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
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 7, 10 and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Sasser (US Patent 5,791,858).
Sasser teaches a vehicle mounted game skinning device which broadly reads on the Applicant’s claimed animal carcass apparatus.
Regarding claim 1, a support structure 10, a butchering platform or pickup truck 100 bed connected 101 to the support structure 10, a carcass holding device 30 arranged in proximity with the butchering platform 100, see figures 1 and 2, the carcass holding device 30 includes a base 32 and a securement mechanism 101, and the butchering mechanism 80 is moveable relative to the carcass holding device 30 when connected from the butchering platform 100.
Regarding claim 2, the shocks and springs of the vehicle 100 are consider to be linear actuator for vertical movement of the butchering platform (vehicle utility bed).
Regarding claim 7, the carcass holding device 30 includes at least one vertically extendable post 21/31 having a lower end connected with the base 32 and upper end connected with the securement mechanism 80.
Regarding claims 10 and 11, a carcass conveyor 61 is arranged in proximity with the carcass holding device 30 and includes a hanger and can be hand driven via crank 60.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-6, 8 and 9 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.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RICHARD T. PRICE JR whose telephone number is (571)272-6892. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7AM-3:30PM.
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, Peter M. Poon can be reached at 571-272-6891. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/RICHARD T PRICE JR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3643