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
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) 7-9 and 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by German Patent Publication DE169590C.
Regarding claim 7, DE169590C discloses a device for conveying bulk material for a plant producing cement clinker (figs 1-3), wherein the plant for the production of cement clinker operates in a recirculation process the device comprising:
a connection with the plant (via D4, ¶0008), in which a bulk material to be transported passes into the plant, wherein the connection comprises a gas supply for pressurizing the connection with a recirculation gas (via C5, ¶0010).
Regarding claim 8, DE169590C further discloses wherein the device is a bucket elevator (B3-B7) which has a feeding device (C) at an outlet (fig 1), wherein the feeding device has a tapered cross-section (see annotated fig 1 below) at a transition to the plant compared to a mean cross-sectional area and on which a cone of the bulk material is formed during conveying of the bulk material, which empties into the transition (fig 1).
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Regarding claim 9, DE169590C further discloses wherein the gas supply (via C5) is arranged such that the recirculation gas flows into the bulk material cone and expels trapped atmospheric air from the bulk material (fig 1).
Regarding claim 12, DE169590C further discloses a gas supply configured to feed a freeboard space of individual buckets with recirculation gas (¶0010).
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) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over DE169590C as applied to claim 8 above, and further in view of Keisuke et al. (Japanese Patent Publication JPH0581240U, “Keisuke”).
Regarding claim 10, DE169590C discloses all previous claim limitations. However, DE169590C does not explicitly disclose a regulating device which regulates a speed of the bucket elevator as a function of a height of the cone of bulk material, wherein the speed of the bucket elevator decreases as the height of the bulk material cone increases and, conversely, the speed of the bucket elevator increases as the height of the bulk material cone decreases. Keisuke, however, discloses a regulating device which regulates a speed of the bucket elevator as a function of a height of a cone of bulk material (33), wherein the speed of the bucket elevator decreases as the height of the bulk material cone increases and, conversely, the speed of the bucket elevator increases as the height of the bulk material cone decreases (¶0023). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for DE169590C to provide the regulation of the speed of the clinker as taught by Keisuke in order to ensure the optimal amount of cement in the clinker.
Claim(s) 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over DE169590C as applied to claim 8 above, and further in view of Wang (Chinese Patent Publication CN114192265A).
Regarding claim 11, DE169590C discloses all previous claim limitations. However, DE169590C does not explicitly disclose a cross-sectional area of the tapered cross-section is configured to be adjusted from an outside by at least one sliding plate. Hu, however, discloses wherein a cross-sectional area of the tapered cross-section is configured to be adjusted from an outside (61, 62, 64 )by at least one sliding plate (66, page 4, lines 27-41). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for DE169590C to provide the sliding plate of Hu in order to provide optimal feed regulation through the clinker.
Conclusion
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/HARRY E ARANT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763
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