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
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.
Claim(s) 1-6, 9, 15 and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Hamachek III (US 3,631,980).
Hamachek III shows a roller that interfaces with a conveyor belt 6, the roller includes first and second sprockets 18 at the ends of the roller, a plurality of paddles 26 arranged widthwise from the first end to the second end and located circumferentially around the sprockets in a staggered or unequal spacing pattern and the paddles 26 include a tip edge 30 which extends radially outward to extend into openings of the conveyor belt 6.
Re claim 2, shown are sprocket teeth 20.
Re claim 3, there are more sprocket teeth 30 than paddles 26, see Figure 3.
Re claim 4, 13 teeth are shown.
Re claim 5, shown is a disc 18 arranged between the sprockets to which the paddles are coupled.
Re claim 6, the disc has a smooth outer surface.
Re claim 9, the sprockets and the disc include a circular center opening and a bushing.
Re claim 15, the tip edge is equal across its length.
Re claim 16, it is inherent the paddles could be welded into place.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7, 8 and 10-14 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.
Claims 17-20 are allowed.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAMES R BIDWELL whose telephone number is (571)272-6910. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday from 8 to 4.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Gene Crawford, can be reached at telephone number (571)272-6911. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JAMES R BIDWELL/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3651 01/13/2026