressing section being a reference (as seen in the figures).
Regarding claim 6, JP ‘159 disclosed an intake port (see Figure 1) that takes in the paper sheets placed in the intake section into the machine body, said auxiliary pressing sections are provided on the opposite side of the intake port in the intake section in a left-right direction extending along a short direction of the paper sheets with said main pressing section being a reference (as seen in the figures).
Regarding claim 8, JP ‘159 disclosed the rotating shaft is positioned substantially at a center of the main pressing section (within the footprint of plate 3) with adjacent ends of the auxiliary pressing sections rotatably attached to the rotating shaft; and wherein the auxiliary pressing sections maintain the horizontal posture by a biasing force of a spring (9a).
Claim(s) 1-3 and 5-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by GB 2543555 (“GB ‘555”).
Regarding claim 1, GB ‘555 disclosed a paper sheet feeding device that presses paper sheets placed in an intake section towards a feed roller by a bill press and takes in the paper sheets into a machine body, wherein the bill press comprises:
a main pressing section (12 or 4012) that is provided to be movable up and down in the intake section and can press a substantial center of the paper sheets, and auxiliary pressing sections (13a, 13b or 4013a, 4013b) that are provided independently of said main pressing section and can press regions of the paper sheets other than the substantial center,
said auxiliary pressing sections are configured to be connected to said main pressing section via a rotating shaft (14a, 14b or 4023) and to be movable up and down in the intake section in conjunction with said main pressing section and to be swingable about the rotating shaft (Figures 1, 4, and 7d),
wherein when the bill press is on standby, said auxiliary pressing sections are configured to maintain a horizontal posture (as seen in the figures).
Regarding claim 2, GB ‘555 disclosed said auxiliary pressing sections are respectively arranged in a front-rear direction extending along a longitudinal direction of the paper sheets with said main pressing section being a reference (as seen in the figures).
Regarding claim 3, GB ‘555 disclosed the rotating shaft is provided to extend along a left-right direction perpendicular to the front-rear (as seen in the figures).
Regarding claim 5, GB ‘555 disclosed said auxiliary pressing sections are arranged in a left- right direction extending along a short direction of the paper sheets with said main pressing section being a reference (as seen in the figures).
Regarding claim 6, GB ‘555 disclosed an intake port (see Figure 1) that takes in the paper sheets placed in the intake section into the machine body, said auxiliary pressing sections are provided on the opposite side of the intake port in the intake section in a left-right direction extending along a short direction of the paper sheets with said main pressing section being a reference (as seen in the figures).
Regarding claim 7, GB ‘555 disclosed the rotating shaft is positioned substantially at a center of the main pressing section (within the footprint of plate 12 or see Figure 7a) with adjacent ends of the auxiliary pressing sections rotatably attached to the rotating shaft; and wherein the auxiliary pressing sections maintain the horizontal posture by a weight of the auxiliary pressing sections (as seen in the figures).
Regarding claim 8, GB ‘555 disclosed the rotating shaft is positioned substantially at a center of the main pressing section (within the footprint of plate 12 or see Figure 7a) with adjacent ends of the auxiliary pressing sections rotatably attached to the rotating shaft; and wherein the auxiliary pressing sections maintain the horizontal posture by a biasing force of a spring (see at least 18).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims have been considered but are moot because of the new rejections presented above in response to the amendment to the 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 HOWARD J SANDERS whose telephone number is (571)270-3096. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00-5:00.
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/HOWARD J SANDERS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3653