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
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.
Claims 1-2, 7-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by (EP 2952085 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Furmaniak discloses a combine harvester comprising:
a grain elevator (31);
a grain cleaning section comprising a blower (15), a plurality of sieves (13) and one or more clean grain augers (32) configured to deliver clean grains into the grain elevator; and
a rotatable drive axle (34) and a transmission system coupled thereto so that the drive axle, through said transmission system, drives the one or more clean grain augers as well as the grain elevator,
wherein the transmission system includes a reversible decoupler mechanism (42, 44) configured to decouple the one or more clean grain augers (32) from the rotatable drive axle while not decoupling the grain elevator (31) from said drive axle (paragraphs 0035-41).
Regarding claim 2, Furmaniak discloses the combine harvester according to claim 1, wherein the transmission system comprises a plurality of interconnected belt drives (see fig. 2), said interconnected belt drives comprising a first belt drive (45) configured to drive rotation of the one or more clean grain augers and a second belt drive (45) for driving operation of the grain elevator.
Regarding claim 7, Furmaniak discloses the combine harvester according to claim 1, wherein the reversible decoupler mechanism includes a releasable clutch (42, 44).
Regarding claim 8, Furmaniak discloses a method for removing clean grains from a grain elevator (31) of a combine harvester after a blockage of said grain elevator, and after stopping a transmission system of the combine harvester, the method comprising the steps of:
activating a reversible decoupler mechanism (42, 44) to decouple one or more clean grain augers of the combine harvester from a drive axle (34) of the combine harvester,
activating the transmission system, thereby activating the elevator but not the one or more clean grain augers (paragraphs 0035-41), and
after a delay sufficient to essentially remove blocked grains from the grain elevator through operation of the grain elevator, activating the reversible decoupler mechanism to re-couple the one or more clean grain augers to the drive axle (paragraphs 0035-41).
Regarding claim 9, Furmaniak discloses the method of claim 8, wherein the combine harvester comprises a grain cleaning section comprising a blower (15), a plurality of sieves (13) and the one or more clean grain augers (32) that are configured to deliver clean grains into the grain elevator (31).
Regarding claim 10, Furmaniak discloses the method of claim 9, wherein the transmission system is coupled to the drive axle so that the drive axle, through said transmission system, drives the one or more clean grain augers (32) as well as the grain elevator (paragraphs 0035-41).
Regarding claim 11, Furmaniak discloses the method of claim 10, wherein the reversible decoupler mechanism (42, 44) is configured to decouple the one or more clean grain augers (32) from the rotatable drive axle while not decoupling the grain elevator (31) from said drive axle (paragraphs 0035-41).
Regarding claim 12, Furmaniak discloses the method of claim 8, wherein the reversible decoupler mechanism (42, 44) is configured to decouple the one or more clean grain augers (32) from the rotatable drive axle (34) while not decoupling the grain elevator (31) from said drive axle (paragraphs 0035-41).
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 3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Furmaniak (EP 2952085 A1) in view of Bailliu (US 20170273243 A1).
Regarding claim 3, Furmaniak discloses the combine harvester according to claim 2.
Furmaniak does not disclose wherein the first belt drive comprises a spring-operated tensioner pulley for exerting a tensioning force on a belt of said first belt drive, said tensioning force being required for actuating rotation of the one or more clean grain augers through the first belt drive, and wherein the reversible decoupler mechanism is configured to relieve said tensioning force, thereby decoupling the one or more clean grain augers from the rotatable drive axle.
In the same field of endeavor, Bailliu discloses a reversible decoupler mechanism comprising a belt drive (82), a spring-operated tensioner pulley (112) for exerting a tensioning force on a belt (86) of said first belt drive, and wherein the reversible decoupler mechanism is configured to relieve said tensioning force (paragraphs 0040-41).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have replaced the clutch mechanism of Furmaniak with a spring-operated arrangement, as disclosed by Bailliu, as an alternative design for the same drive arrangement.
Regarding claim 4, Bailliu, of the resultant combination, discloses the combine harvester according to claim 3, wherein the reversible decoupler mechanism includes an overcenter mechanism (110) configured to be movable between a locked state and an unlocked state, and connected to the spring-operated tensioner pulley (112) in such a way that when the overcenter mechanism is in the locked state, the spring-operated tensioner pulley is exerting the required tensioning force and when the overcenter mechanism is in the unlocked state, the tensioning force is relieved.
Regarding claim 5, Bailliu, of the resultant combination, discloses the combine harvester according to claim 4, wherein the spring-operated tensioner pulley (112) is rotatably mounted at one end of a pivotable bracket (114), the pivotable bracket being pivotable about a pivot axis (118) that is in a fixed position relative to the one or more clean grain augers, another end of said pivotable bracket being coupled to one end of a linear spring (124), and wherein another end of said linear spring is coupled to said overcenter mechanism in such a manner that when the overcenter mechanism is in the locked state, the spring force exerted by the linear spring causes the spring-operated tensioner pulley to exert said required tensioning force.
Regarding claim 6, Bailliu, of the resultant combination, discloses the combine harvester according to claim 5, wherein the linear spring (124) is mounted underneath said another end of the pivotable bracket so that an upper end of the linear spring is in contact with the bracket, and wherein a rod (120) passes through the linear spring, said rod being connected to a lower end of the linear spring at a lower extremity of the linear spring, and wherein an upper extremity of the rod is fixed to the overcenter mechanism (see fig. 4-10).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 9033643 B1 discloses an engagement mechanism for a combine auger.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MADELINE RUNCO whose telephone number is (469)295-9123. The examiner can normally be reached 8-4:30 M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Joseph Rocca can be reached at 5712728971. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MADELINE I RUNCO/ Examiner, Art Unit 3671
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