DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 14-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected group, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 7/1/2026.
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 “a third bearing bore” must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
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. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. 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.
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.
Claims 1-13 are 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites the limitation “disposed over”. It is unclear what this limitation means. It is on top of or anywhere above the first contact surface? The specification seems to show that it is making contact or “disposed on” the first contact surface.
All dependent claims of above-mentioned claims inherit all of the limitations of the above-mentioned claims. Thus, the claims are likewise rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 4-6, 12, 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a) (1) as being anticipated by Heise (US 4699050).
Regarding claim 1, Heise discloses a bearing block assembly for supporting a calender roll, comprising: a housing (5) comprising a preload access port (6. where 7 is located), a base surface (surface of 5 shown below), and a first side (left of midplane) and a second side (right of midplane) separated by a midplane (shown below) perpendicular to the base surface, wherein a first contact surface (shown below) extends from the base surface at a first angle (0 degree angle) and is located in the first side, and a second contact surface (shown below) extends from the base surface at a second angle (0 degree angle) and is located in the second side; a first bearing block (4b) disposed within the housing and comprising a first bearing block surface (surface of 4b over 5) and a first bearing bore (where 13a passes), wherein the first bearing block surface is disposed over the first contact surface; a second bearing block (4a) disposed within the housing and comprising a second bearing block surface (surface of 4a over 5) and a second bearing bore (where 13a passes), wherein the second bearing block surface is disposed over the second contact surface; and a third bearing block (4. in Fig. 3-4) disposed within the housing and comprising a preload surface (surface of 4 that faces 7) and a third bearing bore (where 13a passes), wherein the preload surface is positioned between the preload access port (6 where 7 is located) and the base surface (shown below).
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Regarding claim 2, Heise discloses the bearing block assembly of claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises the first contact surface and the second contact surface. (see above)
Regarding claim 4, Heise discloses the bearing block assembly of claim 1, wherein each of the first angle and the second angle are congruent angles. (both 0 degrees)
Regarding claim 5, Heise discloses the bearing block assembly of claim 1, further comprising a preload force applicator. (7)
Regarding claim 6, Heise discloses the bearing block assembly of claim 5, wherein the preload force applicator contacts the preload surface. (7 contacts 6)
Regarding claim 12, Heise discloses a system for supporting a calender roll (title), the system comprising: the bearing block assembly of claim 1; and a calender roll (13) comprising a first journal (13a, one journal of 13 shown in Fig. 2) disposed within the first, second and third bearing bores.
Regarding claim 13, Heise discloses the system of claim 12, further comprising an additional bearing block assembly (examiner notes that bearing block assembly is on both sides of the roll) comprising an additional bearing bore, wherein the calender roll further comprises a second journal (13a, one journal of 13 shown in Fig. 2) disposed within the additional bearing bore.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 7-11 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
None of the prior art discloses or render obvious claim 3 or 7. Therefore, claims 3, 7-11 are indicated allowable.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BOBBY YEONJIN KIM whose telephone number is (571)272-1866. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9 am - 5 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christopher Templeton can be reached on (571) 270-1477. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BOBBY YEONJIN KIM/Examiner, Art Unit 3725
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