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 .
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 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.
Claims 1-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Campbell (U.S. Patent No. 1,416,331).
Regarding Claim 1, Campbell discloses a seed boot (Campbell: 8) comprising:
A leading edge (Campbell: 17);
A channel (Campbell: within 8) for transporting seed opposite the leading edge (Campbell: 17), wherein the channel (Campbell: within 8) has a first end (Campbell: upper end of 8) and a second end (Campbell: lower end of 8 near 19), and further comprising a channel exit (Campbell: 19) at the second end (Campbell: lower end of 8 near 19);
A wedge (Campbell: 13) for forming a trench disposed at a bottom of the seed boot, wherein the wedge (Campbell: 13) extends from the leading edge (Campbell: 17) and terminates before the channel exit (Campbell: 19).
Regarding Claim 2, Campbell discloses the seed boot (Campbell: 8) of claim 1, wherein the wedge (Campbell: 13) is v-shaped.
Regarding Claim 3, Campbell discloses the seed boot (Campbell: 8) of claim 1,wherein the second end (Campbell: lower end of 8 near 19) has sloped walls sloped inward and downward towards the channel exit (Campbell: 19) (8 transitions into walls sloped inward and downward as it transitions into 19).
Regarding Claim 4, Campbell discloses the seed boot (Campbell: 8) of claim 1,wherein the leading edge (Campbell: 17) is knife shaped.
Regarding Claim 5, Campbell discloses the seed boot (Campbell: 8) of claim 1 wherein the wedge (Campbell: 13) has walls having an angle β with respect to vertical, and the seed boot (Campbell: 8) has lower walls having an angle α with respect to the vertical, and angle α is different from angle β (interior of angle β is parallel to vertical for most of the length of 8, while angle α forms and acute angle with a vertical axis).
Regarding Claim 6, Campbell discloses the seed boot (Campbell: 8) of claim 5, wherein angle α is greater than angle β (interior of angle β is parallel to vertical for most of the length of 8, while angle α forms and acute angle with a vertical axis).
Regarding Claim 7, Campbell discloses the seed boot (Campbell: 8) of claim 1 further comprising:
A row unit comprising a row unit frame (Campbell: 4);
A coulter (Campbell: 3) rotationally attached to the frame; wherein
The seed boot (Campbell: 8) is disposed behind the coulter (Campbell: 3).
Regarding Claim 8, Campbell discloses the seed boot (Campbell: 8) of claim 7, wherein the coulter (Campbell: 3) is a flat disc.
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 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.
Claims 9-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Campbell in view of Jacobson (U.S. Patent No. 4,628,840).
Regarding Claim 9, Campbell discloses the seed boot (Campbell: 8) of claim 7, but does not disclose wherein the coulter (Campbell: 3) is wavy.
Jacobson discloses a wavy coulter (Jacobson: 31: coulter has raised portions on outer surface.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention’s filing to have utilized the wavy coulter of Jacobson as a well-known alternative to the non-wavy coulter of Campbell for with predictable result of providing a wider slot when desirable.
Regarding Claim 10, Campbell discloses the seed boot (Campbell: 8) of claim 7, but does not disclose wherein a curvature of the leading edge (Campbell: 17) is the same as a curvature of the coulter (Campbell: 3).
Jacobson discloses a curvature of the leading edge of a seed boot is the same as the curvature of a coulter (Jacobson: Figure 2).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention’s filing to have utilized the similar curvatures of the boot and coulter of Jacobson in the invention of Campbell with the predictable result of minimizing the distance between the two while allowing the coulter to rotate.
Regarding Claim 11, Campbell discloses the seed boot (Campbell: 8) of claim 7, but does not disclose wherein a bottom of the seed boot (Campbell: 8) is aligned with the coulter (Campbell: 3) in a horizontal plane.
Jacobson discloses the bottom of a seed boot being aligned with a coulter in a horizontal plane (Jacobson: Figure 2).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention’s filing to have utilized the alignment of the boot and coulter of Jacobson in the invention of Campbell with the predictable and known result of consistently opening a slot for seeds by removing residue prior to the passage of the seed boot through its path.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 20250133982 (Seed Boot), US 20180098479 (WEAR RESISTANT DISK BLADE AND AGRICULTURAL MACHINE WITH WEAR RESISTANT DISK BLADE), US 20110232552 (Single-Pass, Double-Shoot Opener For An Agricultural Implement), US 20110226167 (DOUBLE-SHOOT SINGLE PASS IMPLEMENT), US 20090314504 (TOOL MOUNTING ADAPTER FOR AN AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENT), US 7588091 (Shank for an agricultural implement).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DOUGLAS S WOOD whose telephone number is (571)270-5954. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Thursday 8:30 AM - 7:00 PM EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nicole A Coy can be reached at (571) - 272 - 5405. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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DOUGLAS S. WOOD
Examiner
Art Unit 3672
/DOUGLAS S WOOD/Examiner, Art Unit 3672
/Nicole Coy/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3672