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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 2/17/2026 have been fully considered and they are not persuasive.
Applicant submits that Cooper ‘051 does not teach that the two different sections are made of two different materials. New citations have been made to specifically point to that teaching.
For this reason the argument is not persuasive.
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.
Claim(s) 1-9 and 13-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cooper US 20170198721 (“Cooper ‘721”) in view of Cooper US 20110133051 (“Cooper ‘051”).
Regarding claim 1, Cooper ‘721 discloses a molten metal pump (Fig. 8) comprising:
a motor (824) positioned on a platform (816), wherein the platform has a top surface and a bottom surface (Fig. 8A);
a pump base (802) that comprises an inlet (Fig. 8N) leading to a pump chamber (856) and an outlet (858) in communication with the pump chamber;
a drive shaft (810) comprising a first end connected to the motor and a second end connected to a rotor (801), wherein the rotor is positioned at least partially in the pump chamber (Fig. 8G); and
a plurality of support posts (804, 806 and 808), wherein each of the plurality of support posts has a body, a body first end, a body second end (Fig. 8Q), and a rod (342) positioned at least partially in the body and having a first rod end that extends outward from the body first end (Fig. 8R), and the first rod end is connected to the platform (Fig. 8T).
However, it does not teach that the first end comprises about 70-85% of the length of the body, the second end comprises about 15-30% of the body, and wherein the body first end consists of a ceramic or ceramic surrounding graphite, and the body second end consists of graphite.
Cooper ‘051 teaches a molten metal pump wherein the body first end (4) consists of a ceramic or ceramic surrounding graphite ([0037]), and the body second end (6) consists of graphite (see [0039] and [0046]) in order to prevent disintegration by corrosion from molten metal ([0009]). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the support posts as taught by Cooper ‘721, by utilizing ceramic as taught by Cooper ‘051 in order to prevent corrosion.
It has been held, see In re Aller, 220 F.2d 454, 456, 105 USPQ 233, 235 (CCPA 1955), that "[W]here the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation."
Since applicant has not disclosed that having the first and second ends comprise 70-85% and 15-30% of the body length solves any stated problem or is for any particular purpose and it appears that support posts would perform equally well at supporting the motor and resisting corrosion within the ranges claimed, absent persuasive evidence that the particular range is significant, it would have been an obvious matter of design choice, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify percentages of the body length that are ceramic and graphite to be within the claimed ranges in order to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation. See MPEP 2144.05 (II)(A).
Regarding claim 2, Cooper ‘721 further discloses a plurality of openings in the platform and each of the plurality of openings is configured to have one first rod end positioned therein and having a portion that extends therethrough and above the top surface of the platform, and a fastener is connected to each first rod end at the top surface of the platform (Fig. 8T).
Regarding claim 3, Cooper ‘721 further discloses that each first rod end is threaded and each fastener is a nut and threads onto the first rod end (Fig. 8T).
Regarding claim 4, Cooper ‘721 further discloses that the body first end is positioned above the body second end (Fig. 8T).
Regarding claim 5, Cooper ‘721 further discloses that the rod has a second rod end that extends outward from the body second end and that connects to the pump base (Fig. 8T).
Regarding claim 7, Cooper ‘721 further discloses that the rod comprises steel ([0039]).
Regarding claim 9, Cooper ‘721 further discloses that the rotor comprises a rotor shaft (810), wherein the pump base has a top surface and a recess at the position of the rotor shaft and the second body end of the rotor shaft is positioned in the recess when the support post is connected to the pump base (Fig. 8G and 8T).
Regarding claim 13, Cooper ‘721 does not teach that each of the plurality of support posts comprises ceramic sheath.
Regarding claim 14, Cooper ‘721 further discloses that the rod of each of the plurality of support posts extends through the center of the support post (Fig. 8R).
Regarding claim 15, Cooper ‘721 further discloses a transfer pipe (174, Fig. 1), wherein the transfer pipe (174, Fig. 1) comprises a transfer inlet (172) coupled to the outlet of the pump base (160).
Regarding claim 16, Cooper ‘721 discloses a molten metal pump comprising:
a motor (824) positioned on a platform (816), wherein the platform has a top surface, a bottom surface (Fig. 8A), and a plurality of apertures extending therethrough (Fig. 8T);
a pump base (802) that comprises an inlet (Fig. 8N) leading to a pump chamber (856) and an outlet (858) in communication with the pump chamber;
a drive shaft (810) comprising a first end connected to a motor and a second end connected to a rotor (801), wherein the rotor is positioned at least partially in the pump chamber (Fig. 8G); and
a support post (804, 806 and 808), wherein the support post has a body, comprising a body first end, a body second end (Fig. 8Q), and a rod (342) positioned at least partially in the body, and the rod has a first rod end configured to be received in one of the apertures and be fastened above the top surface the platform (Fig. 8T).
However, it does not teach that the first end comprises about 70-85% of the length of the body, the second end comprises about 15-30% of the body, and wherein the body first end consists of a ceramic or the ceramic surrounding graphite, and the body second end consists of graphite.
Cooper ‘051 so teaches. See claim 1.
Regarding claim 17, see claim 5.
Regarding claim 18, Cooper ‘721 discloses a molten metal pump, the molten metal pump comprising:
a molten metal pump base (802) that comprises an inlet (Fig. 8N) leading to a pump chamber (856) and an outlet (858) in communication with the pump chamber, and that is configured to be used in the molten metal pump,
a motor (824) positioned on a platform, wherein the platform has a top surface and a bottom surface;
a drive shaft (810) comprising a first end connected to a motor and a second end connected to a rotor (801), wherein the rotor is positioned at least partially in the pump chamber (Fig. 8G); and
a plurality of support posts (804, 806 and 808), wherein each of the plurality of support posts has a body, a body first end, a body second end (Fig. 8Q), and a rod (342) positioned at least partially in the body and having a first rod end that extends outward from the body first end (Fig. 8R), and the first rod end is connected to the platform (Fig. 8T), and a second rod end extending from the second body end and received in a bore in the molten metal pump base and connected to a fastener in the molten metal pump base (Fig. 8T).
However, it does not teach that the first end comprises about 70-85% of the length of the body, the second end comprises about 15-30% of the body, and wherein the body first end consists of a ceramic or the ceramic surrounding graphite, and the body second end consists of graphite.
Cooper ‘051 so teaches. See claim 1.
Regarding claim 19, Cooper ‘721 further discloses that the second rod end is threaded and threads into the molten metal pump base (Fig. 8T, note that the second rod end appears to be threaded like 546 in Fig. 5G).
Regarding claim 20, Cooper ‘721 further discloses that no cement is injected into the base to retain the second rod end or the support post (Fig. 8T).
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cooper US 20170198721 (“Cooper ‘721”) in view of Cooper US 20110133051 (“Cooper ‘051”) as applied to claim 1 above and further in view of Cooper US 5203681 (“Cooper ‘681”).
Regarding claim 6, Cooper ‘721 further discloses a motor mount (849) surrounding the motor (Fig. 8T). However, it does not teach a blower configured to blow air into the motor mount.
Cooper ‘681 teaches a molten metal pump comprising a blower (col. 14 ln. 29-35) configured to blow air into the motor mount (276, Fig. 20) in order to provide a cooling air shroud (col. 14 ln. 25). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the motor mount of the pump as taught by the combination by utilizing a blower as taught by Cooper ‘681 in order to supply the air for a cooling air shroud.
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cooper US 20170198721 (“Cooper ‘721”) in view of Cooper US 20110133051 (“Cooper ‘051”) as applied to claim 1 above and further in view of Morando US 6168753.
Regarding claim 8, Cooper ‘721 does not teach that the body first end consists of the ceramic surrounding graphite.
Morando teaches a graphite support post (36) comprising a body first end wherein ceramic (62) surrounds graphite (Abstract). Morando so teaches in order to protect the graphite leg (col. 1 ln. 30). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the support post as taught by the combination by surrounding the graphite with ceramic as taught by Morando in order to protect the graphite.
Claim(s) 10-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cooper US 20170198721 (“Cooper ‘721”) in view of Cooper US 20110133051 (“Cooper ‘051”) as applied to claim 5 above and further in view of Cooper US 20200360990 (“Cooper ‘990”).
Regarding claim 10, the combination does not teach one or more brackets configured to position it in a vessel configured to retain molten metal.
Cooper ‘990 teaches a molten metal pump comprising one or more brackets configured to position it in a vessel configured to retain molten metal (Figs. 8-10) in order to hold the pump off the floor of the vessel ([0066]). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the pump as taught by Cooper ‘721 by utilizing brackets for positioning in a vessel as taught by Cooper ‘990 in order to properly position the pump off the floor of the vessel.
Regarding claim 11, the combination further teaches that the one or more brackets are connected to the platform and to the vessel (Cooper ‘990, Figs. 8-10).
Regarding claim 12, the combination further teaches a frame on the vessel and the one or more brackets are connected to the one or more brackets (Cooper ‘990, Figs. 8-10).
Conclusion
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/BRIAN O PETERS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3745
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