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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1 and 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Doolin (US Patent No. 3,841,791).
Doolin teaches:
limitations from claim 1, a modular pump and motor support system (FIG. 1-4), comprising: a motor stool (38) comprising: an annular body including, a first end having a pump index configured to guide securement of the motor stool to a selected pump chosen from a plurality of pumps (FIG. 1-4; the adaptor 38 is joined on the right-hand side to pump casing 31; see also annotated FIG. 3 below), and a second end having a first motor index configured to guide securement of the motor stool (38) to a first selected motor (40) chosen from a plurality of motors, and a second motor index configured to guide securement of the motor stool to a second selected motor chosen from the plurality of motors (see FIG. 3 annotated below; C. 8 Lines 24-32 teaching the modular nature of the assembly including interchangeable drive means, i.e. first and second motors), wherein the first motor index is different from the second motor index (see annotated FIG. 3 below); and wherein the annular body defines an access (either open end of the body 38) between the first end and the second end, the access sized to allow an operator to operably join a motor shaft (54) to a pump shaft (see annotated FIG. 3 below) when the motor stool is secured to the selected pump and one of the first selected motor or the second selected motor (see annotated FIG. 3 below; the access openings allow the operator to install the shafts of the motor and pump within the body 38 as shown in FIG. 3-4);
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limitations from claim 8, wherein the motor stool (38) maintains operative alignment of the pump shaft and the motor shaft, the pump shaft being coupled to the selected pump and the motor shaft being coupled to one of the first selected motor or the second selected motor (FIG. 1-4; C. 3 Lines 17-47);
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) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Doolin (US Patent No. 3,841,791).
Doolin teaches interchangeable components including motors (“drive means”; C. 8 Lines 24-32), but does not explicitly teach motors/pumps having different characteristics;
However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed that the assembly of Doolin allows for motors/pumps of differing characteristics, and that choosing pumps having different characteristics would have been obvious in order to meet different applications (C. 1 Lines 6-14).
7. The modular pump and motor support system of claim 1, wherein: the plurality of pumps includes at least a first pump having a first pump characteristic from a pump characteristic class and a second pump having a second pump characteristic from the pump characteristic class, the second pump characteristic different from the first pump characteristic; and the plurality of motors includes at least a first motor having a first motor characteristic from a motor characteristic class and a second motor having a second motor characteristic from the motor characteristic class, the second motor characteristic different from the first motor characteristic.
Claim(s) 2-3, 6, 9-13, and 15-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Doolin (US Patent No. 3,841,791) as applied to claim 1 above, and in further view of Wiseman (US Patent No. 7,028,970).
Regarding claim 2:
Doolin teaches supports (39, 44) for mounting the assembly (C. 3 Lines 17-24), but does not teach details of a frame (base);
Wiseman teaches:
a pump (308) driven by a motor (312) mounted to a base (110) via a frame (skid 200); and
limitations from claim 2, further comprising: a plurality of frame side members (210), each of the plurality of frame side members being nominally identical in size and shape (see FIG. 11-12); and a plurality of frame cross members (212, 411), each of the plurality of frame cross members being nominally identical in size and shape (see FIG. 13, 16-17); wherein the plurality of frame side members and the plurality frame cross members being configured to be assembled using a plurality of fasteners (C. 7 Lines 61-63) to form a plurality of different frame configurations each adapted to support a unique pump and motor combination (FIG. 16-17; C. 6 Lines 53-57 and C. 7 Lines 58-61 and C. 8 Lines 28-45);
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of pumps at the time the invention was filed to provide an adjustable frame to mount the motor-pump assembly of Doolin, as taught by Wiseman, in order to allow for different combinations of motor/pumps and their components depending on an application.
Wiseman further teaches:
limitations from claim 3, wherein each of the plurality of frame side members includes a plurality of apertures (562a-c), each of the plurality of apertures sized to receive one of the plurality of fasteners (FIG. 16-17; C. 6 Lines 53-57 and C. 7 Lines 58-61 and C. 8 Lines 28-45);
limitations from claim 6, wherein: the plurality of different frame configurations includes a first configuration adapted to operably support a first pump of the plurality of pumps and the first selected motor secured together by the motor stool, a second configuration adapted to operably support the first pump and the second selected motor, a third configuration adapted to operably support a second pump of the plurality of pumps and the first selected motor, and a fourth configuration adapted to operably support the second pump and the second selected motor (see FIG. 16-17, apertures 562a-c and window 564 allowing multiple assembly positions, it would have been obvious to provide apertures for any number of various motor/pump types that may be used in an application; C. 6 Lines 53-57 and C. 7 Lines 58-61 and C. 8 Lines 28-45);
Doolin further teaches:
limitations from claim 9, a system for supporting a selected pump chosen from a plurality of different pumps and a selected motor from a plurality of different motors (FIG. 1-4; C. 8 Lines 24-32 teaching the modular nature of the assembly including interchangeable drive means), the system comprising: a motor stool (38); a selected pump (~31) chosen from a plurality of different pumps and a first selected motor (40) chosen from a plurality of different motors (C. 8 Lines 24-32 teaching the modular nature of the assembly including interchangeable drive means and impeller types); and wherein the motor stool has a pump index configured to guide securement of the motor stool to the selected pump, a first motor index configured to guide securement of the motor stool to the first selected motor and a second motor index configured to guide securement of the motor stool to a second selected motor chosen from the plurality of different motors (see FIG. 3 annotated below; C. 8 Lines 24-32 teaching the modular nature of the assembly including interchangeable drive means, i.e. first and second motors);
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Doolin teaches supports (39, 44) for mounting the assembly (C. 3 Lines 17-24), but does not teach details of a frame (base);
Wiseman teaches:
a pump (308) driven by a motor (312) mounted to a base (110) via a frame (skid 200); and
limitations from claim 9, further comprising: a plurality of frame side members (210), each of the plurality of frame side members being nominally identical in size and shape (see FIG. 11-12); and a plurality of frame cross members (212, 411), each of the plurality of frame cross members being nominally identical in size and shape (see FIG. 13, 16-17); wherein the plurality of frame side members and the plurality frame cross members being configured to be assembled using a plurality of fasteners (C. 7 Lines 61-63) to form a plurality of different frame configurations each adapted to support a unique pump and motor combination (FIG. 16-17; C. 6 Lines 53-57 and C. 7 Lines 58-61 and C. 8 Lines 28-45);
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of pumps at the time the invention was filed to provide an adjustable frame to mount the motor-pump assembly of Doolin, as taught by Wiseman, in order to allow for different combinations of motor/pumps and their components depending on an application.
Doolin further teaches:
limitations from claim 10, further comprising: a lifting bale coupled to a first frame side member of the plurality of frame side members and a second frame side member of the plurality of frame side members (see 220, 224 forming a lifting bale for a forklift); and a drag skid (200, 250) coupled to the first frame side member and the second frame side member;
limitations from claim 11, wherein the motor stool includes an annular body, the pump index being positioned at a first end of the annular body (right-hand-side in FIG. 3-4) and the first motor index and the second motor index being positioned at a second end of the annular body, the first end being opposite the second end (left-hand-side in FIG. 3-4);
limitations from claim 12, wherein the annular body defines an access between the first end and the second end, the access sized to allow an operator to operably join a motor shaft to a pump shaft when the motor stool is secured to the selected pump and one of the first selected motor or the second selected motor (see annotated FIG. 3 above; the access openings allow the operator to install the shafts of the motor and pump within the body 38 as shown in FIG. 3-4);
limitations from claim 13, wherein the motor stool maintains operative alignment of the pump shaft and the motor shaft, the pump shaft being coupled to the selected pump and the motor shaft being coupled to one of the first selected motor or the second selected motor (FIG. 1-4; C. 3 Lines 17-47);
Regarding claim 16:
Doolin teaches interchangeable components including motors (“drive means”; C. 8 Lines 24-32), but does not explicitly teach motors/pumps having different characteristics;
However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed that the assembly of Doolin allows for motors/pumps of differing characteristics, and that choosing pumps having different characteristics would have been obvious in order to meet different applications (C. 1 Lines 6-14).
Wiseman further teaches:
limitations from claim 15, wherein: the plurality of different frame configurations includes a first configuration adapted to operably support a first pump of the plurality of pumps and the first selected motor secured together by the motor stool, a second configuration adapted to operably support the first pump and the second selected motor, a third configuration adapted to operably support a second pump of the plurality of pumps and the first selected motor, and a fourth configuration adapted to operably support the second pump and the second selected motor (see FIG. 16-17, apertures 562a-c and window 564 allowing multiple assembly positions, it would have been obvious to provide apertures for any number of various motor/pump types that may be used in an application; C. 6 Lines 53-57 and C. 7 Lines 58-61 and C. 8 Lines 28-45);
Claim(s) 4-5 and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Doolin (US Patent No. 3,841,791) in view of Wiseman (US Patent No. 7,028,970) as applied to claims 1-2, 9 and 17 above, and in further view of Norris et al (US PGPub No. 2015/0280514).
Regarding claims 4-5, and 14:
Wiseman teaches spaced mounting holes (218) on the crossbars (212) to mate with the pump/motor, but does not teach tapered mounting holes;
Norris teaches a pump and motor mounting assembly (FIG. 2) in which openings (210) for fasteners 148, 150) are shaped in a graduated manner (FIG. 7-9);
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of pumps at the time the invention was filed to shape the mounting holes of Wiseman as a tapered form, as taught by Norris, in order to allow easier insertion of the fasteners due to the larger initial opening size.
Claim(s) 17, 20-24, and 30 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Broussard et al (US Patent No. 9,650,879) in view of Wiseman (US Patent No. 7,028,970).
Broussard teaches:
limitations from claims 17 and 21, a system for supporting a pump (10) and a motor (14), comprising: a motor stool (184) having a first end adapted to couple to the pump and a second end adapted to couple to the motor (see FIG. 8-9), the motor stool being configured to receive a pump shaft (182) of the pump and a motor shaft (180) of the motor and having an annular wall with at least one access opening (185) therethrough to allow an operator to operably join the pump shaft to the motor shaft within the motor stool when the motor stool is secured to the pump and to the motor (paragraph 52); and wherein a frame configuration (187) is configured to support the pump when the pump is a first pump selected from a plurality of different pumps and the motor is a first motor selected from a plurality of different motors, and formed to support the pump when the pump is a second pump selected from the plurality of different pumps and the motor is a second motor selected from the plurality of different motors (paragraph 54);
Broussard teaches a frame configuration (187) to which the pump and motor are coupled (FIG. 8-9), but does not teach specifics of the frame such as side and/or cross members;
Wiseman teaches:
a pump (308) driven by a motor (312) mounted to a base (110) via a frame (skid 200); and
limitations from claim 17, further comprising: a plurality of frame side members (210; see FIG. 11-12); and a plurality of frame cross members (212, 411; see FIG. 13, 16-17); wherein the plurality of frame side members and the plurality frame cross members being configured to be assembled (C. 7 Lines 61-63) to form a frame configuration adapted to support a unique pump and motor combination (FIG. 16-17; C. 6 Lines 53-57 and C. 7 Lines 58-61 and C. 8 Lines 28-45); wherein: the frame configuration includes a first configuration adapted to operably support a first pump of the plurality of pumps and the first selected motor secured together by the motor stool, a second configuration adapted to operably support the first pump and a second selected motor (see FIG. 16-17, apertures 562a-c and window 564 allowing multiple assembly positions, it would have been obvious to provide apertures for any number of various motor/pump types that may be used in an application; C. 6 Lines 53-57 and C. 7 Lines 58-61 and C. 8 Lines 28-45);
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of pumps at the time the invention was filed to provide an adjustable frame to mount the motor-pump assembly of Doolin, as taught by Wiseman, in order to allow for different combinations of motor/pumps and their components depending on an application.
Broussard further teaches:
limitations from claims 20 and 24, further comprising: a lifting bale coupled to a first frame side member of the plurality of frame side members and a second frame side member of the plurality of frame side members; and a drag skid coupled to the first frame side member and the second frame side member (see paragraph 58 disclosing a skid for the pump and motor, as well as bales: see lifting lugs or eyes);
limitations from claim 22, wherein the at least one access opening includes a first access opening extending through the annular wall at a first location and a second access opening extending through the annular wall at a second location that is substantially opposite the first location (Broussard teaches a single access opening ~185; However, it has been held that the mere duplication of parts has not patentable significance unless a new and unexpected result is produced, MPEP 2144.04 Section VI.B; in this case providing more than one access opening would allow the operator to access the coupling of Broussard from multiple angles); ‘
limitations from claim 23, further comprising at least one cover (185) configured to couple to the annular wall of the motor stool to cover the at least one access opening (paragraph 52);
limitations from claim 30, wherein the second end of the motor stool includes a motor flange that extends radially inwardly from the annular wall, the motor flange adapted to couple to the motor (see FIG. 8, left hand side of the stool 184);
Claim(s) 25-29 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Broussard et al (US Patent No. 9,650,879) in view of Wiseman (US Patent No. 7,028,970) as applied to claims 21 and 24, and in further view of Varner et al (US PGPub No. 2018/0073672).
Regarding claim 25:
Broussard teaches a lifting bale (see paragraph 58 disclosing a skid for the pump and motor, as well as bales: see lifting lugs or eyes), but not a bale having vertical and horizontal supports;
Varner teaches:
a skid (22) for a pump (24) and motor (26), and
limitations from claim 25, wherein a lifting bale (62) includes a pair of vertical supports (see FIG. 1A, the portions extending from deck 46) coupled to the plurality of side members and a horizontal support (~64) coupled to the pair of vertical supports (FIG. 1A-C; paragraph 32);
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of pumps at the time the invention was filed to provide a lifting bale of the type including a support frame, as taught by Varner, as part of the pump frame of Broussard/Wiseman in order to allow for a lift point to be located above the pump components for raising and lowering the assembly.
Regarding claims 26-29:
Wiseman teaches a plurality of forklift openings (224), but does not teach pockets extending between the side members;
Varner teaches:
limitations from claim 26, a plurality of forklift pockets (107, 108) extending between the plurality of side members (paragraph 39);
limitations from claim 27, wherein a plurality of side members (44) are substantially parallel to one another and the plurality of forklift pockets are substantially perpendicular to the plurality of side members (FIG. 1A; paragraph 39);
limitations from claim 28, wherein the plurality of forklift pockets (108) extend through a corresponding plurality of apertures (107) through the plurality of side members (44; paragraph 39);
limitations from claim 29, further comprising a lifting bale (62) coupled to the plurality of side members between the plurality of forklift pockets (FIG. 1A-C; paragraph 32);
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of pumps at the time the invention was filed to provide pockets with the forklift openings of Wiseman, as taught by Varner, in order to further guide the forks within the frame.
Claim(s) 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Broussard et al (US Patent No. 9,650,879) in view of Wiseman (US Patent No. 7,028,970) as applied to claim 17 above, and in further view of Norris et al (US PGPub No. 2015/0280514).
Wiseman teaches spaced mounting holes (218) on the crossbars (212) to mate with the pump/motor, but does not teach tapered mounting holes;
Norris teaches a pump and motor mounting assembly (FIG. 2) in which openings (210) for fasteners 148, 150) are shaped in a graduated manner (FIG. 7-9);
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of pumps at the time the invention was filed to shape the mounting holes of Wiseman as a tapered form, as taught by Norris, in order to allow easier insertion of the fasteners due to the larger initial opening size.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 18 is 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.
Broussard does not teach details of the motor side coupling portion of the stool (184) and therefore does not teach the first and second motor indexes as claimed.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 06/15/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues (Pages 9-10 of the response) that Doolin does not teach “that the annular body of the motor stool include a first motor index to guide securement of a first motor to the motor stool and a second, different motor index to guide securement of a second motor to the motor stool”. The examiner maintains that the Doolin reference teaches these limitations; In particular the portions of annotated FIG. 3 provided by the examiner show two “indexes” of the stool that contact a motor (40) when coupled. The claims do not require differently sized or shaped motors, and therefore two different motors of the same size and shape may be interchanged, and thus read on the first and second selected motors. Each of these respective motors would be guided by the annotated indexes.
Applicant argues (Pages 11-12 of the response) that Doolin does not teach an access “sized to allow an operator to operably join a motor shaft to a pump shaft when the motor stool is secured to the selected pump and one of the first selected motor or the second selected motor.”; applicant argues that this is at least in part because Dooling does not teach a pump shaft. The examiner maintains that Doolin teaches a pump shaft (see portion about ports 57 in FIG. 3), and that the shaft (via bolt 58) is joinable to the motor shaft via an access (see annotated FIG. 3 in the above rejection of claim 1; and C. 3 Lines 25-39).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER S BOBISH whose telephone number is (571)270-5289. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 9-5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Essama Omgba can be reached at 469-295-9278. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHRISTOPHER S BOBISH/Examiner, Art Unit 3746
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