DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of species 1, figures 2-19, claims 1-7 in the reply filed on 7/15/2026 is acknowledged. The applicant stated that claim 8 reads on the elected species of figures 2-19. However, this species does not include the limitation stated in claim 8: “the threaded rod receive[r] includes an upper inner threaded section and a lower non-inner threaded section”. The elected species only include one section (132) defining the threaded rod receiver. Therefore, claim 8 is withdrawn as not being directed to the elected species.
Claims 8-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 7/15/2026.
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 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a(1) as being anticipated by applicant’s admitted prior art as shown in figures 1A-1F. All of the structure defined in the claim is identical to all of the structure defined in figures 1A-1F. The claims disclose the jam nut at a position to and in substantial frictional engagement with the head of the set screw such that rotation of the jam nut causes rotation of the head and thus the shaft of the set screw. The jam nut is rotatable on the shaft of the set screw after being disengaged from the head of the set screw. The applicant’s admitted prior art fails to disclose this method of using the threaded rod hanger. However, all of the structural elements defined in figures 1A-1F are identical and function and are capable functioning in the identical claimed method of using defined in the claim. Therefore, applicant’s prior art discloses the claimed threaded rod hanger and is capable of the claimed method of using.
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 3-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the applicant’s admitted prior art, figures 1A-1F.
Regarding claim 3, the claim requires the head of the set screw to be cylindrical. The admitted prior art discloses the shape of the head of the set screw being a square shape in cross section. Regarding claim 4, the claim requires the head of the set screw having a hexagonal shape. The admitted prior art discloses the shape of the head of the set screw being a square shape in cross section. These shapes for the use of the head of the set screw are known shapes on bolts and set screws for allowing specific shaped tools or pliers to engage and rotate the set screw, i.e., they are functional equivalent shapes that perform the same function in allow the correct shape tool or pliers to engage and tighten or loosen the set screw. Therefore, it would have been obvious, prior to the earliest effective filing date, to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify applicant’s admitted prior art’s shaped head to be either a hexagon or cylindrical shape as an alternative design choice.
Regarding claim 5, the claim requires that the head of the set screw have an inner engagement member for inserting a tool to rotate the set screw. The applicant’s admitted prior art discloses the use of a common headed set screw with an outer square shape for engagement from a tool to rotate the set screw. The examiner takes official notice of the fact that a threaded bolt having a head with an inner engagement member for rotating the set screw is old and well-known for use with allen wrenches or Phillips screw drivers or regular screw drivers or star shaped screw drivers or square shaped screw drivers. These are all design equivalents that provide the identical function of rotating the screw with an inner engagement member that matches the shape of the rotating tool. Therefore, it would have been obvious design choice, prior to the earliest effective filing date, to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify applicant’s admitted prior art to have a set screw head with an inner engagement surface.
Regarding claims 6-7, the applicant’s admitted prior art fails to disclose the size of the jam nut to be engaged by either a 9/16 or 11/16 socket. The size of the jam nut’s outer diameter is merely a design choice based on the environment of use, i.e., a larger threaded rod hanger would require a larger jam nut to be used in higher force requirement environments. These sizes of the jam nut are old and well- known head sizes for bolts. Therefore, it would have been obvious, prior to the earliest effective filing date, to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify applicant’s admitted prior art’s size of the set screw head to be either 9/16 or 11/16 as an alternative design choice base on the environment of use.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Oh discloses a threaded rod hanger has quick lock plunger mechanism that includes plunger pieces within a tapered bore in a housing. The plunger pieces have tapered outer surfaces. A spring within the housing presses the plunger pieces toward the narrow end of the bore, with the spring located between the plunger pieces and a back plate that closes off part of a wide end of the tapered bore. The plunger pieces have internally threaded surfaces that engage threads on a threaded rod that is inserted into the bore, between the plunger pieces. Once the threaded rod has been inserted between the plunger pieces and released, the plunger pieces are pushed toward the narrow bore end. This causes the plunger pieces to press inward, automatically causing the internal plunger half threads to engage the external threads on the threaded rod.
Greenfield discloses a pipe hanger clamp, formed by bending a flat section of metal bar or plate, has two vertical side members which have been cut so their side view is a "C" shape. The lower arms of these two side members are joined by a horizontally extended end wall, about which the side members are bent. Holes in the end wall receive a mounting set screw into a captured nut and another nut to hold a pipe hanger rod for supporting a pipe. An overhead support is clamped between the set screw and the upper arms of the C-shaped side members, such that the load applied to the rod is generally edgewise to the plate thickness, and does not provide an unbending force on the clamp.
Olle discloses a structural clamp or connector has a retaining mechanism for engaging at least one threaded rod or threaded rod end by pressing the threads of the threads of the rod or rod end into a threadform of a clamp body or connector body. The clamp may include one or more retaining clips for pushing the threaded rod into engagement with threads on one side of one or more threaded holes through a clamp body of the clamp.
Lapp discloses a cast iron pipe hanger clamp having a solid body with upper and lower jaws projecting from one side, and a boss projecting from the center of the opposite side and braced by upper and lower pairs of spaced flanges. The boss has a threaded bore with jam threads to receive a threaded pipe hanger rod between the spaced flanges, the load of the supported weight being distributed and loading the upper flanges in tension. A setscrew in one jaw locks the clamp in position and loads all four flanges in compression, reducing or eliminating tension load in the upper flanges.
Heath discloses a beam clamp retaining strap has a beveled locking slot for securing to a threaded hanger rod or set screw of a pipe support assembly mounted to an I-beam. The assembly further comprises a C-type clamp, and the strap may be positioned in any of four possible locations with respect to the clamp, rod, and set screw. The slot edges securely engage between the major and minor thread diameters of the rod or screw. The beveled locking slot provides additional assurance that the clamp grip does not loosen such that the pipe assembly is dislodged, and, thus, the need for an additional nut for the retaining strap is thereby eliminated.
Habuda discloses an apparatus for suspending a pipe from a structural member, such as a beam, having a projecting flange with a proximate layer of building material, wherein a beam clamp having jaws and a fastening device for holding the beam clamp on the beam flange also has a rib on the outside of one jaw extending longitudinally thereof to facilitate insertion of the jaw between the beam flange and the proximate layer of building material and to resist turning forces applied to the beam clamp. The beam clamp has a securing device in one end communicating with a tapered recess in the other end forming a guideway for a connecting rod which carries a collar for supporting the pipe. The collar has embossments to provide limited contact between the collar and the pipe to reduce resistance to rotation of the pipe, as for threading it into another pipe member.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JACK W LAVINDER whose telephone number is (571)272-7119. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Friday 9-4pm (EST).
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jason San can be reached at 571-272-6531. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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JACK W. LAVINDER
Primary Patent Examiner
Art Unit 3677
/JACK W LAVINDER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3677
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