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 Objections
Claims 24-26 and 29 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding claim 24, line 1: the limitation “step for forming a conveyor belt lifting surface” should be “the step for forming the conveyor belt lifting surface” since it has been previously introduced.
Regarding claim 25, line 1: the limitation “a including” should be “including”.
Regarding claim 29, line 1: “step” should be “the step” since it has been previously introduced.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-5, 9-11, 19-23 and 27-29 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Atkins (US Patent 6,244,428) in view of DeVries (US Patent 7,810,788).
Regarding claim 1, Atkins discloses an apparatus for lifting a portion of trough-shaped conveyor belts of different trough angles when a trough-shaped conveyor belt is installed in a conveyor system, said apparatus comprising:
a conveyor belt lifting surface (42, 44) for receiving thereon a portion of a trough-shaped conveyor belt having a trough angle (col 4, lines 44-56), said conveyor belt lifting surface comprising a center support (44) with a first angled wing support (42) and a second wing support (42) on opposite sides of said center support, said first angled wing support and said second wing support being adjustable to said trough angle (col 4, lines 44-56);
a pair of scissor lifts (26) wherein a respective scissor lift is coupled to a respective end of said center support for raising or lowering said conveyor belt lifting surface, each of said scissor lifts having a first scissor bracket and a second scissor bracket, said first scissor bracket having an upper portion and a lower portion hinged together to form a first hinge and wherein said second scissor bracket also includes an upper portion and a lower portion that are also hinged together to form a second hinge, said first and second hinges moving in opposite directions during said raising or lowering (col 4, lines 9-58; fig 1, 2);
a threaded rod (28, 30) that passes through said first and second hinges of each of said pair of scissor lifts and wherein said threaded rod is threadedly engaged with said first hinges of said pair of scissor lifts for permitting activation of said pair of lifts to raise or lower said conveyor belt lifting surface; and
a base (22) to which said pair of lifts is coupled.
Regarding claim 2, Atkins also discloses said trough angle is 0° (col 4, lines 44-56).
Regarding claim 3, Atkins also discloses said trough angle is 20° (col 4, lines 44-56).
Regarding claim 4, Atkins also discloses said trough angle is 35° (col 4, lines 44-56).
Regarding claim 5, Atkins also discloses said trough angle is 45° (col 4, lines 44-56).
Regarding claim 19, Atkins also discloses a method of lifting a portion of trough-shaped conveyor belts of different trough angles when a trough-shaped conveyor belt is installed in a conveyor system, said method comprising:
forming a conveyor belt lifting surface (42, 44) comprised of a center support (44) with a first angled wing support (42) and a second wing support (42) on opposite sides of said center support, said first angled wing support and said second wing support being adjustable to a trough angle of the trough-shaped conveyor belt (col 4, lines 44-56);
coupling a first scissor lift (26) and a second scissor lift (26) to respective ends of said center support for raising or lowering said conveyor belt lifting surface, and wherein each of said scissor lifts comprises a first scissor bracket and a second scissor bracket, said first scissor bracket having an upper portion and a lower portion hinged together to form a first hinge and wherein said second scissor bracket also includes an upper portion and a lower portion that are also hinged together to form a second hinge, and wherein said first and second hinges move in opposite directions during said raising or lowering (col 4, lines 9-58; fig 1, 2);
coupling the lower ends of said scissor jacks to a base (22);
inserting a threaded rod (28,30) through said first hinges and second hinges of each of said pair of scissor lifts and threadedly engaging said threaded rod with said first hinges of said pair of scissor lifts for permitting activation of said pair of lifts to raise or lower said conveyor belt lifting surface; and
positioning said conveyor belt lifting device underneath the trough-shaped conveyor belt and mounting said base to the conveyor system to receive a portion of the trough-shaped conveyor belt having said trough angle onto said conveyor belt lifting surface (col 4, lines 9-58; fig 1, 2).
Regarding claim 20, Atkins also discloses said trough angle is 0° (col 4, lines 44-56).
Regarding claim 21, Atkins also discloses said trough angle is 20° (col 4, lines 44-56).
Regarding claim 22, Atkins also discloses said trough angle is 35° (col 4, lines 44-56).
Regarding claim 23, Atkins also discloses said trough angle is 45° (col 4, lines 44-56).
Atkins does not explicitly disclose (claim 1) said base being adjustable to rest on a portion of the conveyor system and (claim 9) said base comprises a pair of base portions, each base portion comprising a pair of extensions that can be releasably adjusted to project out of respective ends of said respective base portions to accommodate conveyor belt supports of different widths and (claim 10) an outer end of each of said extensions comprises a conveyor base support for resting on the conveyor system and (claim 11) said base portions and their respective extensions comprise a plurality of apertures through which quick-release pins can be releasably secured therethrough for adjusting a length of said base portions and (claim 19) the base is adjustable to rest on a portion of the conveyor system and (claim 27) said step of positioning said conveyor belt lifting device underneath the trough-shaped conveyor belt comprises: providing a pair of base portions to form said base and providing a pair of extensions for each of said base portions that can be releasably adjusted to project out of respective ends of said respective base portions; extending or retracting said extensions out said respective ends of said respective base portions to accommodate a width of the conveyor system; and releasably securing said extensions at a desired distance to accommodate the width of the conveyor system and (claim 28) each of said extensions have free ends comprising a conveyor base support, said conveyor base support configured to rest on a portion of the conveyor system and (claim 29) step of releasably securing said extensions comprises inserting quick-release pins through apertures in said base portions and through apertures in said extensions.
Regarding claim 1, DeVries teaches a base (11) being adjustable to rest on a portion of a conveyor system (19, 20).
Regarding claim 9, DeVries also teaches said base comprises a pair of base portions (70), each base portion comprising a pair of extensions (74) that can be releasably adjusted to project out of respective ends of said respective base portions to accommodate conveyor belt supports of different widths.
Regarding claim 10, DeVries also teaches an outer end of each of said extensions comprises a conveyor base support (74b) for resting on the conveyor system.
Regarding claim 11, DeVries also teaches said base portions and their respective extensions comprise a plurality of apertures (80, 82) through which quick-release pins (83) can be releasably secured therethrough for adjusting a length of said base portions.
Regarding claim 19, DeVries also teaches a base (11) is adjustable to rest on a portion of a conveyor system (19, 20).
Regarding claim 27, DeVries also teaches a step of positioning said conveyor belt lifting device underneath the trough-shaped conveyor belt comprises: providing a pair of base portions (70) to form said base and providing a pair of extensions (74) for each of said base portions that can be releasably adjusted to project out of respective ends of said respective base portions; extending or retracting said extensions out said respective ends of said respective base portions to accommodate a width of the conveyor system; and releasably securing said extensions at a desired distance to accommodate the width of the conveyor system.
Regarding claim 28, DeVries also teaches each of said extensions have free ends comprising a conveyor base support (74b), said conveyor base support configured to rest on a portion of the conveyor system.
Regarding claim 29, DeVries also teaches the step of releasably securing said extensions comprises inserting quick-release pins (83) through apertures (80, 82) in said base portions and through apertures in said extensions.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the base of the apparatus of Atkins to include said base being adjustable to rest on a portion of the conveyor system and said base comprises a pair of base portions, each base portion comprising a pair of extensions that can be releasably adjusted to project out of respective ends of said respective base portions to accommodate conveyor belt supports of different widths and an outer end of each of said extensions comprises a conveyor base support for resting on the conveyor system and said base portions and their respective extensions comprise a plurality of apertures through which quick-release pins can be releasably secured therethrough for adjusting a length of said base portions and the base is adjustable to rest on a portion of the conveyor system and said step of positioning said conveyor belt lifting device underneath the trough-shaped conveyor belt comprises: providing a pair of base portions to form said base and providing a pair of extensions for each of said base portions that can be releasably adjusted to project out of respective ends of said respective base portions; extending or retracting said extensions out said respective ends of said respective base portions to accommodate a width of the conveyor system; and releasably securing said extensions at a desired distance to accommodate the width of the conveyor system and each of said extensions have free ends comprising a conveyor base support, said conveyor base support configured to rest on a portion of the conveyor system and step of releasably securing said extensions comprises inserting quick-release pins through apertures in said base portions and through apertures in said extensions as taught by DeVries for desired spanning of the conveyor support cross beams (col 8, line 62-col 9, line 3).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-8, 12-18 and 30-34 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 24-26 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the claim objections set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Keith R Campbell whose telephone number is (571)270-1015. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:30am-5:00pm EST.
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/KRC/Examiner, Art Unit 3651 8/20/2026
/GENE O CRAWFORD/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3651
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