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 .
Specification
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
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, 3, 8 and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zhang et al. (CN 206108136).
Zhang et al. show in Figures 4 and 5 a vertical reciprocating conveyor having a platform 530 which receives and supports one or more tires 12, a vertical lift assembly 533 which moves the platform between floors, a pusher assembly 542 which moves the tires from platform 530 to a surface 52 of a second floor and the shown conveyor system is modular in nature which enhances portability.
Re claim 3, the shown beams can be considered split I-beams as is broadly recited.
Re claim 8, shown is a drive for moving the pusher between compressed and retracted positions.
Re claim 11, inherent is the ability to include doors if so desired.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-7, 9 and 10 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 12-20 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 01/14/2026