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 § 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 5-11, 14, 15 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rhodes, U.S. 4,932,807 in view of Coles, U.S. 6,675,546.
Regarding claims 5 and 15, Rhodes discloses a connector system (pin clevis joint 8) having a connector pin (fig 3, pin 10; col. 2, lines 60-68) having
a first end having a head portion (head end 18; col. 3, lines 14-15),
a second end having a pin fastener element (threaded end 20) having a threaded member (fig 1, nut 24) to threading engage a corresponding threading on a connector element (threads of end 20; col. 3, lines 39-42),
and a shank portion (22) extending between the head portion (18) and the pin fastener element (20), the shank portion including a first tapered surface (col. 3, lines 1-10), wherein the first tapered surface is detachably engageable, positioned and aligned with second tapered surfaces (12a, 17a, 15a) of connector members (end fittings 30, 32; col. 4, lines 17-26) to form a stable connection.
Rhodes discloses the connector members (end fittings 30, 32) is secured to a workpiece (tubes 4 and 6; col. 4, lines 17-26) but does not disclose the connecting members are secured to the workpiece by pins passing through corresponding securing openings in at least one of the connector members and the workpiece.
Coles teaches use of a connector system (fig 1, universal connector 10; col. 4, lines 3-10) having connector members (fig 1, threaded barrel sleeves 16; col. 46-55) is secured to a workpiece (figs 3, 4; tubular end portion 66 of truss member 22; col. 4, lines 56-61) by pins (pins 70; col. 4, line 65 – col. 5, line 10) passing through corresponding securing openings (holes 68 and opposing holes 46) in at least one of the connector members and the workpiece to enhance ease of construction of the workpieces to the connector system (col. 5, lines 11-29).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the timed of the invention to modify the secured connection disclosed by Rhodes to have pins inserted in opposing holes of the workpieces and connector members as taught by Coles to provide a more robust connection.
Re. claim 6, Rhodes discloses the connection between the connector pin (10) and the plurality of connector members (30, 32) is further secured through engagement between the pin fastener element (threaded end 20) of the connector pin (10) and a connector fastener element (nut 24) positioned on a connector member (32) of the plurality of connector members.
Re. claim 7, Rhodes discloses the pin fastener element (threads at 20) includes a threaded member (threads 20) to threadingly engage a corresponding threading on the connector fastener element (nut 24).
Re. claim 8, Rhodes discloses the connector fastener element (nut 24) is further secured to the connector member (32) with one or more fasteners (spring 26; col. 3, lines 39-56).
Re. claim 9, Rhodes discloses the connector members (30, 32) include a male connector member (fig 3 30) and a female connector member (32) arranged and disposed to permit engagement of the second tapered surface with the first tapered surface (col. 3, lines 14-29).
Re. claim 10, Rhodes discloses the male connector member (30) and the female connector member (32) permit alignment of the connector openings of the male connector (surface 12a) member and the female connector (surfaces 15a, 17a) member.
Re. claim 11, Rhodes discloses a positioning member (spring 28; col. 4, lines 1-7) to guide the positioning (spring 28 centers to the pin in surface 12a) of the male connector member (30).
Re. claims 14 and 20, Rhodes does not disclose use of welding.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 13, 17 and 18 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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Coles, U.S. 6,675,546.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 KENNETH L THOMPSON whose telephone number is (571)272-7037. The examiner can normally be reached Weekdays; 9:00-5:00, est.
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9 August 2026
/KENNETH L THOMPSON/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3676
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