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
This is a Non-final Office Action for application number 19/056,344 WELD DOWN PIPE AND TUBE SUPPORT BASE filed on 2/18/2025. Claims 1-20 are pending.
Election/Restrictions
Claims 14-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention/species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 7/13/2026.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement submitted on 7/14/2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement has been considered by the examiner.
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 1-8 and 10-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by United States Patent No. 9,670,949 to White et al.
[AltContent: arrow] With regards to claim 1, the patent to White et al. teaches a mount support system having a base (310) having a first end
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a second end opposite the first end, the base including a first surface (314) extending from the first end to the second end, the first surface configured to engage a clamp (312), a second surface (316) opposite the first surface, the second surface configured to engage with an installation surface (See Abstract), a first T-slot (320) extending at least partially from the first end toward a center of the base, and a second T-slot (320’) extending at least partially from the second end toward the center of the base, the clamp including a lower portion (332) configured to engage with the first surface of the base, and an upper portion (334) configured to engage with the lower portion, at least one fastener (336) extending through the clamp, the at least one fastener including a head (338) configured to engage with at least one of the first T-slot or the second T-slot, and a shaft (340) configured to penetrate the lower portion of the clamp and the upper portion of the clamp (See Figure 7), and at least one fastening device (344) configured to couple with the shaft of the at least one fastener.
With regards to claim 2, White et al. teaches wherein the at least one fastener includes: a first fastener (336), and a second fastener (336’), and wherein the at least one fastening device includes: a first fastening device (344), and a second fastening device (344’).
With regards to claim 3, White et al. teaches, wherein the first surface (314) of the base (310) includes: a first lip (352) running along a first edge of the first surface of the base, the first lip extending in a direction away from the first surface, and a second lip (350) running along a second edge of the first surface of the base opposite the first edge, the second lip extending in the direction. (See Figure 7)
With regards to claim 4, White et al. teaches that the lower portion (332) of the clamp (312) includes a first surface configured to engage with the first surface of the base, and a second surface opposite the first surface of the lower portion of the clamp, the second surface of the lower portion of the clamp including a curved portion that curves toward the first surface of the lower portion of the clamp. (See Figure 7)
With regards to claim 5, White et al. teaches wherein the upper portion of the clamp includes a first surface configured to engage with the at least one fastening device (344, 344’), and a second surface opposite the first surface of the upper portion of the clamp, the second surface of the upper portion of the clamp including a curved portion that curves toward the first surface of the upper portion of the clamp. (See Figure 7)
With regards to claims 6 and 13, White et al. teaches wherein the base includes a middle portion between the first T-slot and the second T-slot, the middle portion including at least one of a gap, a groove (354), and a channel, wherein the middle portion is configured to expand or contract.
With regards to claim 7, White et al. teaches a device (310) having a first side including: a surface (314) configured to engage with a clamp, a first lip (352) at a first edge, and a second lip (350) at a second edge, a second side opposite the first side, the second side including a surface configured to engage with an installation surface, a first T-slot (320) extending at least partially from a first end of the support mount apparatus toward a center of the support mount apparatus, and a second T-slot (320’) extending at least partially from a second end of the support mount apparatus toward the center of the support mount apparatus.
With regards to claim 8, White et al. teaches wherein the first T-slot includes a first portion having a first width, the first portion configured to receive a shaft of a fastener, and a second portion having a second width that is greater than the first width, the second portion configured to receive a head the fastener, and the second T-slot includes: a first portion having a first width, the first portion configured to receive a shaft the fastener, and a second portion having a second width that is greater than the first width, the second portion configured to receive the head of the fastener. (See Figure 7)
With regards to claim 10, White et al. teaches wherein the surface of the first side is configured to planarly engage with a bottom side of the clamp, the first lip is configured to planarly engage with a first side of the clamp adjacent to the bottom side of the clamp, and the second lip is configured to planarly engage with a second side of the clamp opposite the first side of the clamp. (See Figure 5A)
With regards to claim 11, White et al. teaches wherein the first lip (352) extends in a first direction away from the surface of the first side at a first height, and the second lip (350) extends in a second direction away from the surface of the first side at a second height.
With regards to claim 12, White et al. teaches wherein: the first T-slot extends toward the center of the support mount apparatus in a first direction for a first length, and the second T-slot extends toward the center of the support mount apparatus in a second direction that is opposite the first direction for a second length. (See Figure 7)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 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.
With regards to claim 9, the prior art does not teach wherein the first T-slot further includes a ledge defined by the first portion and the second portion, the ledge configured to prevent the head of the fastener from entering the first portion from the second portion, and the second T-slot further includes a ledge defined by the first portion and the second portion, the ledge configured to prevent the head of the fastener from entering the first portion from the second portion.
Cited References
PN 6,234,541 to Wagner et al. shows a mounting device
PN 5,718,403 to Ott et al. shows a mounting device
PN 5,215,281 to Sherman shows a mounting device
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication should be directed to Amy J. Sterling at telephone number 571-272-6823 or to Supervisor Jonathan Liu at 571-272-8227 if the examiner cannot be reached. The examiner can normally be reached (Mon-Fri 8am-5:00pm). The fax machine number for the Technology center is 571-273-8300 (formal amendments), informal amendments or communications 571-273-6823. Any inquiry of a general nature or relating to the status of this application should be directed to the Technology Center receptionist at 571-272-3600.
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/AMY J. STERLING/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3631 8/28/26
