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 .
This action is in response to the amendments and remarks filed 6/15/2026.
Claims 7-16 are presented for examination.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 5-7, filed 6/15/2026, with respect to the rejection under 102 in view of Brown in US Patent 3072447 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejection of 3/26/2026 has been withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 16 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
This action is made non-final as new grounds are applied against previously presented claim 16.
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) 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by GB1462931 to the Skarpenord Corporation (hereinafter “Skarpenord”).
Regarding claim 16, Skarpenord discloses a method of manufacturing a thrust generating assembly for a marine vessel, comprising: providing a rotatable device (shaft 2; see the sole figure) comprising a metal material and adapted to carry a thrust generating device 5 (a propeller) adapted to generate a thrust by acting on water supporting the marine vessel; providing a liner 10 comprising a second metal material (liner 10 must necessarily be a metal material as it is disclosed as being insulated from the shaft; page 2 lines 30-49; see also page 1 lines 69-92); applying an electrically non-conductive layer 11 on a surface of the liner (page 1 line 93-95; page 2 lines 65-70); and subsequently to applying the electrically non-conductive layer, fixing the liner to the rotatable device so that the surface to which the electrically non-conductive layer was applied faces the rotatable device (page 2 lines 65-70).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-15 allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance. US Patent 3072447 to Brown is considered the closest art of record and was applied in the non-final rejection of 3/26/2026. Applicant’s remarks of 6/15/2026 against Brown anticipating claims 7-15 are found convincing.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Relevant Prior Art:
US12637774 discloses a propeller arrangement in a cathodic protection system.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ELDON T BROCKMAN whose telephone number is (571)270-3263. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 9am-5pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Court Heinle can be reached at (571) 270-3508. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ELDON T BROCKMAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3799
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