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 .
This is a final Office Action for serial number 18/904,795, Movement Control Locking Mechanism, filed on October 2, 2024.
Applicant is advised that the Notice of Allowance mailed January 14, 2026 is vacated. If the issue fee has already been paid, applicant may request a refund or request that the fee be credited to a deposit account. However, applicant may wait until the application is either found allowable or held abandoned. If allowed, upon receipt of a new Notice of Allowance, applicant may request that the previously submitted issue fee be applied. If abandoned, applicant may request refund or credit to a specified Deposit Account.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement filed April 14, 2026 fails to comply with 37 CFR 1.98(a)(1), which requires the following: (1) a list of all patents, publications, applications, or other information submitted for consideration by the Office; (2) U.S. patents and U.S. patent application publications listed in a section separately from citations of other documents; (3) the application number of the application in which the information disclosure statement is being submitted on each page of the list; (4) a column that provides a blank space next to each document to be considered, for the examiner’s initials; and (5) a heading that clearly indicates that the list is an information disclosure statement. The information disclosure statement has been placed in the application file, but the information referred to therein has not been considered.
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.
Claim 5 is 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 5 recites the limitation "the profile" in line 4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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.
Claim(s) 1-7, 8-17, and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by DE 1525366B1 by Denco.
Denco ‘366 discloses a movement control locking mechanism (Fig. 1) comprising: a locking shaft (36) including a right hand threaded portion and a left hand threaded portion (col. 6, lines 16-19); a first bracing fastener (28 - left) engaged with the right head threaded portion; a second bracing fastener (28 – right) with the left hand threaded portion; a first bracing footing (48 – left) including a first bracing fastener receiving opening (opening under 48) and a second bracing footing (48 – right) including second bracing fastener receiving opening (opening under 48); wherein the first bracing fastener receiving opening faces the second bracing fastener receiving opening; wherein the first bracing fastener is configured to move towards the first bracing fastener receiving opening and the second bracing fastener is configured to move towards the second bracing fastener receiving when the locking shaft is rotated in a first direction (see Figs. 1-3).
Regarding claim 2, Denco ‘366 discloses wherein the first bracing fastener is threadingly engaged with the right hand threaded portion; and the second bracing fastener is threadingly engaged with the left hand threaded portion (Fig. 3).
Regarding claims 3-4, Denco ‘366 discloses a first locking shaft seat (58) and a second locking shaft seat (58) wherein the first bracing footing is positioned between the first locking shaft seat and the first bracing fastener; wherein the second bracing footing positioned between the second locking shaft seat and the second bracing fastener.
Regarding claim 5 Denco ‘366 discloses wherein the first bracing fastener (28) includes a tapered portion (Fig. 3) and the first bracing footing (48) includes a first bracing fastener receiving junction (49) having a first fastener receiving junction profile complementary (49 – surface) to the profile of the tapered portion.
Regarding claim 6, Denco ‘366 discloses a receiving lock (40) coupled with an end portion of the locking shaft, the receiving lock including: a receiving clasp (67), a reinforcing key (39) configured to engage with the receiving clasp.
Regarding claim 7, Denco ‘366 discloses a first locking shaft seat (58) configured to receive the locking shaft; wherein the locking shaft extends through the locking shaft seat, the first bracing footing and the first bracing fastener; wherein at least a portion of right hand threaded portion is position within the first bracing footing; and the first bracing fastener is threadingly engaged with the right hand threaded portion.
Regarding claim 8, Denco ‘366 discloses a workpiece movement confining system (Fig. 1) comprising: a workpiece body (21); a support plate (22) positioned relative to the workpiece body; a locking shaft (36) including a right hand threaded portion and a left hand threaded portion (col. 6, lines 16-19); a first bracing fastener (28 - left) engaged with the right head threaded portion; a second bracing fastener (28 – right) with the left hand threaded portion; a first bracing footing (48 – left) including a first bracing fastener receiving opening (opening under 48) and a second bracing footing (48 – right) including second bracing fastener receiving opening (opening under 48); wherein the first bracing fastener receiving opening faces the second bracing fastener receiving opening; wherein the first bracing fastener is configured to move towards the first bracing fastener receiving opening and the second bracing fastener is configured to move towards the second bracing fastener receiving when the locking shaft is rotated in a first direction (see Figs. 1-3).
Regarding claims 9-17, the claims repeat the features of claim 2-7.
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.
Claim(s) 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Denco ‘366.
Concerning method claims 18-20, in view of the structure discloses by Denco ‘366, the method of reducing movement of a workpiece would have been obvious, since it is the normal and logical manner in which the device would be used. If a prior art device, in its normal and usual operation, would be necessarily perform the method claimed, then the method claimed will be considered to be anticipated by the prior art device. When the prior art device is the same as a device described in the specification for carrying out the claimed method, it can be assumed the device will perform the claimed process.
Conclusion
Applicant's submission of new references on April 14, 2026 prompted the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 609.04(b). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TODD M. EPPS whose telephone number is (571) 272-8282. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8am - 5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Terrell McKinnon can be reached at 571-272-4797. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TODD M EPPS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3632 July 20, 2026
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