DETAILED ACTION
Claims 21-31 and 33-39 are pending. Claim 32 is allowed.
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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 21-31 and 33-39 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.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in parent Application No. AU 2021903925 and AU 2022901579, filed on 12/03/2021 and 06/09/2022, respectively.
Claim Objections
Claim 33 (and, similarly claim 34) is/are objected to because of the following informalities and should likely read as follows: “A method for configuring [[a]]the tool string for running down [[a]]the wellbore...”. Appropriate correction is required.
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) 21-22, 31, 33-34, and 38-39 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hradecky et al. (US Publication Number 2018/0135359 A1; herein “Hradecky”).
In regard to claim 21, Hradecky discloses: A device (200) for transporting a tool string (100) down a bore (24 — paragraphs [0020-0022, 0029-0033] and figures 3-5), the device comprising:
a mandrel (i.e., mandrel of 116) comprising a connection at one or both ends of the mandrel for in-line connection of the device in the tool string (paragraphs [0020-0022, 0029-0033]);
a pair of wheels (211, 212) mounted to rotate relative to the mandrel on a rotational axis (216) perpendicular to a longitudinal axis (101) of the tool string (paragraphs [0033, 0035, 0038-0046]);
the device defining an outer form configured to orient the device in the bore during use so that a radial extremity of the wheels contact a low side of a wall of the bore (paragraphs [0042, 0053-0054, 0070] and figures 6 & 10-13);
an adjustment mechanism (i.e., process of adjusting and aligning 240 to the device) configured to provide for adjustment of an angular orientation of the outer form of the device relative to an adjacent tool string section (paragraphs [0031, 0050-0052]); and
a locking mechanism (i.e., comprising 117, 242 and setscrews not shown) moveable between a locked position and an unlocked position to lock and unlock the adjustment mechanism, in the locked position the locking mechanism fixes the outer form of the device at any desired angular orientation relative to the adjacent tool string section (i.e., such as desired angular orientation, as shown in figure 3) so that the outer form of the device orients the device and adjacent tool string section at the desired angular orientation in the bore during use (“[...] the orienting tools 200 may be rotationally aligned with each other in a substantially same rotational direction along the tool string 100, such as to facilitate the intended orientation of the whole tool string 100” — paragraph [0031] | furthermore, see paragraphs [0050-0052] and figure 3).
In regard to claim 22, Hradecky further discloses: wherein the connection at one or both ends of the mandrel comprises a connection thread, and wherein the adjustment mechanism comprises the connection thread, the connection thread providing for in-line connection to the adjacent tool string section and allowing the angular orientation of the device relative to the adjacent tool string section to be selected adjusted to any desired angular orientation (paragraphs [0021, 0050]).
In regard to claim 31, Hradecky further discloses: wherein the outer form of the device has a width greater than its height (as shown in figures 6 & 10-13).
In regard to claim 33, Hradecky further discloses: A method for configuring [[a]]the tool string for running down [[a]]the wellbore, the tool string comprising one or more devices as claimed in claim 21, the method comprising: i) connecting the device to the adjacent tool string section, ii) operating the adjustment mechanism to adjust the angular orientation of the outer form of the device relative to the adjacent tool string section to a said desired angular orientation, and iii) operating the locking mechanism from the unlocked position to the locked position to lock the adjustment mechanism and thereby fix the outer form of the device at the desired angular orientation relative to the adjacent tool string section so that the outer form of the device orients the device and adjacent tool string section at the desired angular orientation in the bore during use (see claim 21 rejection herein).
In regard to claim 34, Hradecky further discloses: A method for configuring [[a]]the tool string for running down [[a]]the wellbore, the tool string comprising one or more devices as claimed in claim 22, the method comprising: i) rotating the device or the adjacent tool string section on the connection thread (paragraphs [0021, 0050]) to connect the device to the adjacent tool string section; ii) rotating the device or adjacent tool string section on the connection thread until the desired angular orientation between the device and the adjacent tool string section is achieved; and iii) operating the locking mechanism to lock the relative angular position of the device to the adjacent tool string section (see claims 21-22 rejections herein).
In regard to claim 38, Hradecky further discloses: wherein the tool string comprises at least one apparatus with wheels for carrying the tool string down the bore and in step ii) the method comprises operating the adjustment mechanism to set the angular orientation of the device relative to the adjacent tool string section so that the pair of wheels of the device is aligned parallel with the wheels of the apparatus (see claim 21 rejection herein).
In regard to claim 39, Hradecky further discloses: wherein the tool string comprises at least two said devices (i.e., plurality of 200) spaced apart along the tool string (as shown in figure 3), and the method comprises: steps i) to iii) to set and lock the angular orientation of a first device of the at least two said devices relative to the adjacent tool string section; iv) repeating steps i) to iii) to set and lock the angular orientation of a second device of the at least two said devices in the tool string so that the pair of wheels of the second device are aligned parallel with the pair of wheels of the first device (see claim 21 rejection herein).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim(s) 23-30 & 35-37 is/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:
In regard to claim 32, Hradecky is the closest reference and discloses a majority of the claim (see similar claim 21 rejection herein). However, Hradecky is silent in regard to: “[...] a collar rotationally mounted on the mandrel between the ends of the mandrel to rotate relative to the mandrel about a longitudinal axis of the tool string.” The prior art of record, either singularly or in combination thereof, does not teach, nor would be obvious to modify the reference to meet the limitation(s), as such a modification would require too significant of a redesign of the prior art apparatus.
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 NEEL PATEL whose telephone number is (469)295-9168. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 9:00AM-5:00PM CST.
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/NEEL GIRISH PATEL/Primary Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3676
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