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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Claims 1-9 in the reply filed on 02 June 2026 is acknowledged.
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-3 and 5-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by US Patent # 4,558,544 to Albrecht et al.
Regarding claim 1, Albrecht teaches in Figure 3, a thru-pedestal assembly (20) (Column 4, Line 13), comprising: a base plate (22) [base member (Column 4, Line 15)]; a spacer plate (27) [head member (Column 4, Lines 22-23)]; and a connecting rod (24) [support rod (Column 4, Line 20)], the connecting rod (24) at a first end configured for affixing to the base plate (22) about a center region of the base plate (22), and at a second end configured for affixing to the spacer plate (27) at about a center region of the spacer plate (27).
Regarding claim 2, Albrecht teaches in Figure 3, one or more coupler plates (28) [abutment means (Column 4, Line 65)].
Regarding claim 3, Albrecht teaches in Figure 3, one or more coupler bars [threaded portion of the top of the support rod], wherein the one or more coupler bars are configured to affix the one or more coupler plates (28) to the spacer plate (27).
Regarding claim 5, Albrecht teaches in Figures 1 and 3, the one or more coupler plates (28) are configured to affix to an underside corner portion (70) (Column 4, Line 25) of a paver (12) [panel (Column 4, Lines 11-12)].
Regarding claim 6, Albrecht teaches in Figure 4, the spacer plate (27) comprises one or more vertically extending spacer tabs (72 and 74) [lugs (Column 4, Line 24)].
Regarding claim 7, Albrecht teaches in Figure 4, the one or more spacer tabs (72 and 74) comprise four tabs equally spaced about the spacer plate (27).
Regarding claim 8, Albrecht teaches in Figure 3, the one or more spacer tabs (72 and 74) are removable [by removing the spacer plate from the assembly].
Regarding claim 9, Albrecht teaches in Figure 3, the connecting rod (24) is configured to be received through a central portion of a paver pedestal (26) [head assembly (Column 4, Line 22)].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 4 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 and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The Prior Art does not anticipate or make obvious the claimed coupler bars of claim 4.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANDREW J TRIGGS whose telephone number is (571)270-3657. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thurs 6am-2pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Brian Mattei can be reached at (571) 270-3238. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ANDREW J TRIGGS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3635
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