DETAILED ACTION
The amendment filed 04/21/2026 has been entered.
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 Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 1-3, 6, 13, 19-20, 26, 28, 36, and 39-40 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over by Martin (4,472,088) in view of Cumming (3,702,060).
With regard to claims 1 and 36, Martin discloses a method/anchor arrangement for a solid body, the anchor arrangement (e.g. fig. 3) comprising: an elongate body (34) configured for, in use, being received at least partially within a hole in the solid body (fig. 3); an internal fixing arrangement (46/50/80) comprising a substance (56/80) received within a containing arrangement (46), the containing arrangement in use arranged within the hole (fig. 6); and an activating arrangement (54/62/74) configured for, in use, actuating the containing arrangement and causing the internal fixing arrangement to engage with the hole, thereby causing the elongate body to become fixed within the hole (col. 4, lines 27-37).
Martin is silent regarding a second end of the elongate body is associated with a counter-moment arrangement.
Cumming discloses an anchor arrangement for a solid body (eg. figs. 1-2) wherein a second end of the elongate body (11) is associated with a counter-moment arrangement (second nut 20).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Martin and utilize a counter-moment arrangement as taught in Cumming, with a reasonable expectation of success, in order to allow the bolt to be torqued to its desired tension.
With regard to claim 2, Martin further discloses the elongate body is substantially cylindrical and takes the form of one of a rock bolt and a cable (fig. 3), wherein a first end of the anchor arrangement is, operatively advanced into the hole, and wherein a second end of the elongate body operatively protrudes from the hole beyond an outer surface of the solid body (fig. 3).
With regard to claim 3, Martin further discloses the activating arrangement is configured operatively to exert an axial force (figs. 1-3), and therefore a pressure on a portion of the internal fixing arrangement, thereby to cause the substance to become pressurized within the hole and causing the anchor arrangement to become fixed within the hole and relative to the solid body (col. 4, lines 27-37), wherein a second end portion of the elongate body comprises an outer thread (42) configured in a first directional orientation and wherein the activating arrangement comprises an actuating body (74), comprising an inner thread configured in the first directional orientation and operatively received on the outer thread of the second end portion of the elongate body (fig. 3), and wherein, an operative torque applied, directly or indirectly, to the actuating body causes same to be displaced along the threaded second portion of the elongate body, thereby, directly or indirectly, to actuate the containing arrangement (col. 4, lines 27-37).
With regard to claim 6, Martin further discloses the actuating body comprising an actuating nut (74).
With regard to claim 13, Martin further discloses the activating arrangement further comprises a contact body (62) received between the actuating body and the containing arrangement (fig. 3), which contact body comprises a contact surface shaped to engage the containing arrangement, in use (fig. 3).
With regard to claim 19, Martin further discloses the containing arrangement is dimensioned operatively to be received completely within the hole (fig. 3) without any portion thereof protruding beyond an outer surface of the solid body (fig. 3).
With regard to claim 20, Martin further discloses the containing arrangement is operatively arranged at least partially between an internal sidewall of the hole and the elongate body (fig. 3), wherein the substance comprises a setting compound in the form of one of a cementitious material, a powder, a dry grout, a resin, or an epoxy resin (col. 4, lines 37-47), and wherein actuating the containing arrangement causes the setting compound to become set, thereby engaging with the hole and causing the elongate body to become fixed within the hole (col. 4, lines 37-47), and wherein the containing arrangement takes the form of a grout pack, receptacle, enclosure, sleeve, sock, or bag within which the substance is received in use (fig. 3; col. 4, lines 37-47).
With regard to claim 26, Martin further discloses the elongate body is operatively received within, surrounded by, or wrapped by the internal fixing arrangement along at least a portion of a length of the elongate body (fig. 3) and wherein an outer dimension of the anchor, once the elongate body is received within, surrounded by, or wrapped by the internal fixing arrangement, is smaller than a diameter of the hole, to allow the anchor arrangement to be, at least partially, advanced into the hole col. 4, lines 37-47).
With regard to claim 28, Martin further discloses a first end of the elongate body is associated with a locking body (38), selected from a list comprising a nut, washer, plate, collar, collet, and shoulder, which locking body is provided operatively for limiting or inhibiting axial displacement of the fixing arrangement relative to the elongate body and/or for providing back-pressure in the internal fixing arrangement when same is engaged by the activating arrangement (fig. 3).
With regard to claim 39, Martin further discloses providing a substance through an opening into a thin-walled vessel associated with the anchor arrangement (fig. 3) and exerting a force on the thin-walled vessel thereby to increase a pressure within the thin-walled vessel and/or causing an expansion of the thin-walled vessel (col. 4, lines 37-47).
With regard to claim 40, Martin further discloses providing a bearing plate (70) over a second end of the elongate body (fig. 3) and providing a torque (via 74) to the transfer arrangement, thereby causing the actuating body directly or indirectly to engage the internal fixing arrangement (col. 4, lines 37-47).
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Martin (4,472,088) in view of Cumming (3,702,060), as applied to claim 6 above, and further in view of Abreu et al. (2018/0030832).
With regard to claim 10, Martin, as modified, discloses the invention substantially as claimed however is silent regarding a tubular barrel and a transfer arrangement are separate components and wherein a torque limiting arrangement taking the form of one or more shear pins provided between the tubular barrel and the transfer arrangement which is provided between the tubular barrel and the transfer arrangement to allow a torque below a predetermined magnitude to be transferred from the transfer arrangement to the tubular barrel, wherein the tubular barrel comprises an outer thread configured in the first directional orientation, wherein the transfer arrangement comprises an inner thread configured in the first directional orientation and received on the outer thread of the tubular barrel, and wherein a torque applied in the first directional orientation exceeding the predetermined magnitude allows the transfer arrangement to overcome the torque limiting arrangement, following which interaction with the outer thread of the tubular barrel causes the transfer arrangement to be displaced relative to the tubular barrel until an axial load is transferred between the anchor and the solid body, to create tension in the anchor arrangement.
Abreu discloses an anchor arrangement (e.g. figs. 10A, 10B) comprising a tubular barrel (10A; inner segment) and a transfer arrangement (10A; outer segment)are separate components and wherein a torque limiting arrangement (76) taking the form of one or more shear pins (para 0083) provided between the tubular barrel and the transfer arrangement which is provided between the tubular barrel and the transfer arrangement to allow a torque below a predetermined magnitude to be transferred from the transfer arrangement to the tubular barrel (para 0083), wherein the tubular barrel comprises an outer thread configured in the first directional orientation, wherein the transfer arrangement comprises an inner thread configured in the first directional orientation and received on the outer thread of the tubular barrel (figs. 10A, 10B), and wherein a torque applied in the first directional orientation exceeding the predetermined magnitude allows the transfer arrangement to overcome the torque limiting arrangement (fig. 10B; para 0083), following which interaction with the outer thread of the tubular barrel causes the transfer arrangement to be displaced relative to the tubular barrel until an axial load is transferred between the anchor and the solid body, to create tension in the anchor arrangement (fig. 10B).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify Martin and utilize a tubular barrel and transfer arrangement as taught in Abreu, with a reasonable expectation of success, in order to allow rotational and axial forces to the elongate body.
Claim(s) 23 and 38 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Martin (4,472,088) in view of Cumming (3,702,060), as applied to claims 20 and 36 above, and further in view of Sandahi (4,232,984).
With regard to claim 23, Martin, as modified, discloses the invention substantially as claimed however is silent regarding the containing arrangement is manufactured from a water-permeable fabric or textile material, configured operatively to allow water to penetrate therethrough and into the containing arrangement to contact the substance when the internal fixing arrangement is operatively submerged in water, and wherein a permeability, size and shape of the material from which the containing arrangement is manufactured, is selected to allow a suitable amount of water to penetrate the containing arrangement to allow for a predetermined water to substance ratio.
Sandahi discloses an anchor arrangement wherein the containing arrangement (abstract, “cartridge/casing”) is manufactured from a water-permeable fabric or textile material, configured operatively to allow water to penetrate therethrough and into the containing arrangement to contact the substance when the internal fixing arrangement is operatively submerged in water (col. 3, lines 12-35), and wherein a permeability, size and shape of the material from which the containing arrangement is manufactured, is selected to allow a suitable amount of water to penetrate the containing arrangement to allow for a predetermined water to substance ratio (col. 3, lines 12-67).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify Martin and utilize a permeable containing arrangement as taught in Sandahi, with a reasonable expectation of success, in order to ensure a uniform mixture as taught by Sandahi (abstract).
With regard to method claim 38, the claimed method of installing an anchor arrangement would inherently be performed by the modification of Martin to include permeable containing arrangement as taught by Sandahi as discussed above.
Claim(s) 34 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Martin (4,472,088) in view of Cumming (3,702,060), as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Kern (4,092,814).
With regard to claim 34, Martin, as modified, discloses the invention substantially as claimed however is silent regarding a breather passage extends axially and/or centrally along a portion of the elongate body.
Kern discloses an anchor arrangement (2) comprising a breather passage (8) extends axially and/or centrally along a portion of the elongate body (figs. 2-3).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify Martin and utilize a breather passage as taught in Kern, with a reasonable expectation of success, in order to vent the hole in the solid body.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 14, 30, and 32 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: the cited prior art, either alone or in any reasonable combination, fails to teach or suggest all the limitations of the independent claim(s). Anchor arrangements are known such as those taught by Martin (4,472,088) and Schmidt (2012/0155971). However, the cited prior art lacks the details of the counter-moment arrangement and expandable, plastically-deformable thin-walled vessel as required by the dependent claim(s) and it would not have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the prior art to achieve applicant’s invention without the benefit of hindsight and applicant’s own disclosure.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 04/21/2026 have been fully considered. Applicant did not rewrite the independent claim to include all the limitations of the dependent claim.
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 BENJAMIN F FIORELLO whose telephone number is (571)270-7012. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 8:00AM-4:30PM EST.
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/BENJAMIN F FIORELLO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3678
BF
06/18/2026
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