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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 14 – 20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected invention group (Invention II), there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on July 17, 2026.
Applicant's election with traverse of Invention I (claims 1 – 13) in the reply filed on July 17, 2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that the subject matter of claims 1 – 20 are sufficiently related that a thorough search for the subject matter of any one group would necessarily encompass a search for the subject matter of the remaining groups, and there is thus no serious burden placed on the examiner to examine the entire set of claims. Such is the case here. The elected claims are classified in F01D 25/285, while the non-elected claims are classified in F05D 2260/31 A search of the elected inventions would not require a search of the non-elected invention. Having to perform two, non-overlapping searches in a single application would indeed be a burden on the examiner.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Claim Objections
Applicant is advised that should claims 1, 2, 3, and/or 7 be found allowable, claims 8, 11, 12, and/or 13 will be objected to, respectively, under 37 CFR 1.75 as being a substantial duplicate thereof. When two claims in an application are duplicates or else are so close in content that they both cover the same thing, despite a slight difference in wording, it is proper after allowing one claim to object to the other as being a substantial duplicate of the allowed claim. See MPEP § 608.01(m).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 5 recites the limitation “wherein the at least one threaded fastener comprises nuts ...” It is unclear as to whether Applicant intends the limitation to require that the ‘at least one threaded fastener’ comprise ‘plurality of threaded fasteners,’ wherein the ‘plurality of threaded fasteners’ comprise a ‘plurality of nuts,’ or whether Applicant intends the limitation to require that the ‘at least one threaded fastener’ comprises ‘at least one nut.’ For the purposes of this Office Action, Examiner will interpret the limitation as “wherein the at least one threaded fastener comprises at least one nut ...”
Claim 5 further recites the limitation “the low pressure turbine shaft flange.” There is insufficient antecedent basis for the limitation in the claim.
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.
(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 – 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and/or 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Banhos (U.S. Patent Application Publication Number 2024/0110492).
As to claim 1, Banhos teaches a tool comprising: a disk comprising an inner diameter and an outer diameter (figures 2, 3, and 5, element 80 being the ‘disk,’ see below; paragraphs 54 and 66); the disk comprises an upper surface with a lower surface opposite the upper surface (figures 2, 3, and 5, element 80, see below).
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Banhos further teaches a set of disk through holes arrayed about the disk (figure 4, elements 905 being the ‘disk through holes’); and at least one threaded fastener associated with at least one of the disk through holes and the at least one threaded fastener in operative communication with the upper surface (figure 3, see below; paragraph 54, wherein the ‘nut’ is the ‘threaded fastener’).
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As to claim 2, Banhos further teaches that the set of disk through holes are arrayed to match a circular pattern of tie rods coupled with a second stage rotor hub (figure 4, elements 905; paragraphs 51 and 54).
As to claim 3, Bahnos teaches that the ate least one threaded fastener is configured to couple with the disk and the at least one threaded fastener configured to rotatably thread onto a tie rod coupled with a second stage rotor hub (figure 3, see above; paragraph 54).
As to claim 4, Bahnos teaches that the at least one threaded fastener corresponds with a pattern of tie rods coupled with a second stage rotor hub (figure 3, see above; paragraphs 51 and 54).
As to claim 5, Bahnos teaches that the at least one threaded fastener comprises at least one nut that is attached to the upper surface and configured as a free-spinning element capable of applying a force onto a lower pressure turbine shaft flange (figure 3, see above; paragraphs 51 and 54).
As to claim 6, Bahnos teaches that the at least one threaded fastener is configured to employ threads of tie rods to press a lower pressure turbine shaft flange into contact with a second stage rotor hub (figure 3, see above; paragraphs 51 and 54).
As to claim 7, Bahnos teaches that the at least one threaded fastener is configured as separatable from the disk and employable on various tie rods to press the tool onto a lower pressure turbine shaft flange to close a gap between a second stage rotor hub and the lower pressure turbine shaft flange (figure 3, see above; paragraphs 51 and 54).
As to claim 8, the discussion of claim 1 is incorporated herein.
As to claim 9, Bahnos teaches that the disk comprises multiple discrete sections (figures 2 and 4, elements 80 being the ‘multiple discrete sections’; paragraph 66).
As to claim 10, Bahnos teaches that the multiple discrete sections include two or more individual crescent shaped disks deployable about a tie rod bolt pattern of a second stage rotor hub of a second stage rotor assembly (figures 2 and 4, elements 80; paragraph 66), the multiple discrete sections configured to press a lower pressure turbine shaft flange of the lower pressure turbine shaft assembly onto the second stage rotor hub (figure 2, element 80; paragraphs 51 and 54).
As to claim 11, the discussion of claim 2 is incorporated herein.
As to claim 12, the discussion of claim 3 is incorporated herein.
As to claim 13, the discussion of claim 7 is incorporated herein.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Pratt (U.S. Patent Application Publication Number 2020/0248579) teaches a tool comprising: a disk comprising an inner diameter and an outer diameter; the disk comprises an upper surface with a lower surface opposite the upper surface; a set of disk through holes are arrived about the disk; and at least one threaded fastener associated with at least one of the disk through holes and the at least one threaded fastener in operative communication with the upper surface.
Guglielmin (U.S. Patent Number 11,821,330) teaches a tool comprising: a disk comprising an inner diameter and an outer diameter; the disk comprises an upper surface with a lower surface opposite the upper surface; a set of disk through holes are arrived about the disk; and at least one threaded fastener associated with at least one of the disk through holes and the at least one threaded fastener in operative communication with the upper surface.
Gaudry (U.S. Patent Application Publication Number 2013/0202430) teaches a tool comprising: a disk comprising an inner diameter and an outer diameter; the disk comprises an upper surface with a lower surface opposite the upper surface; a set of disk through holes are arrived about the disk; and at least one threaded fastener associated with at least one of the disk through holes and the at least one threaded fastener in operative communication with the upper surface.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER BESLER whose telephone number is (571)270-5331. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 10:30 am - 7:30 pm (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, Thomas Hong can be reached at (571) 272-0993. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHRISTOPHER J. BESLER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3726
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