DETAILED ACTION
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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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) 1-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Berends (US 3881749). Berends discloses a method of positioning a portable trailer stand for a semi-trailer (14, under the broadest reasonable interpretation a factory home single wide trailer can be seen as a semi-trailer as they are heavy rectangles with wheel assemblies that are able to be towed on the roads when being transported, see Col. 1, lines 5-12 as the portable trailer is made to transport factory homes) that is parked and supported on its landing gear (see figure 1), the portable trailer stand comprising a stepped assembly (as there is a lower deck assembly in between frame members 40 and a second deck assembly in between frame members 42a), the stepped assembly comprising a plurality of vertically-oriented steps (explained above as two separate decks), each step providing a landing area (decks) to support an underside of the semi-trailer in the event of a collapse of the landing gear or tipping of the semi-trailer (see figures 1 and 2 as the stand has a landing gear), the method comprising: positioning the portable trailer stand at least partially beneath a portion of a forward end of the semi-trailer that is parked to provide a vertical gap (which can be considered to be any vertical space in between the decks) in between the underside of the semi-trailer and a step of the plurality of vertically-oriented steps {{as the use of the stand will lead to backing up the stand under a semi-trailer, wherein the trailer can rest on one of the decks}}.
Regarding claim 2, the stand can be moved by a transport truck and is used to couple a trailer to it.
Regarding claim 3, the stand has a receiver interface (see figure 4).
Regarding claim 4, wherein the stand can be positioned under the forward end of the trailer that is parked by the transport truck.
Regarding claim 5, wherein the transport truck, operatively coupled to the portable trailer stand, is positioned while lifting at least a portion of the portable trailer stand (via the jack 130) , to position the portable trailer stand at least partially beneath the portion of the forward end of the semi-trailer that is parked (or in this case under a factory home to be transported of just to hold up the front end of it).
Regarding claim 6, wherein the transport truck, operatively coupled to the portable trailer stand, is positioned rearward (reversed) to position the portable trailer stand at least partially beneath the portion of the forward end of the semi-trailer (or factory home) that is parked.
Regarding claim 7, wherein the portable trailer stand is positioned at least partially beneath the portion of the forward end of the semi-trailer (or factory home) that is parked before material (any object can be considered material) is at least one of unloaded from, and loaded on, the semi-trailer that is parked.
Regarding claim 8, wherein the stand can be decoupled from the transport truck to hold the semi-trailer (or factory home) in place.
Regarding claim 9, wherein the transport truck can be decoupled from the stand and moved away while the stand is still under the semi-trailer (or factory home) while the stand holds the gap (see figure 1 as there is a vertical space in between the decks).
Regarding claim 10, wherein the portable trailer stand is operatively coupled to the transport vehicle using a projection (118) and receiver (fifth wheel connector, see Col, 3, lines 13-14) interface.
Regarding claim 11, further comprising repositioning the transport truck away from the forward end of the semi-trailer (or factory home) that is parked to removably decouple the portable trailer stand from the transport vehicle by disengaging the projection from the receiver (decoupling the king pin 118 from the fifth wheel connector), while retaining the portable trailer stand at least partially beneath the portion of the forward end of the semi-trailer that is parked (with aid from the jack 130) and while maintaining the vertical gap (which can be considered to be any vertical space in between the decks).
Regarding claims 12 and 13, further comprising, decoupling the transport truck from the stand and moving it way from the forward end of the stand and semi-trailer (or factory home).
Regarding claim 14, further comprising repositioning the transport truck to operatively couple the transport truck to the stand while the stand is positioned at least partially beneath the portion of the forward end of the semi-trailer (or factory home) that is parked.
Regarding claim 15, wherein the stand is operatively coupled to the transport truck using a projection (118) and receiver interface (fifth wheel connector).
Regarding claim 16, further comprising repositioning the transport truck, operatively coupled to the stand, to remove the stand from beneath the portion of the forward end of the semi-trailer that is parked (the transport truck is moved to decouple the stand from the semi-trailer).
Regarding claim 17, wherein the transport truck is repositioned to remove the stand from beneath the portion of the forward end of the semi-trailer (or factory home) that is parked after material (anything taken out or placed on the semi-trailer or factory home) is at least one of unloaded from, and loaded on, the semi-trailer that is parked.
Regarding claim 18, wherein the transport truck, operatively coupled to the stand, is repositioned forward to remove the portable trailer stand from beneath the portion of the forward end of the semi-trailer that is parked (pulling the stand forward to completely disconnect from the semi-trailer or factory home).
Regarding claim 19, wherein the transport truck, operatively coupled to the stand, is repositioned while lifting at least the portion of the stand off the ground (can be done with the jack 130), to remove the portable trailer stand from beneath the portion of the forward end of the semi-trailer that is parked.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Marlon A Arce whose telephone number is (571)272-1341. The examiner can normally be reached 8AM - 4:30PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Valentin Neacsu can be reached at 571-272-6265. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MARLON A ARCE/Examiner, Art Unit 3611 /VALENTIN NEACSU, Ph.D./Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3611
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