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 .
DETAILED ACTION
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.
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 6/22/26 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
Claims 3 and 23 have been canceled. Claims 1, 13, 21, and 45 have been amended. Claims 1-2, 4-22, and 24-52 remain pending in the application.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments (see Remarks filed 6/22/26, Pages 12-21 and sections I. A. through I. C) with respect to claims 1-2, 4, 21-22, and 24 and the rejection under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Boyd (U.S. 2016/0010436) in view of Parsons et al. (U.S. 2016/0006230) 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.
Applicant’s arguments (see Remarks filed 6/22/26, Pages 12-20 and sections I. A. through I. B) with respect to claims 5-20, and 25-52 and the rejection under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Boyd (U.S. 2016/0010436) in view of Parsons et al. (U.S. 2016/0006230) have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejection of claims 5-20 and 25-52 has been withdrawn.
Claim Objections
Claim 45 is objected to because “the bore including at least one groove extending the length of the one-piece unit substantially parallel to the longitudinal central axis” in lines 8-9 should be --the bore including at least one groove extending the length of the one-piece unit and substantially parallel to the longitudinal central axis--.
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.
Claims 1-2, 4, 21-22, and 24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Davies et al. (U.S. 2016/0145957).
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Re claim 1:
Davies discloses a clutch (1699, insert - Para 269 (a type of clutch as shown in Figs. 16A-B, and 19A-C and per description in Paras 268-278 (especially see Paras 277-278))) for a dart plunger, comprising:
a one-piece unit (Modified Figs. 19A-C above - A (person having ordinary skill in the art would recognize element A as a type of one-piece unit as the identified element is shown with a constant material hatch pattern in the view of Figure 19A)) having a first terminal end (1696, first end - Para 273 (see Figs. 19A-19C)), a second terminal end (1633, second end - Para 280 (see Figs. 19A-19C)), a length (Modified Figs. 19A-19C above - B (person having ordinary skill in the art would recognize element B as a type of length of element A extending from element 1696 to element 1633)) extending from the first terminal end (1696) to the second terminal end (1633)(see Modified Figs. 19A-19C above), an outside diameter (Modified Figs. 19A-19C above - C (person having ordinary skill in the art would recognize element C as a type of outside diameter of element A)), and an inside diameter (Modified Figs. 19A-19C above - D (person having ordinary skill in the art would recognize element D as a type of inside diameter of element A)) where at least a portion of the inside diameter (Modified Figs. 19A-19C above - D) is sized to create a sliding frictional interface with a dart (Modified Fig. 16B above - A (person having ordinary skill in the art would recognize element A as a type of dart))(see Figs. 16A-B, Figs. 19A-19C, and Paras 268-278 (especially see Paras 277-278 and Figs. 16A and 16B (sliding frictional interface of element 1699 shown/described between the states shown in Figs. 16A and 16B))); and
a spiral cut (1694, groove - Para 271) in the outside diameter (Modified Figs. 19A-19C above - C)(see Figs. 19A-19C, Paras 271 and 273), where the spiral cut (1694) extends from the first terminal end (1696) to the second terminal end (1633) of the one-piece unit (Modified Figs. 19A-C above - A)(see Figs. 19A-19C, Paras 271 and 273).
Re claim 2:
Davies discloses the clutch (1699) of claim 1 (as described above), wherein the spiral cut (1694) extends from the outside diameter (Modified Figs. 19A-19C above - C) to the inside diameter (Modified Figs. 19A-19C above - D) of the one-piece unit (Modified Figs. 19A-C above - A)( see Figs. 19A-19C, Paras 271 and 273 (see especially Para 273 - “…groove 1694 may be continuous through the body 1697…” and Fig. 19C where element 1694 is clearly shown extending from outside diameter to inside diameter)).
Re claim 4:
Davies discloses the clutch (1699) of claim 1 (as described above), wherein the inside diameter (Modified Figs. 19A-19C above - D) is shaped so an entirety of the inside diameter (Modified Figs. 19A-19C above - D) does not create the frictional interface with the dart (Modified Fig. 16B above - A)(see Modified Figs. 19A-C (element D is shown shaped to not create a frictional interface where element 1694 exists)).
Re claim 21:
Davies discloses a clutch (1699, insert - Para 269 (a type of clutch as shown in Figs. 16A-B, and 19A-C and per description in Paras 268-278 (especially see Paras 277-278))), comprising:
a one-piece unit (Modified Figs. 19A-C above - A (person having ordinary skill in the art would recognize element A as a type of one-piece unit as the identified element is shown with a constant material hatch pattern in the view of Figure 19A)) having a first end (1696, first end - Para 273 (see Figs. 19A-19C)), a second end (1633, second end - Para 280 (see Figs. 19A-19C)), a length (Modified Figs. 19A-19C above - B (person having ordinary skill in the art would recognize element B as a type of length of element A extending from element 1696 to element 1633)) extending from the first end (1696) to the second end (1633)(see Modified Figs. 19A-19C above), an outside diameter (Modified Figs. 19A-19C above - C (person having ordinary skill in the art would recognize element C as a type of outside diameter of element A)), and an inside diameter (Modified Figs. 19A-19C above - D (person having ordinary skill in the art would recognize element D as a type of inside diameter of element A)) where at least a portion of the inside diameter (Modified Figs. 19A-19C above - D) is sized to create a sliding frictional interface (see Figs. 16A-B, Figs. 19A-19C, and Paras 268-278 (especially see Paras 277-278 and Figs. 16A and 16B (sliding frictional interface of element 1699 shown/described between the states shown in Figs. 16A and 16B))); and
a continuous spiral cut (1694, groove - Para 271) in the outside diameter (Modified Figs. 19A-19C above - C)(see Figs. 19A-19C, Paras 271 and 273) that extends extends from the first end (1696) to the second end (1633) of the one-piece unit (Modified Figs. 19A-C above - A)(see Figs. 19A-19C, Paras 271 and 273).
Re claim 22:
Davies discloses the clutch (1699) of claim 21 (as described above), wherein the spiral cut (1694) extends from the outside diameter (Modified Figs. 19A-19C above - C) to the inside diameter (Modified Figs. 19A-19C above - D) of the one-piece unit (Modified Figs. 19A-C above - A)( see Figs. 19A-19C, Paras 271 and 273 (see especially Para 273 - “…groove 1694 may be continuous through the body 1697…” and Fig. 19C where element 1694 is clearly shown extending from outside diameter to inside diameter))
Re claim 24:
Davies discloses the clutch (1699) of claim 24 (as described above), wherein the inside diameter (Modified Figs. 19A-19C above - D) is shaped so an entirety of the inside diameter (Modified Figs. 19A-19C above - D) does not create the frictional interface (see Modified Figs. 19A-C (element D is shown shaped to not create a frictional interface where element 1694 exists))
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 13-20 and 45-52 are allowed.
Claims 5-12, and 25-44 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:
Claims 13-20 and 45-52 are allowed and claims 5-12, and 25-44 would be allowed primarily because the prior art of record cannot anticipate Applicant’s claimed invention by a single reference nor render Applicant’s claimed invention obvious by the combination of more than one reference.
Additionally, the prior art of record does not teach “wherein the inside diameter includes an undulating surface so the entirety of the inside diameter does not create the frictional interface” as within the context of the claimed invention as disclosed and within the context of the other limitations present in claims 5-12 and 25-30.
Additionally, the prior art of record does not teach “wherein the bore includes at least one groove, separate from the spiral cut, substantially parallel to the longitudinal central axis” as within the context of the claimed invention as disclosed and within the context of the other limitations present in claims 31-44.
Additionally, the prior art of record does not teach “the bore including at least one groove extending the length of the one-piece unit and substantially parallel to the longitudinal central axis” as within the context of the claimed invention as disclosed and within the context of the other limitations present in claims 13-20, and 45-52.
Therefore, the prior art of record cannot anticipate Applicant’s claimed invention by a single reference nor render Applicant’s claimed invention obvious by one or more references.
As allowable subject matter has been indicated, applicant's reply must either comply with all formal requirements or specifically traverse each requirement not complied with. See 37 CFR 1.111(b) and MPEP § 707.07(a).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Loren C Edwards whose telephone number is (571)272-7133. The examiner can normally be reached M-R 6AM-430PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Mark Laurenzi can be reached at (571) 270-7878. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/LOREN C EDWARDS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3746 7/31/26
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