DETAILED ACTION
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 2 has been canceled in the amendment of 6-23-2026 and the specification (page 3) refers to claim 2 as well as referring to the remaining active claims 1 and 3-15. The specification cannot refer to a claim that doesn’t exist. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim 4 is 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 applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 4 recites the limitation "the securing element" in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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 and 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Werner (2,178,711). Werner discloses a shaping jaw (10; Fig. 1) for a tool for plastically forming (page 1, col. 2, lines 45-47) a metal workpiece (40) comprising a main jaw body (11,13) and a shaping surface (36; page 1, col. 2, lines 36-38) provided on a shaping body (35) which is separate (page 1, col. 2, lines 30-35) from the main jaw body (11,13). The shaping surface (36) delimits the shaping jaw and is configured to form a workpiece (40) which is positioned against the shaping surface. The shaping body (35) is fitted into a receptacle (19,20,21; Fig. 3) with a closed wall that completely surrounds (around an entire circumference of the shaping body, 35) the main jaw body (11,13; Fig. 1) and the receptacle (35) is fitted entirely within the main jaw body (11,13). Regarding claim 3, the shaping body (35) is connected to the main jaw body (11,13) by means of at least one securing element (24,26,28) which, on one side (28; Fig. 1), abuts to an outside wall of the shaping body (35) and, on the other side (24,26; Fig. 1), is connected to the main jaw body (11,13). Regarding claim 5, the shaping body (35) is detachable from the main jaw body (11,13; page 2, col. 1, lines 10-15).
Claim(s) 1,5 and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Richards (2,617,319). Richards (Figs. 1 and 2) discloses a shaping jaw (33,50; Fig. 1) for a tool for rotary swage forming (col. 1, lines 31-35) a metal workpiece (T) comprising a main jaw body (33,52) and a shaping surface (54; col. 3, lines 60-61) provided on a shaping body (50) which is separate (col. 3, lines 49-51) from the main jaw body (33,52). The shaping surface (54) delimits the shaping jaw (50; Fig. 2) and is configured to form the workpiece (40) which is positioned against the shaping surface. The shaping body (50) is fitted into a receptacle comprising a groove to match a longitudinally tapering flange (51; Fig. 1) on the shaping body and the receptacle has a closed wall (52; col. 3, lines 52-55) that completely surrounds the shaping body (Fig. 2) in a view onto the shaping surface (54). Regarding claim 5, the shaping body (50) is detachably (removably) connected to the main jaw body (33; col. 3, lines 49-51). Regarding claim 15, the tool is a rotary swaging tool having shaping jaws (50,33; 49,32).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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) 3,4,6,11 and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Richards (2,617,319) in view of Hirata et al. (9,233,409). Richards does not disclose that the shaping body is connected to the main jaw body by a securing element comprising shim wedges and a screw. Hirata teaches a main jaw body (13,14,16) having a receptacle bounded by walls (31) and base (14) which completely surrounds at least one shaping body (12) which has a shaping surface (111). Regarding claim 3, the shaping body (12) is connected to the main jaw body (13,14,16) by a securing element (19,22,23, Fig. 2) which on one side (22) abuts the outside of the shaping body (12; Fig. 2) and on the other side (23) is connected to the main body (13,14). Regarding claim 4, the securing element (19,22,23) is arranged in a gap (between 12,31; Fig. 2) between the closed wall (31) of the receptacle and the shaping body (12) and the shaping body (12) is applied to the base (14) of the receptacle by the securing element (19,22,23). Regarding claims 6 and 11, the shaping body (12) is detachably connected to the main jaw body (13,14,16) by a fastening screw (24) having a thread axis (Fig. 2) which passes through a hole (25) in the securing element wedge (23) with a screwhead engaging the securing element wedge (23) on a side remote from the base (14) and the fastening screw (24) is screwed into the base (14) in a threaded opening (26) in the base (14) of the main jaw body (13,14,16). The securing element (19,22,23) is supported with a securing element wedge side surface (22) abutting the shaping body (12; Fig. 2) wherein the securing element side surface (22) and the vertical wall of the shaping body have a length extending along the thread axis and lie opposite one another (Fig. 2) perpendicularly to the thread axis. The securing element wedge side surface (22) extends inclined (col. 6, lines 8-10) to the thread axis with a wedge surface (221) approaching the thread axis toward the base (14). The shaping body (12) is applied to the wall (31) of the receptacle by pretension of the securing element wedges (22,23) when the fastening screw (24) is connected. The wedge interface (221,231) between the wedge surfaces of the securing element side surfaces (22,23) are inclined surfaces. Regarding claim 14, the threaded opening (26) in the base (14) opens underneath the shaping body (12; Fig. 2) since it extends below the shaping body (12) into the base (14). It would have been obvious to the skilled artisan prior to the effective filing date of the present invention to secure the shaping body of Richards to the base of the main jaw body with a securing element comprising wedges and a screw as taught by Hirata in order to tightly secure the shaping body against the wall and base of the shaping jaw so that the shaping jaw is easily removable by screwing. It is an obvious modification to use shims which are shaped as wedges to compress a die into place against the wedges so as to provide compressive stress to hold the shaping body in place during repetitive use in forming workpieces.
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Richards (2,617,319) in view of Hirata et al. (9,233,409) and further in view of Sorensen (6,786,828). Richards in view of Hirata does not disclose that the shaping body engages behind an edge of the receptacle opening. Sorensen teaches (Figs. 8 and 9) that receptacle walls (14,16) are perpendicular (Fig. 8) to a base (22) of a receptacle (8) or inclined (col. 4, lines 54-57) to the base so that a bottom edge of a securing element (24) and the shaping body (2) engages behind the top wall of the opening (angle Z; Fig. 9). It would have been obvious to the skilled artisan prior to the effective filing date of the present invention to modify the wall of the receptacle of Richards in view of Hirata to be inclined as taught by Sorensen so as to provide compressive stress to the shaping body within the receptacle.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 8 is 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 1 and intervening claim 5. The prior art of record does not disclose the shaping body (14) has an inlet side (16) and an outlet side (17) for a workpiece, the outlet side (17) of the shaping body (14) following the inlet side (16) in a longitudinal direction of the shaping body (14), and the shaping body (14) is configured to be detachably connected to the main jaw body (13) with a first orientation relative to the main jaw body (13) [[or]] and with a second orientation relative to the main jaw body (13), the inlet side (16) and the outlet side (17) of the shaping body (14) being interchanged in the first orientation and in the second orientation.
Claim 9 is 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 1 and intervening claims 4 and 6. The prior art of record does not disclose that a fastening screw is provided for a second orientation and a threaded opening (27a) which is coaxial with the fastening screw for the second orientation and opens into the base (24) of the receptacle (21) of the main jaw body (13) is provided for the second orientation, the mouth of the threaded opening (27a) for the second orientation being spaced apart from the mouth of the threaded opening (27) for the first orientation in the longitudinal direction of the shaping body (14), the shaping body (14) is detachably connected to the main jaw body (13) with the second orientation relative to the main jaw body (13), by a securing element for the second orientation being arranged between the wall (22) of the receptacle (21) of the main jaw body (13) on one side and the shaping body (14) on the other side in a gap for the second orientation, which is opposite the gap for the first orientation on the shaping body (14) in the longitudinal direction of the shaping body (14) by the fastening screw for the second orientation passing through the securing element for the second orientation along a thread axis of the fastening screw for the second orientation extending in the transverse direction of the base (24) of the receptacle (21) of the main jaw body (13), the fastening screw for the second orientation engaging over the securing element for the second orientation on the side remote from the base (24) of the receptacle (21) of the main jaw body (13) with a screw head in the transverse direction of the thread axis of the fastening screw for the second orientation, and the fastening screw for the second orientation being screwed at the base (24) of the receptacle (21) of the main jaw body (13) along the thread axis of the fastening screw for the second orientation into the threaded opening (27a) provided on the main jaw body (13) for the second orientation, by the securing element for the second orientation being supported with a securing element-side surface for the second orientation on the shaping body-side surface (29) of the shaping body (14), the securing element-side surface for the second orientation and the shaping body-side surface (29) extending along the thread axis of the fastening screw for the second orientation and lying opposite one another perpendicularly to the thread axis of the fastening screw for the second orientation, and at least one of the securing element-side surface for the second orientation and the shaping body-side surface (29) being designed in the manner of a wedge surface which extends inclined to the thread axis of the fastening screw for the second orientation in that the wedge surface extending towards the base of receptacle (21) of the main jaw body (13) approaches the thread axis of the fastening screw for the second orientation and by the shaping body (14) being applied to the wall (22) of the receptacle (21) of the main jaw body (13) by means of the securing element for the second orientation on the side of the shaping body (14) remote from the securing element for the second orientation, the shaping body (14) preferably being pretensioned against the wall (22) of the receptacle (21) of the main jaw body (13). Claim 10 would be allowable as it depends from allowable claim 9.
Claim 12 is 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 1 and intervening claims 4 and 6. The prior art of record does not disclose a further securing element (43) is provided in addition to the securing element (23), by means of which further securing element the shaping body (14) is supported on the wall (22) and/or on the base (24) of the receptacle (21) of the main jaw body (13), the further securing element (43) being arranged on the side of the shaping body (14) remote from the securing element (23) in a gap between the wall (22) of the receptacle (21) of the main jaw body (13) on one side and the shaping body (14) on the other side and, on the one side, being placed on the wall (22) of the receptacle (21) of the main jaw body (13) and, on the other side, on the shaping body (14), and a further fastening screw (40) is provided for detachably connecting the shaping body (14) to the main jaw body (13) in addition to the fastening screw (20), the further fastening screw (40) passing through the further securing element (43) along a further thread axis (45) of the further fastening screw (40) extending in the transverse direction of the base (24) of the receptacle (21) of the main jaw body (13), the further fastening screw (40) engaging over the further securing element (43) on the side remote from the base (24) of the receptacle (21) of the main jaw body (13) with a further screw head (46) in the transverse direction of the further thread axis (45), and the further fastening screw (40) being screwed at the base (24) of the receptacle (21) of the main jaw body (13) along the further thread axis (45) into a further threaded opening (47) of the main jaw body (13), which opens into the base (24) of the receptacle (21) of the main jaw body (13) and is coaxial with the further fastening screw (40), the further securing element (43) being supported with a further securing element-side surface (48) on a further shaping body-side surface (49) of the shaping body (14), the further securing element-side surface (48) and the further shaping body- side surface (49) extending along the further thread axis (45) and lying opposite one another perpendicularly to the further thread axis (45), and at least one of the further securing element-side surface (48) and the further shaping body-side surface (49) being designed in the manner of a wedge surface which extends inclined to the further thread axis (45) in that the wedge surface extending towards the base (24) of the receptacle (21) of the main jaw body (13) approaches the further thread axis (45), and the shaping body (14) being applied to the wall (22) of the receptacle (21) of the main jaw body (13) by means of the further securing element (43) on the side of the shaping body (14) remote from the further securing element (43) via the securing element (23), the shaping body (14) being pretensioned against the wall (22) of the receptacle (21) of the main jaw body (13). Claim 13 would be allowable as it depends from allowable claim 12.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 6-23-2026 have been fully considered. Applicant seems to be taking the claim 1 amended language “closed wall that completely surrounds” from Fig. 2 which the Examiner is reading to mean the shaping body is contained within a main jaw receptacle (aperture) with a shaping surface protruding from the main jaw since Applicant Fig. 2 shows that the shaping body (14) extends from the main jaw (13). Richards discloses a shaping body (54) contained within an aperture (51) in a main jaw body (33,52) wherein the shaping surface is contained with a closed wall (52) of the main jaw body. Hirata teaches that die tooling is attached to a main base and enclosed within walls by using wedges and a fastening screw. It is an obvious modification to use screws and wedges to attach shaping tools (dies) to a base of a main jaw body (die block).
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 EDWARD THOMAS TOLAN whose telephone number is (571)272-4525. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30-5.
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/EDWARD T TOLAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3725
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