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
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 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Fujinawa et al. (JP 2003225804, hereinafter ‘Fujinawa’).
Regarding claim 1, Fujinawa discloses a machine tool system comprising a spindle 20 that can move in an axial direction (Z) of a bar 7 while gripping the bar releasably. A guide bush 22 is disposed further toward a tip end side of the bar than the spindle in order to support the bar and a tool post 24 to which a machining tool 25 for machining a tip end part of the bar supported by the guide bush is attached is provided. A pusher 5 is configured to apply a bias to the bar from a rear end side of the bar toward the tip end side of the bar. A first control apparatus 30 controls the operations of the spindle and the tool post and a second control apparatus 53 controls operations of the pusher (see e.g. Fig. 1). The first control apparatus is capable of including a bar retraction mode in which the tool post is caused to machine the tip end of the bar in a state where the bar is gripped by the spindle (i.e. normal machining operation(s)), then the spindle is retracted, the bar is extracted from the guide bush and the second control apparatus is caused to release the bias applied by the pusher and release the bar from the spindle (the ‘command to change the bar stock’ described at Paragraph [0031] of the English translation of the document provided by Applicant in the IDS of 09/23/2026).
Regarding claim 2, Fujinawa discloses the machine tool comprising an input unit 12 with which instructions are given to the first control apparatus (i.e. the “selecting various functions of the NC machine tool” described in Paragraph [0018] of the English translation of the document provided by Applicant in the IDS of 09/23/2026), wherein the bar retraction mode is capable of being activated when the instruction is given from the input unit.
Regarding claim 3, Fujinawa discloses a machine tool system comprising a spindle 20 that can move in an axial direction (Z) of a bar 7 while gripping the bar releasably. A tool post 24 to which a machining tool 25 for machining a tip end part of the bar supported by the guide bush is attached is provided. A pusher 5 is configured to apply a bias to the bar from a rear end side of the bar toward the tip end side of the bar. A first control apparatus 30 controls the operations of the spindle and the tool post and a second control apparatus 53 controls operations of the pusher (see e.g. Fig. 1). The first control apparatus is capable of including a bar supply mode in which the second control apparatus is caused to operate the pusher so as to move the bar to a position where the tip end part of the bar penetrates the spindle and projects further toward the tip end side than the spindle, the spindle is caused to grip the bar, the second control apparatus is caused to operate the pusher so as to apply the bias to the bar toward the tip end side and the tool post is caused to cut off the tip end part of the bar (i.e. normal bar-feeding machining operations).
Regarding claim 4, Fujinawa discloses the machine tool comprising an input unit 12 with which instructions are given to the first control apparatus (i.e. the “selecting various functions of the NC machine tool” described in Paragraph [0018] of the English translation of the document provided by Applicant in the IDS of 09/23/2026), wherein the bar supply mode is capable of being activated when the instruction is given from the input unit.
Regarding claim 5, Fujinawa discloses a machine tool system comprising a spindle 20 that can move in an axial direction (Z) of a bar 7 while gripping the bar releasably. A guide bush 22 is disposed further toward a tip end side of the bar than the spindle in order to support the bar and a tool post 24 to which a machining tool 25 for machining a tip end part of the bar supported by the guide bush is attached is provided. A pusher 5 is configured to apply a bias to the bar from a rear end side of the bar toward the tip end side of the bar. A first control apparatus 30 controls the operations of the spindle and the tool post and a second control apparatus 53 controls operations of the pusher (see e.g. Fig. 1). The first control apparatus is capable of including a bar retraction mode in which the tool post is caused to machine the tip end of the bar in a state where the bar is gripped by the spindle (i.e. normal machining operation(s)), then the spindle is retracted, the bar is extracted from the guide bush and the second control apparatus is caused to release the bias applied by the pusher and release the bar from the spindle (the ‘command to change the bar stock’ described at Paragraph [0031] of the English translation of the document provided by Applicant in the IDS of 09/23/2026). A position of the spindle and pusher are stored in a storage unit (RAM 19). Additionally, the first control apparatus is capable of including a bar supply mode in which the spindle is capable of being moved to the saved position, and the second control apparatus is caused to operate the pusher so as to move to the saved position of the pusher, the spindle is caused to grip the bar, the second control apparatus is caused to operate the pusher so as to apply the bias to the bar toward the tip end side and the tool post is caused to cut off the tip end part of the bar (i.e. normal bar-feeding machining operations).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Loehr (US 20230001486) discloses a similar machine tool system with a spindle, pusher, tool post and discrete control units U1/U2 to drive the spindle and pusher independently from one another. Additionally, Suzuki et al. (US 20220234112) and Schwab (US 20220168818) disclose similar machine tools with features similar to the instant invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Alan Snyder whose telephone number is (571)272-4603. The examiner can normally be reached M-R 7:00a - 5:00p.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Sunil K Singh can be reached at 571-272-3460. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Alan Snyder/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3722
