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 .
Specification
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because it is not a format in keeping with current U.S. practice. It is suggested that the abstract should be in the form of a paragraph without bullet points/hash marks. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
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 24 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 24 recites the limitation "the adjusting nut" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. It appears that the above term should read “the first adjusting nut” so that proper antecedent basis would be provided.
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 16-21, 24, and 26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Owens (US 2,443,267).
In regard to claim 16, Owens shows a tensionable belt conveyor apparatus that could be used for conveying mineral material in a local conveying direction that includes an apparatus frame 11/12/13/F (see annotated figure below), a first deflection roller 15, and a second deflection roller (not shown/NS, but inherent in a conveyor belt apparatus of the type shown in Owens). Each of the first and second deflection rollers 16/not shown is supported by the apparatus frame 11/12/13/F/24/26 (some portion of the frame would include support structure for the roller at the other end of the conveyor belt apparatus). Each of the first and second deflection rollers 16/NS and is rotatable about a respective virtual roller axis of rotation, parallel to the axle 14, and extending transversely to the local conveying direction. A conveyor belt 16 continuously revolves around the first and second deflection rollers 16/NS. A bearing block arrangement includes a first bearing block 37 and a second bearing block 37’ (see figure 2).
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The bearing block arrangement supports the first or second deflection roller 16 as a tensioning deflection roller rotatable about a virtual tensioning roller axis of rotation. The first and second bearing blocks 37/37’ are spaced apart along the virtual tensioning roller axis of rotation. A tensioning apparatus is configured to displace the tensioning deflection roller 16 along a displacement path running transversely to the virtual tensioning roller axis of rotation. The tensioning apparatus includes at least one threaded rod arrangement with a first threaded rod 27 and a second threaded rod 28. The first threaded rod extends along a virtual first rod axis. At least one first adjusting nut 61 is supported by the first threaded rod 27 in screwed engagement. The first threaded rod 27 is fixed on the apparatus frame 11/12/13/F/24/26 as a first fixed structure 1FS. The first bearing block 37 is physically supported as a first support structure 1SS in a direction toward the first fixed structure 1FS by the at least one first adjusting nut 61. The second threaded rod 28 extends along a virtual second rod axis. A second adjusting nut 62 is supported by the second threaded rod 28 in screwed engagement. The second threaded rod 28 is fixed on the apparatus frame 11/12/13/F/24/26 as a second fixed 2FS structure. The first bearing block 37 is physically supported as a second support structure 2SS in a direction toward the second fixed structure 2FS by the second adjusting nut 62.
In regard to claim 17, the first fixed structure 1FS is also the second fixed structure 2FS.
In regard to claim 18, the first fixed structure 1FS and the second fixed structure 2FS are both part of the apparatus frame members 24/26.
In regard to claim 19, the first and second threaded rods 27/28 pass through a fastening formation 24 of its respective fixed structure 1FS/2FS. The fastening formation 24 is clamped between two clamping formations 33/34 connected to the first threaded rod 27 on opposite sides of the fastening formation 24 and between two clamping formations 35/36 connected to the second threaded rod 28 on opposite sides of the fastening formation 24.
In regard to claim 20, first and second threaded rods 27/28 are arranged relative to their respective fixed structure 1FS/2FS so as to be rotationally immovable about its respective virtual rod axis due to the clamping forces of the clamping formations 33/34/35/36.
In regard to claim 21, the first and second threaded rods 27/28 protrudes into at least one receiving opening in the member 24 of its respective support structure.
In regard to claim 24, the conveyor belt apparatus further includes at least one rigid intermediate plate 54 arranged between the first adjusting nut 61 and the first support structure 1SS and between the second adjusting nut 62 and second support structure 2SS.
In regard to claim 26, the first threaded rod 27 and the second threaded rod 28 are arranged such that the virtual tensioning roller axis of rotation, parallel to the axle 14, extends between the virtual first rod axis and the virtual second rod axis (see figure 1, showing the axle 14 between the threaded rods 27/28).
In regard to claim 27, the threaded rod arrangement further includes a third threaded rod 27’ and a fourth threaded for (not shown/NS, but in the same position as second threaded for 28, but below third threaded rod 27’. The third threaded rod 27’ extends along a virtual third rod axis. A third adjusting nut 61’ is supported by the third threaded rod 27’ in screwed engagement. The third threaded rod is fixed on the apparatus frame 11/12/13/F/24/26 as a third fixed structure 3FS. The second bearing block 37’ is physically supported as a third support structure 3SS in a direction toward the third fixed structure 3FS by the at least one third adjusting nut 61’. The fourth threaded rod NS extends along a virtual fourth rod axis parallel to the virtual third rod axis below the virtual third rod axis. A fourth adjusting nut (not shown but the structure is the same as the second adjusting nut 62 on the second threaded rod 28) is supported by the fourth threaded rod in screwed engagement. The fourth threaded rod is fixed on the apparatus frame 11/12/13/F/24. The second bearing block 37’ is physically supported as a fourth support structure 4SS in a direction toward the fourth fixed structure by the at least one fourth adjusting nut.
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.
Claims 28 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Watters (US 9,611,099) in view of Owens.
Watters shows a self-propelled processing apparatus 10 with a material feeding unit 30 and at least one comminution device or at least one sorting device (see the discussion at the bottom of column 2 regarding screening, separating, or crushing of aggregate material such as rocks, stones, or other mines and excavated material). The material feeding unit 30 includes a conveyor belt 36, but no specific means for tensioning the conveyor belt is discussed. Owens teaches that the belt tensions apparatus described above advantageously allows a conveyor belt to be tensioned with the bearing of a conveyor belt roller securely head in any adjusted position (see column 1, lines 20-30). Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present application to provide the apparatus of Watters with a belt tensions apparatus of the type shown in Owens so that the bearing of the conveyor belt 36 roller may be securely head in any adjusted position according to the teachings of Owens. When this is done, the resulting apparatus would have all the structure required by claim 28.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 22/23 and 25 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.
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 MARK A DEUBLE whose telephone number is (571)272-6912. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday flex schedule.
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, Gene Crawford can be reached at 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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/MARK A DEUBLE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3651
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