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, 2, 4, 5, and 16-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Coffman (WO 2014/107210 A1), provided by applicant.
Re claims 1, 2, 4, and 5, Coffman (Fig 37) discloses a recoil spring assembly for a firearm comprising: a compression spring (3704) having a forward end and a rearward end and defining an internal recess extending along a spring axis extending from said forward end to said rearward end; a guide rod (3702) positioned along said spring axis within said internal recess, said guide rod having a forward end, a rearward end, and a length; and a ring assembly (3752) comprising a first ring segment and a second ring segment; wherein a forward flange of the recoil spring assembly has a rearward-facing surface that abuts the forward end of the compression spring; wherein said first ring segment and said second ring segment each have a rearward flange with a forward-facing surface abutting said rearward end of said compression spring; wherein said compression spring is under compression in the recoil spring assembly; and wherein said ring assembly has a portion positioned between the compression spring and the guide rod and is retained against said guide rod at least by said compression spring (Fig 37).
Re claims 16-18, Coffman (Fig 37) discloses a method of assembling a recoil spring assembly, the method comprising: inserting a guide rod into a recess defined through a recoil spring, wherein said guide rod is inserted into a forward end of said recoil spring along a spring axis defined by said recoil spring; compressing said recoil spring along said spring axis so that a rearward end of said recoil spring is positioned forward of a rearward flange of said guide rod; attaching a plurality of ring segments to a rearward end of said guide rod, wherein said ring segments have a portion configured to interfere with said rearward flange of said guide rod to limit rearward movement of said ring segments along said guide rod; and extending said recoil spring to position rearward end coils of said recoil spring around portions of said ring segments to retain said ring segments on said guide rod.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-15 allowed.
Claims 3, 6, 19, and 20 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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to REGINALD S TILLMAN, JR whose telephone number is (571)270-7010. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 830-530.
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/REGINALD S TILLMAN, JR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3641
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