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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 3/28/2025 was filed and the submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 and 2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by the Chinese Publication (CN 211624084) (see PTO-892).
RE claim 1, the Chinese Publication (CN 211624084) discloses a counterweight assembly (see Figs. 1-6) for a lifting machine, the counterweight assembly (see Exhibit A) comprising: a plurality of counterweight slabs (6, 6); a base plate (1) configured to mount the plurality of counterweight slabs thereon and including: one or more hook portions assembly (see Exhibit A) capable of being mounted the base plate to a mounting frame of the pipelayer; and at least one lug portion (3, 5) configured to facilitate locking of the base plate to the mounting frame.
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Exhibit A
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RE claim 2, the Chinese Publication (CN 211624084) teaches the base plate (See Exhibit A) defines a top end portion configured to mount the plurality of counterweight slabs to the base plate, and a bottom end portion opposite to the top end portion, and wherein the one or more hook portions (See Exhibit A) are defined at the top end portion, and wherein the at least one lug portion is located between the top end portion and the bottom end portion.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3 and 4 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.
Claims 5-20 are allowed.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PAUL T CHIN whose telephone number is (571) 272-2097. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 8:00-4:30 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Robert Hodge, can be reached on (571) 272-6911. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PAUL T CHIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3654
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