DETAILED ACTION
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 .
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 12/19/2025 has been entered.
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.
Claims 1-2, 4-7, and 9 are 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.
Claims 1 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being confusing for having different claimed structures not found in the specification and the threaded structural cooperative relationships of elements are. The term/phrase “a first threaded drive” in claims 1 and 7 is not found in the specification. Presumably, “a first threaded drive” should be - - a first screw drive - -.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-2, 4-7, and 9 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
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).
Reasons for Allowable Subject Matter
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: the prior art of record fails to teach or render obvious a mechanical force amplifier for a hand-held pulling and compression device for driving interchangeable tools, with - a drive unit comprising a battery-operated electric motor, a screw drive with a threaded spindle mounted rotatably on a housing body comprising all the structural and functional limitations and further comprising, amongst other limitations/features, a second screw drive with a second threaded spindle mounted rotatably on a base body and having the coupling section, and a second threaded nut mounted rotatably on the second threaded spindle and non-rotatably on the base body via a supporting unit. Though KREISCHER et al. (US 20250058372 A1) teaches a threaded screw drive with threaded nut member to drive a tool holder linearly the screw drive does not have a coupling unit for receiving a rotating shaft, motor shaft of the drive unit coupled to a rotating shaft and the hollow spindle to provide a rotating only function and it would not be obvious to modify the driven tool member to add a second screw drive with a second threaded spindle mounted rotatably on a base body and having the coupling section, and a second threaded nut mounted rotatably on the second threaded spindle and non-rotatably on the base body via a supporting unit and one of ordinary skill would recognize that a rotation cannot be added to the linear driven tool and a second screw drive with a second threaded spindle mounted rotatably on a base body and having the coupling section, and a second threaded nut mounted rotatably on the second threaded spindle and non-rotatably on the base body via a supporting unit without having to add other structures such as rollers and modify the clamping member to function with a rotating only drive system. Having the efficiency and speed of the switching unit for coupling and decoupling between the transmission of tensile and/or compressive forces, add a mechanical force amplifier and the transmission of rotational movements via a rotating shaft wherein the threaded spindle designed as a hollow spindle for receiving the rotating shaft connected to the electric motor to provide a screwing only function provides a more versatile screw driving tool with simpler conversion from rotation only to rotation with linear driving as needed.
While various features of the claimed subject matter are found individually in the prior art, a skilled artisan would have to include knowledge gleaned only from the applicant's disclosure to combine or modify the teachings of the prior art to produce the claimed subject matter, and thus obviousness would not be proper. See In re McLaughlin, 443 F.2d 1392, 170 USPQ 209 (CCPA 1971). There is no teaching, suggestion, or motivation found either in the references themselves or in the knowledge generally available to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine or modify the teachings of the prior art to produce the claimed invention, and thus obviousness would not be proper. See In re Fine, 837 F.2d 1071, 5 USPQ2d 1596 (Fed. Cir. 1988), In re Jones, 958 F.2d 347, 21 USPQ2d 1941 (Fed. Cir. 1992), and KSR International Co. v. Teleflex, Inc., 550 U.S. 398, 82 USPQ2d 1385 (2007).
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:
US 7322087 B1- screw drive with threaded nut to pull (figs. 1-5)
US 20200230686 A1 - screwdriver 200 with spindle nut 28 that engages a thread section 60 to move linearly to drive a tool and chuck/switching unit for decoupling the threaded axial drive (figs. 1-10) and see references cited, form 892.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROBERT LONG whose telephone number is (571)270-3864. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 9am-5pm, 8-9pm (EST).
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, SHELLEY SELF can be reached at (571) 272-4524. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ROBERT F LONG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3731
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