USPTO Examiner GATES ERIC ANDREW - Art Unit 3722

Recent Applications

Detailed information about the 100 most recent patent applications.

Application NumberTitleFiling DateDisposal DateDispositionTime (months)Office ActionsRestrictionsInterviewAppeal
19019364ATTACHMENT APPARATUS FOR LASER ENGRAVINGJanuary 2025March 2026Allow1441NoNo
18783817HOLE SAWJuly 2024June 2025Allow1021NoNo
18655174SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR REMOVING UNDESIRED METAL WITHIN VIAS FROM PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARDSMay 2024March 2026Allow2321NoNo
18650979HOLE CUTTING ACCESSORY FOR POWER TOOLApril 2024August 2025Allow1611YesNo
18651211HOLE CUTTER WITH MULTIPLE FULCRUMSApril 2024December 2025Allow1921YesNo
18636344OPENING/CLOSING CHUCK AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING FINGERSApril 2024August 2025Allow1611NoNo
18613286COLLET AND ASSEMBLY FOR MOUNTING A WORKPIECE TO A MILLING MACHINEMarch 2024March 2025Allow1211NoNo
18606157HOLE SAWMarch 2024June 2025Allow1511NoNo
18582330VARIABLE HELICAL COMPOSITE TAPFebruary 2024December 2024Abandon1010NoNo
18444296THREAD-CUTTING DIE HEAD FOR POWERED PIPE THREADERFebruary 2024January 2025Allow1101NoNo
18683607CHUCK WITH LOCKING SLEEVEFebruary 2024October 2024Allow810NoNo
18440250DUST EXTRACTOR WITH FLAT BACKFebruary 2024October 2025Allow2011NoNo
18412400ATTACHMENT APPARATUS FOR LASER ENGRAVINGJanuary 2024November 2024Allow1021YesNo
18406691PIN DRIVE ROTARY SURGICAL CUTTING TOOLS AND POWERED HANDPIECESJanuary 2024June 2025Allow1711NoNo
18540340MULTI-GROOVE PAGODA DRILL BITDecember 2023January 2025Abandon1320NoNo
18567079COUPLING ARRANGEMENT FOR TOOL, AND TOOL COMPRISING COUPLING ARRANGEMENTDecember 2023January 2025Allow1311NoNo
18501800Hole Saw with Hex Sidewall HolesNovember 2023April 2025Allow1811NoNo
18385780POCKET HOLE DRILL GUIDE WITH ANGLED HOLESOctober 2023February 2025Allow1620NoNo
18468839DEBRIS EJECTION TECHNIQUES FOR DRILLING TOOLSSeptember 2023September 2024Allow1211YesNo
18365579APPARATUS, SYSTEMS, & METHODS FOR ENGINE DOWEL INSTALLATIONAugust 2023February 2025Allow1911NoNo
18225917RATCHETING ANTI-LOCK CHUCK GUARD FOR LATHEJuly 2023November 2023Allow301NoNo
18354562HOLE SAWJuly 2023February 2025Allow1911YesNo
18218249REAMERJuly 2023December 2025Abandon2940NoNo
18210010DRILL BIT EXTENSIONJune 2023July 2025Abandon2531YesNo
18319849METHOD AND APPARTUS FOR RETAINING A TOOL IN A TOOL HOLDER WITH DEFINED CONTACT SURFACESMay 2023December 2024Abandon1901NoNo
18315346PIPE THREADING MECHANISMS AND SYSTEMSMay 2023February 2026Allow3441NoNo
18139839STEP DRILL BIT AND METHOD FOR DRILLING A WORKPIECE BY USING A STEP DRILL BITApril 2023March 2024Allow1111YesNo
18139191ADJUSTABLE DRILL JIG SYSTEM AND METHOD OF USEApril 2023February 2025Allow2140YesNo
18300338BODY FOR GUN DRILLApril 2023March 2026Allow3510NoNo
18295102BOTTOMING TAP AND CHASER AND METHOD OF USEApril 2023September 2024Allow1811NoNo
18124345HOLE SAW WITH EJECTORMarch 2023January 2024Abandon1010NoNo
18044147SUPPORT DEVICEMarch 2023February 2026Allow3610NoNo
18024306DRILL AND CUTTING METHODMarch 2023January 2026Allow3510NoNo
18176100HOLE SAWFebruary 2023November 2025Allow3310YesNo
18175179TOOL DEVICEFebruary 2023April 2025Abandon2601NoNo
18174862Drill attachment device for particle collectionFebruary 2023February 2026Allow3610NoNo
18021148Tools and Methods for Refacing Tubular Ends Forming a Threaded ConnectionFebruary 2023April 2024Allow1400NoNo
18106160ROTARY CUTTING TOOL WITH TUNABLE VIBRATION ABSORBER ASSEMBLY FOR SUPPRESSING TORSIONAL VIBRATIONFebruary 2023October 2024Allow2110NoNo
18146018Hole-Saw with Brazed or Welded EndcapDecember 2022February 2024Allow1411NoNo
18084200SUPPORT ASSEMBLY FOR A CORE DRILLDecember 2022September 2024Abandon2101NoNo
18083009MACHINE CHUCK JAWS AND METHOD OF MANUFACTUREDecember 2022April 2024Allow1611NoNo
18081684CHAMFERING TOOL AND ROTARY TOOLDecember 2022March 2026Allow3911NoNo
18081583COMBINATION SYSTEM OF FIXED ARBOR HOLE SAWS AND QUICK-CHANGE MANDRELDecember 2022December 2025Abandon3610NoNo
18065305HOLE SAWDecember 2022November 2024Allow2331YesYes
18065018MEMBER FOR SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING APPARATUSDecember 2022November 2025Allow3511YesNo
18001484DIE HEAD FOR PIPE THREADERDecember 2022January 2026Allow3811NoNo
18075081SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS INCLUDING EDGE RING ASSEMBLY AND SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHOD USING THE SAMEDecember 2022March 2026Allow3911YesNo
17928883Two-Hole Core Drilling MachineNovember 2022January 2026Allow3711NoNo
17928390FASTENING STRUCTURE OF ULTRASONIC RESONATOR AND ULTRASONIC MACHINING DEVICENovember 2022April 2023Allow400NoNo
17994643Four-Hole Core Drilling MachineNovember 2022July 2025Allow3201NoNo
17923139COMPONENT FOR CONNECTING A CLAMPING HOLDER TO A SHAFTNovember 2022September 2025Allow3510NoNo
17979686MODULAR DRILL WITH CAM CLAMPINGNovember 2022October 2025Allow3611NoNo
17972731METHOD AND APPARTUS FOR RETAINING A TOOL IN A TOOL HOLDER WITH DEFINED CONTACT SURFACESOctober 2022December 2023Abandon1421NoNo
17969887MINI POCKET HOLE JIG SYSTEMOctober 2022March 2024Allow1720NoNo
17946696TAP HOLDERSeptember 2022July 2025Allow3311NoNo
17943004TOOL QUICK-CHANGE SET FOR MEDICAL HAND-HELD MACHINE TOOLSeptember 2022November 2025Allow3811NoNo
17900378VARIABLE LENGTH TOOL HOLDERAugust 2022June 2024Allow2121NoNo
17900359VARIABLE LENGTH TOOL HOLDERAugust 2022November 2023Allow1511NoNo
17894730REDUCING SLEEVE, MODULAR SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING A REDUCING SLEEVE ASSEMBLY, AND MACHINING ASSEMBLYAugust 2022September 2025Allow3711YesNo
17884235CONDUIT LAYOUT APPARATUS, METHOD OF MAKING AND USING THE SAMEAugust 2022November 2025Abandon3911NoNo
17796047DRILLING TOOL INCLUDING A STEP DRILL BITJuly 2022February 2026Allow4331YesNo
17282034Chuck For A Wire DriverJuly 2022June 2025Allow5011YesNo
17793132DEVICE FOR AXIAL DISPLACEMENT OF A HOLE SAW FOR A HAND-HELD DRILLJuly 2022February 2026Allow4311NoNo
17758827MACHINE TOOL CONTROL DEVICEJuly 2022September 2025Allow3810YesNo
17857643JAW ASSEMBLYJuly 2022January 2026Allow4320YesNo
17852809COLLETJune 2022October 2025Allow3911NoNo
17850851Passive locking chuck for rotary driverJune 2022November 2025Allow4021NoNo
17844106HOLE SAW ARBOR HAVING AN ADJUSTABLE CONNECTION MECHANISMJune 2022August 2025Allow3811NoNo
17784386Device for Transmitting Torque from a Drill to a Drill BitJune 2022August 2025Allow3810NoNo
17783679DEVICE FOR TRANSMITTING MOVEMENTJune 2022September 2025Allow3910NoNo
17780685EXPANSION CLAMPING DEVICE AND METHOD OF MAKING SAMEMay 2022July 2025Allow3711NoNo
17664933DRIVER DRILLMay 2022April 2025Allow3410NoNo
17779415CUTTING TOOL ASSEMBLYMay 2022June 2025Allow3610NoNo
17752725TOOL ADAPTERMay 2022August 2025Allow3821NoNo
17778054METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A SUBSTRATE SUPPORT FOR A LITHOGRAPHIC APPARATUS, SUBSTRATE TABLE, LITHOGRAPHIC APPARATUS, DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD, METHOD OF USEMay 2022March 2025Allow3301NoNo
17730719SELECTIVE MICRO DEVICE TRANSFER TO RECEIVER SUBSTRATEApril 2022August 2024Allow2821NoNo
17771203CHUCK DEVICEApril 2022March 2025Allow3510NoNo
17716591METHOD AND APPARTUS FOR RETAINING A TOOL IN A TOOL HOLDER WITH DEFINED CONTACT SURFACESApril 2022October 2022Allow621YesNo
17658472SUBSTRATE DETACHING APPARATUSApril 2022July 2025Allow3921YesNo
17708997POCKET HOLE JIGMarch 2022January 2024Allow2111YesNo
17700502QUICK CLAMPING FIXTURE FOR POCKET HOLE JIGMarch 2022November 2024Abandon3210NoNo
17698633Hand-held Power Tool Comprising a Locking DeviceMarch 2022August 2024Allow2910NoNo
17655450Multipurpose chuckMarch 2022May 2024Allow2510NoNo
17697042SPADE DRILL BITSMarch 2022April 2025Allow3720YesNo
17696713MANDREL AND ACCESSORY FOR ROTARY TOOLMarch 2022August 2024Allow2921YesNo
17654493HOLE CUTTING ACCESSORY FOR POWER TOOLMarch 2022January 2024Allow2311YesNo
17692544Hand-held Power Tool Comprising a Locking DeviceMarch 2022July 2024Allow2810NoNo
17689281AUGERMarch 2022August 2023Allow1710NoNo
17687425CUTTING TOOLMarch 2022July 2024Allow2810NoNo
17639211CHUCK WITH IMPROVED GRIPPING STROKEFebruary 2022September 2024Allow3120NoNo
17681962MACHINING TOOLFebruary 2022August 2023Allow1810YesNo
17677025Door Lockset JigFebruary 2022February 2024Allow2420NoNo
17677038Backset Adjuster for a Door Lockset JigFebruary 2022October 2023Allow2010NoNo
17588407OPENING/CLOSING CHUCK AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING FINGERSJanuary 2022October 2024Abandon3221NoNo
17628416TOOL CHANGER FOR A ROBOT AND CHANGING SYSTEM THEREFORJanuary 2022July 2025Allow4111NoNo
17572843ROBOTIC DRILL SYSTEM AND METHOD OF DRILLING WITH A ROBOTIC DRILL SYSTEMJanuary 2022October 2024Allow3311NoNo
17570905TOOL FOR INSTALLATION AND REMOVAL OF RETENTION KNOBSJanuary 2022August 2025Allow4321NoNo
17565876QUICK-RELEASE COUPLING FOR DRILLING AND RELATED METHODSDecember 2021October 2024Allow3421YesNo
17553336Pressure-Medium-Controlled Countersinking Tool with Blade CenteringDecember 2021March 2025Allow3931NoNo
17619475DUST PROTECTION CAP WITH VIBRATION DECOUPLINGDecember 2021August 2025Allow4421NoNo

Appeals Overview

This analysis examines appeal outcomes and the strategic value of filing appeals for examiner GATES, ERIC ANDREW.

Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) Decisions

Total PTAB Decisions
14
Examiner Affirmed
10
(71.4%)
Examiner Reversed
4
(28.6%)
Reversal Percentile
45.4%
Lower than average

What This Means

With a 28.6% reversal rate, the PTAB affirms the examiner's rejections in the vast majority of cases. This reversal rate is below the USPTO average, indicating that appeals face more challenges here than typical.

Strategic Value of Filing an Appeal

Total Appeal Filings
31
Allowed After Appeal Filing
11
(35.5%)
Not Allowed After Appeal Filing
20
(64.5%)
Filing Benefit Percentile
58.5%
Higher than average

Understanding Appeal Filing Strategy

Filing a Notice of Appeal can sometimes lead to allowance even before the appeal is fully briefed or decided by the PTAB. This occurs when the examiner or their supervisor reconsiders the rejection during the mandatory appeal conference (MPEP § 1207.01) after the appeal is filed.

In this dataset, 35.5% of applications that filed an appeal were subsequently allowed. This appeal filing benefit rate is above the USPTO average, suggesting that filing an appeal can be an effective strategy for prompting reconsideration.

Strategic Recommendations

Appeals to PTAB face challenges. Ensure your case has strong merit before committing to full Board review.

Filing a Notice of Appeal is strategically valuable. The act of filing often prompts favorable reconsideration during the mandatory appeal conference.

Examiner GATES, ERIC ANDREW - Prosecution Strategy Guide

Executive Summary

Examiner GATES, ERIC ANDREW works in Art Unit 3722 and has examined 947 patent applications in our dataset. With an allowance rate of 80.3%, this examiner has an above-average tendency to allow applications. Applications typically reach final disposition in approximately 27 months.

Allowance Patterns

Examiner GATES, ERIC ANDREW's allowance rate of 80.3% places them in the 50% percentile among all USPTO examiners. This examiner has an above-average tendency to allow applications.

Office Action Patterns

On average, applications examined by GATES, ERIC ANDREW receive 1.51 office actions before reaching final disposition. This places the examiner in the 27% percentile for office actions issued. This examiner issues fewer office actions than average, which may indicate efficient prosecution or a more lenient examination style.

Prosecution Timeline

The median time to disposition (half-life) for applications examined by GATES, ERIC ANDREW is 27 months. This places the examiner in the 74% percentile for prosecution speed. Prosecution timelines are slightly faster than average with this examiner.

Interview Effectiveness

Conducting an examiner interview provides a +12.8% benefit to allowance rate for applications examined by GATES, ERIC ANDREW. This interview benefit is in the 49% percentile among all examiners. Recommendation: Interviews provide a below-average benefit with this examiner.

Request for Continued Examination (RCE) Effectiveness

When applicants file an RCE with this examiner, 34.6% of applications are subsequently allowed. This success rate is in the 77% percentile among all examiners. Strategic Insight: RCEs are highly effective with this examiner compared to others. If you receive a final rejection, filing an RCE with substantive amendments or arguments has a strong likelihood of success.

After-Final Amendment Practice

This examiner enters after-final amendments leading to allowance in 49.1% of cases where such amendments are filed. This entry rate is in the 74% percentile among all examiners. Strategic Recommendation: This examiner shows above-average receptiveness to after-final amendments. If your amendments clearly overcome the rejections and do not raise new issues, consider filing after-final amendments before resorting to an RCE.

Pre-Appeal Conference Effectiveness

When applicants request a pre-appeal conference (PAC) with this examiner, 28.6% result in withdrawal of the rejection or reopening of prosecution. This success rate is in the 31% percentile among all examiners. Note: Pre-appeal conferences show below-average success with this examiner. Consider whether your arguments are strong enough to warrant a PAC request.

Appeal Withdrawal and Reconsideration

This examiner withdraws rejections or reopens prosecution in 58.8% of appeals filed. This is in the 33% percentile among all examiners. Of these withdrawals, 45.0% occur early in the appeal process (after Notice of Appeal but before Appeal Brief). Strategic Insight: This examiner shows below-average willingness to reconsider rejections during appeals. Be prepared to fully prosecute appeals if filed.

Petition Practice

When applicants file petitions regarding this examiner's actions, 49.7% are granted (fully or in part). This grant rate is in the 46% percentile among all examiners. Strategic Note: Petitions show below-average success regarding this examiner's actions. Ensure you have a strong procedural basis before filing.

Examiner Cooperation and Flexibility

Examiner's Amendments: This examiner makes examiner's amendments in 5.6% of allowed cases (in the 87% percentile). Per MPEP § 1302.04, examiner's amendments are used to place applications in condition for allowance when only minor changes are needed. This examiner frequently uses this tool compared to other examiners, indicating a cooperative approach to getting applications allowed. Strategic Insight: If you are close to allowance but minor claim amendments are needed, this examiner may be willing to make an examiner's amendment rather than requiring another round of prosecution.

Quayle Actions: This examiner issues Ex Parte Quayle actions in 2.4% of allowed cases (in the 70% percentile). This examiner issues Quayle actions more often than average when claims are allowable but formal matters remain (MPEP § 714.14).

Prosecution Strategy Recommendations

Based on the statistical analysis of this examiner's prosecution patterns, here are tailored strategic recommendations:

  • RCEs are effective: This examiner has a high allowance rate after RCE compared to others. If you receive a final rejection and have substantive amendments or arguments, an RCE is likely to be successful.
  • Examiner cooperation: This examiner frequently makes examiner's amendments to place applications in condition for allowance. If you are close to allowance, the examiner may help finalize the claims.

Relevant MPEP Sections for Prosecution Strategy

  • MPEP § 713.10: Examiner interviews - available before Notice of Allowance or transfer to PTAB
  • MPEP § 714.12: After-final amendments - may be entered "under justifiable circumstances"
  • MPEP § 1002.02(c): Petitionable matters to Technology Center Director
  • MPEP § 1004: Actions requiring primary examiner signature (allowances, final rejections, examiner's answers)
  • MPEP § 1207.01: Appeal conferences - mandatory for all appeals
  • MPEP § 1214.07: Reopening prosecution after appeal

Important Disclaimer

Not Legal Advice: The information provided in this report is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. You should consult with a qualified patent attorney or agent for advice specific to your situation.

No Guarantees: We do not provide any guarantees as to the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of the statistics presented above. Patent prosecution statistics are derived from publicly available USPTO data and are subject to data quality limitations, processing errors, and changes in USPTO practices over time.

Limitation of Liability: Under no circumstances will IronCrow AI be liable for any outcome, decision, or action resulting from your reliance on the statistics, analysis, or recommendations presented in this report. Past prosecution patterns do not guarantee future results.

Use at Your Own Risk: While we strive to provide accurate and useful prosecution statistics, you should independently verify any information that is material to your prosecution strategy and use your professional judgment in all patent prosecution matters.