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 § 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) 1-31 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nasr (US 7338232) in view of Hollingsworth et al. (US 2004/0173383).
Nasr discloses a building component for a foundation support [Background sentence #1] comprising a screw pile [1] having a plurality of helices at the distal end [9], a series of pile sections and extensions [34], and a rotary drive tool [15; Figures 9 & 10]; wherein the helical screw section, pile sections, and driver tool section are bolted together via a coupler system [male/female coupler with 2 bolts; Figures 1-10] and the system comprises hollow steel such that grout can be pumped through the screw pile to strengthen the ground and its connection therewith [Preferred Embodiment description; Figures 1-10].
Nasr fails to disclose the coupler system comprises linear ribs and further details thereof.
Hollingsworth teaches a rotary drilling system for installing piles [Paragraph 92], and a coupling mechanism including a male/female coupler [11 & 12 respectively] comprising 6 spaced apart linear ribs and grooves, wherein the ribs radially project from the circular male component and the grooves radially project inward from a circular female component [Figures 2-3], and corresponding apertures [13 & 14] disposed on the male/female components linearly displaced from the ribs/grooves along the longitudinal axis of the device for receiving a locking means [15] to secure the rotary drilling system together.
At the time of the invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the coupling components of the Nasr drilling device by adding the linear ribs and respective grooves as described by Hollingsworth to better transfer rotational force – and how much that can be transferred – such that drilling in difficult soil/rock is easier and less likely to wear/shear at the coupler components, thereby the drilling device can be used in a larger variety of applications increasing profit while subsequently reducing maintenance costs.
Specifically regarding the use of helices versus augers for the flighting, the Examiner contends that these well-known systems are functional equivalents in the drilling arts and either could be – and are – used across the spectrum of screw pile installations, therefore it would have been obvious to a skilled artisan to substitute one for another.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KYLE A ARMSTRONG whose telephone number is (571)270-1184. The examiner can normally be reached M-F ~10-6.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Anita Coupe can be reached at (571) 270-3614. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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KYLE ARMSTRONG, P.E.
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3678
/KYLE ARMSTRONG/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3619
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