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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the taper lock bushing of claim 16 and the hub of claims 6, 14 and 17 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character(s) not mentioned in the description: 450. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d), or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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 12-17 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. Claim 12, line 2, recites “with no thermal stress evident in the annular body.” It is unclear how thermal stress is determined to be evident. Is visual inspection sufficient? Does it require metallurgical evaluation? Claims 13-17 are rejected due to their dependency on claim 12.
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.
(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, 6 and 12-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)(a)(2) as being anticipated by Barnhart, U.S. Patent 5,933,955.
As per claim 1, Barnhart disclose a method of making a sprocket (10), the method comprising cutting a disc sprocket from a metal plate using a water jet cutter (col. 1, line 48 to col. 2, line 4).
As per claim 6, Barnhart as set forth above, discloses installing a hub on the disc sprocket (10) (col. 1, lines 47-50).
As per claim 12, Barnhart discloses a sprocket (10) comprising a metal, planar, annular body with radially outwardly extending teeth (12) (col. 1, line 47 to col. 2, line 51), with no thermal stress evident in the annular body (col. 2, lines 4-21). Water jet machining is not a thermal process.
As per claim 13, Barnhart as set forth above, discloses the sprocket (10) comprising only one metal, planar, annular body with radially outwardly extending teeth (12) (col. 2, lines 52-55) (fig. 1).
As per claim 14, Barnhart as set forth above, discloses a hub (col. 1, lines 47-50).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 2-5 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Barnhart, U.S. Patent 5,933,955 in view of Schlumpf, U.S. Patent Publication 2013/0143703.
As per claim 2, Barnhart as set forth above, does not disclose cutting a second disc sprocket from a metal plate using a water jet cutter; and assembling the second disc sprocket with the disc sprocket to form a sprocket. However, Schlumpf in his Toothed Belt Wheel invention teaches the use of a toothed belt wheel for torque transmission by combining individual tooth discs or carrier discs produced by water jet cutting. The discs are assembled by screws to make the toothed belt wheel (paras [0017, 0018 and 0020], figs. 1-4).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Barnhart by combining more than one disc sprocket, held together with fasteners, as taught by Schlumpf, for the purpose of producing different size sprockets cost effectively (para [0017]).
As per claim 3, Barnhart and Schlumpf as set forth above, disclose the claimed invention except for the second disc sprocket is cut from the same metal plate as the disc sprocket. However, Schlumpf discloses that it is known in the art to provide multiple tooth discs (4) (para [0020]) as part of a sprocket assembly. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the second disc cut, as taught by Schlumpf, from the same metal plate as the first disc for the purpose of manufacturing efficiency and lower cost.
As per claim 4, Barnhart and Schlumpf as set forth above, Barnhart as modified, disclose the second disc sprocket is assembled with the disc sprocket with fasteners (Schlumpf,para [0020]).
As per claim 5, Barnhart and Schlumpf as set forth above, Barnhart as modified, Barnhart discloses cutting an inner diameter of the disc sprocket; and cutting an inner diameter of the second disc sprocket that is different than the inner diameter of the disc sprocket. Discs (2, 3) have different inner diameters (figs. 1-3).
As per claim 15, Barnhart as set forth above, does not disclose multiple metal, planar, annular bodies with radially outwardly extending teeth. However, Schlumpf discloses that it is known in the art to provide multiple tooth discs (4) that are very thin, composing multiple discs together (para [0020]) as part of a sprocket assembly.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to compose the sprocket of Barnhart with multiple discs, as taught by Schlumpf, for the purpose of manufacturing efficiency and lower cost.
Claims 7 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Barnhart, U.S. Patent 5,933,955 in view of Hashish et al., U.S. Patent 5,704,824.
As per claim 7, Barnhart as set forth above, does not disclose the water jet cutter comprises abrasive. However, Hashish et al. in their Method and Apparatus for Abrasive Water Milling invention disclose a method for milling objects by means of a high velocity abrasive waterjet using a jet of high velocity liquid with entrained abrasive particles. The use of abrasive particles allowing harder materials allowing a water jet to be used as a machine tool for such applications as drilling, turning and milling (abstract, col. 1, line 10 to col. 2, line 11).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method of Barnhart using abrasive in the water jet cutter, as taught by Hashish et al., for the purpose of being able to cut harder materials with precision machining efficiency.
As per claim 8, Barnhart and Hashish et al. as set forth above, Hashish et al. disclose the abrasive is suspended in a fluid (col. 1, lines 10-14).
Claims 9-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Barnhart, U.S. Patent 5,933,955 in view of Wern, U.S. Patent 8,453,305.
As per claims 9-11, Barnhart as set forth above, does not disclose modifying a surface finish of the disc sprocket comprising blasting and tumbling the disc sprocket. However, Wern in his Peen Finishing invention teaches a method and apparatus for processing a metallic gear (sprocket) by first directing peen media (blasting) at the metallic gear (sprocket), then placing a fine finishing medium in a container coupling vibrations (tumbling) the gears (sprockets) in the finishing medium, washing, and rinsing the gear with rust inhibitor (abstract).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to process the sprocket of Barnhart by peening (blasting) then tumbling it with a finishing medium, as taught by Wern, for the purpose of peening the gear teeth to make them stronger followed by tumbling the gear to smooth the roughed surface caused by the peening (col. 6 line 39 to col. 7, line 70).
Claims 16 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Barnhart, U.S. Patent 5,933,955 in view of Schlumpf, U.S. Patent Publication 2013/0143703, further in view of Feuerborn, U.S. Patent Publication 2020/0141479.
As per claim 16, Barnhart and Schlumpf as set forth above, do not disclose a taper lock bushing.
However, Feuerborn in his Synchronous Sprocket Profile for Non-Metal Sprockets invention teaches the use of a conventional QD bushing or a taper-lock bushing as means for attaching a sprocket to a hub (para [0014]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination invention of Barnhart and Schlumpf with a taper lock bushing, as taught by Feuerborn, for the purpose of attaching the sprocket securely to a hub.
As per claim 17, Barnhart, Schlumpf and Feuerborn as set forth above, Barnhart discloses a hub (col. 1, lines 47-50).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARK KENNETH BUSE whose telephone number is (571)270-3139. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
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/M.K.B/Examiner, Art Unit 3654
/ROBERT W HODGE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3654