B
SECTION B — PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  
SEPARATING; MIXING
 B01 - 
B07

Note(s)

The following notes are meant to assist in the use of this part of the classification scheme; they must not be read as modifying in any way the elaborations.

  1. In this sub-section, the separation of different materials, e.g. of different matter, size, or state, is predominantly found in the following subclasses:

    B01D

    B03B, B03C, B03D

    B04B, B04C

    B07B, B07C.

  2. The classifying characteristics of these subclasses are:
    1. the physical state of the matter to be separated;
    2. the principle of the process used;
    3. particular kinds of apparatus.
    The first of these characteristics involves six different aspects, assembled in three groups:
    1. liquid/liquid or liquid/gas and gas/gas;
    2. solid/liquid or solid/gas;
    3. solid/solid.
  3. These subclasses are to be used according to the following general rules:

 B01 - 
B07
Subsection index
LIQUID/LIQUID, LIQUID/GAS OR GAS/GAS SEPARATION
Method
General operationsB01D
by centrifugal force, using centrifuges or free-vortex apparatusB01D
using magnetic or electrostatic effectB03C
Apparatus
General operationsB01D
by centrifugal force, using centrifuges or free-vortex apparatusB04B, B04C
using magnetic or electrostatic effectB03C
SOLID/LIQUID OR SOLID/GAS SEPARATION
Method
General operationsB01D
by centrifugal forceB01D
using centrifuges or free-vortex apparatusB01D
using magnetic or electrostatic effectB03C
Apparatus
General operationsB01D
by centrifugal forceB01D
using centrifuges or free-vortex apparatusB04B, B04C
using magnetic or electrostatic effectB03C
SOLID/SOLID SEPARATION
Method
Dry methods
material in bulkB07B
Individual sortingB07C
Screening, sifting, pneumatic sortingB07B
using pneumatic tables or jigsB03B
by magnetic or electrostatic effectB03C
by centrifugal forceB07B
using centrifuges or free-vortex apparatusB07B
Wet methods
General operationsB03B
flotation, differential sedimentationB03D
screeningB07B
Combinations Dry methods - wet methodsB03B
Apparatus
Dry methods
material in bulkB07B
Individual sortingB07C
Screening, sifting, pneumatic sortingB07B
using pneumatic tables or jigsB03B
by magnetic or electrostatic effectB03C
by centrifugal forceB07B
using centrifuges or free-vortex apparatusB04B, B04C
Wet methods
General operationsB03B
flotation, differential sedimentationB03D
screeningB07B
Combinations Dry methods - wet methodsB03B
 B01
PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL (furnaces, kilns, ovens, retorts, in general F27)
 B02
CRUSHING, PULVERISING, OR DISINTEGRATING; PREPARATORY TREATMENT OF GRAIN FOR MILLING
 B03
SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS USING LIQUIDS OR USING PNEUMATIC TABLES OR JIGS; MAGNETIC OR ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS FROM SOLID MATERIALS OR FLUIDS; SEPARATION BY HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRIC FIELDS (separating isotopes B01D 59/00; crushing or disintegrating B02C; centrifuges or vortex apparatus for carrying out physical processes B04)  [5]
 B04
CENTRIFUGAL APPARATUS OR MACHINES FOR CARRYING-OUT PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES
 B04

Note(s)

Attention is drawn to the Notes following the subsection title "SEPARATING; MIXING". [4]

 B05
SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING LIQUIDS OR OTHER FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL (domestic cleaning A47L; cleaning in general by methods essentially involving the use or presence of liquid B08B 3/00; sand-blasting B24C; coating of articles during shaping of substances in a plastic state B29C 39/10, B29C 39/18, B29C 41/20, B29C 41/30, B29C 43/18, B29C 43/28, B29C 45/14, B29C 47/02; for further classification of forming layered products, see B32B; printing, copying B41; conveying articles or workpieces through baths of liquid B65G, e.g. B65G 49/02; handling webs or filaments in general B65H; surface treatment of glass by coating C03C 17/00, C03C 25/10; coating or impregnation of mortars, concrete, stone or ceramics C04B 41/45, C04B 41/61, C04B 41/81; paints, varnishes, lacquers C09D; enamelling of metals, applying a vitreous layer to metals, chemical cleaning or de-greasing of metallic objects C23; electroplating C25D; treating of textile materials by liquids, gases or vapours D06B; laundering D06F; treating roads E01C; apparatus or processes for the preparation or treatment of photosensitive materials G03; apparatus or processes, restricted to a purpose fully provided for in a single other class, see the relevant class covering the purpose)  [2]
 B05

Note(s)

In this class, the following terms or expressions are used with the meanings indicated:

  • "other fluent materials" includes semiliquids, pastes, melts, solutions, dispersions, suspensions, particulate materials, gases or vapours;  [2]
  • "particulate materials" includes powders, granules, short fibres or chips;  [2]
  • "coating" means the materials applied. The coating may be a liquid having become solid after drying, e.g. paint.  [2]

 B06
GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS IN GENERAL
 B07
SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SORTING (separation in general B01D; wet separating processes, sorting by processes using fluent material in the same way as liquid B03; using liquids B03B, B03D; sorting by magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges or vortex apparatus for carrying out physical processes B04; sorting peculiar to particular materials or articles and provided for in other classes, see the relevant classes)
 B08
CLEANING
 B09
DISPOSAL OF SOLID WASTE; RECLAMATION OF CONTAMINATED SOIL (treatment of waste water, sewage or sludge C02F; treating radioactively contaminated solids G21F 9/28)  [3,6]
  
SHAPING
 B21
MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL (casting, powder metallurgy B22; shearing B23D; working of metal by the action of a high concentration of electric current B23H; soldering, welding, flame-cutting B23K; other working of metal B23P; punching sheet material in general B26F; processes for changing of physical properties of metals C21D, C22F; electroforming C25D 1/00)
 B21

Note(s)

  1. This class does not cover:
  2. Processes of a kind covered by this class but applied to non-metallic materials are classified in this class if they are applicable to metal and cannot be classified fully in another class.
 B22
CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
 B23
MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (punching, perforating, making articles by processing sheet metal, tubes, or profiles B21D; wire-working B21F; making pins, needles, or nails B21G; making chains B21L; grinding B24)
 B23

Note(s)

  1. This class covers:
    • operations not provided for in any other class;
    • combinations of operations covered by different subclasses of classes B21-B24, which combinations are covered by subclass B23P, with the exception of subsidiary operations performed in conjunction with main operations covered by a single subclass;
    • features, specific to machine tools, which relate to a requirement or problem of a nature which is not peculiar to a particular kind of machine tool, e.g. feeding work, which are covered by subclass B23Q, although the realisation of these features may differ according to the kind of machine tool concerned. The said subclass covers such features, in general, even if the feature or a specific function, in any particular case, is to some extent peculiar to, or is claimed only for, machine tools designed for one particular operation; only in exceptional cases are such features classified in the subclass for the machine tool concerned. Certain features of this general nature are, however, referred to subclasses relating to particular metal-working operations, especially B23B, in which case the subclasses in question are not restricted, in respect of those features, to the kind of machine tool with which they are primarily concerned.
  2. In this class, the following terms or expressions are used with the meanings indicated:
    • "metal-working" covers the working of other materials unless the context requires otherwise;
    • "kind of operations" and similar expressions relate to such metal-working operations as boring, drilling, milling and grinding;
    • "kind of machine" means a machine designed for a particular kind of metal-working operation (e.g. a lathe);
    • "form of machine" means a machine of a particular kind adapted or arranged for a particular way of working or for particular work, e.g. face-plate lathe, tailstock lathe, turret lathe;
    • "different machines" covers different forms of machines for performing the same type of metal-working operation, e.g. vertical and horizontal boring machines.
  3. If details, components, or accessories have no essential feature specific to machine tools, the more general class, e.g. F16, takes precedence.
 B24
GRINDING; POLISHING
 B24

Note(s)

In this class, the following term is used with the meaning indicated:

  • "grinding" is used in its most general sense to mean machining and covers, in particular, "corrective" operations.

 B25
HAND TOOLS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; HANDLES FOR HAND IMPLEMENTS; WORKSHOP EQUIPMENT; MANIPULATORS
 B25

Note(s)

In this class, the following term is used with the meaning indicated:

  • "portable" includes suspension for easy manual handling, e.g. in connection with spring-suspended portable apparatus for use along assembly lines.

 B26
HAND CUTTING TOOLS; CUTTING; SEVERING
 B27
WORKING OR PRESERVING WOOD OR SIMILAR MATERIAL; NAILING OR STAPLING MACHINES IN GENERAL
 B28
WORKING CEMENT, CLAY, OR STONE
 B29
WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL (processing doughs A21C; working chocolate A23G; casting of metals B22; working cement, clay B28; chemical aspects, see section C, particularly C08; working glass C03B; candle making C11C 5/02; making soap C11D 13/00; manufacture of artificial filaments, threads, fibres, bristles or ribbons D01D, D01F; manufacture of articles from cellulosic fibrous suspensions or from papier-mâche D21J)
 B29

Note(s)

  1. This class does not cover the working of plastics sheet material in a manner analogous to the working of paper, which is covered by class B31[4]
  2. In this class, the following term is used with the meaning indicated:
    • "plastics" means macromolecular compounds or compositions based on such compounds.
  3. In this class, the following rules apply:
    1. The working of plastics is, as far as possible, classified primarily according to the particular shaping technique used, e.g. in subclass B29C[4]
    2. A product is not classified in this class unless it results from a technique which is covered by this class.
    3. Classification according to production of particular articles in subclass B29D is restricted to:
      1. aspects which are characteristic for the production of a particular article, and not classifiable in subclass B29B or B29C;
      2. combined operations for making the particular article which are not fully classifiable in subclass B29C[4]
 B29 - 
B29L

Note(s)

  1. The codes of subclass B29K are only for use as indexing codes associated with subclasses B29B, B29C, or B29D so as to provide information concerning moulding materials or materials for reinforcements, fillers or preformed parts, e.g. inserts. [4]
  2. The codes of subclass B29L are only for use as indexing codes associated with subclass B29C, so as to provide information concerning the articles produced by the techniques classified in subclass B29C[4]
 B30
PRESSES
 B31
MAKING PAPER ARTICLES; WORKING PAPER (making layered products not composed wholly of paper or cardboard B32B; handling thin material, e.g. sheets, webs, B65H)
 B31

Note(s)

  1. This class covers subject matter restricted to adaptations or associations of handling sheets, webs, or blanks peculiar to paper-working, e.g. bag or box making, machinery.
  2. This class does not cover:
  3. In this class, the following term is used with the meaning indicated:
    • "paper" covers material worked in a manner analogous to paper, e.g. plastics sheet materials, laminated materials or metal foils.
 B32
LAYERED PRODUCTS
  
PRINTING
 B41
PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS (reproduction or duplication of pictures or patterns by scanning and converting into electrical signals H04N)  [4]
 B42
BOOKBINDING; ALBUMS; FILES; SPECIAL PRINTED MATTER
 B43
WRITING OR DRAWING IMPLEMENTS; BUREAU ACCESSORIES
 B44
DECORATIVE ARTS
 B44

Note(s)

Any machine, apparatus, tool or process is classified in this class in so far as it produces an effect or mark meant to be judged by the eye and in so far as such machine, apparatus, tool or process is not provided for elsewhere.  [4]

  
TRANSPORTING
 B60
VEHICLES IN GENERAL
 B60

Note(s)

In this class, the following term is used with the meaning indicated:

 B61
RAILWAYS
 B61

Note(s)

In this class, the following expression is used with the meaning indicated:

  • "railway systems" covers:
    1. systems in which trains or individual passenger vehicles or load carriers run on, or are guided by, ground or elevated tracks defined by rails, ropes, cables, or other guiding elements for wheels, rollers, or sliding anti-friction devices (permanently attached to a continuous traction element B65G 17/00);
    2. systems in which carriers or impellers for persons or loads are attached to, e.g. suspended from, a guided traction rope or cable which determines their path of movement (chain conveyers, scraper conveyers B65G 17/00, B65G 19/00);
    3. power and free systems of either of the above types in which vehicles, load-carriers, or loads may be selectively coupled to, or uncoupled from, continuous traction members, e.g. cables, chains.

 B62
LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
 B63
SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
 B64
AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
 B65
CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
 B66
HOISTING; LIFTING; HAULING
 B67
OPENING OR CLOSING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING (nozzles in general B05B; packaging liquids B65B, e.g. B65B 3/00; pumps in general F04; siphons F04F 10/00; valves F16K; handling liquefied gases F17C)
 B68
SADDLERY; UPHOLSTERY
  
MICRO-STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGY; NANO-TECHNOLOGY
 B81
MICRO-STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGY  [7]
 B81

Note(s)

  1. This class covers micro-structural devices or systems, including at least one essential element or formation characterised by its very small size, typically within the range of 10-4 to 10-7 meters, i.e. its significant features can not, in at least one dimension, be completely discerned without the use of an optical microscope. [7]
  2. In this class, the following expressions are used with the meaning indicated: [7]
    • "micro-structural devices" covers: [7]
      1. micro-mechanical devices comprising movable, flexible or deformable elements; and [7]
      2. three-dimensional structures without movable, flexible or deformable elements, comprising microformations designed to accomplish an essential structural function for interacting with their environment, as opposed to purely electronic or chemical functions, regardless of whether the structures are combined with micro-electronic devices or formed from specific materials; [7]
    • "micro-structural systems" covers: [7]
      1. systems of cooperating micro-structural devices; and [7]
      2. micro-electro-mechanical or micro-opto-mechanical systems, which combine on a common substrate the specific features of micro-structural devices and electrical or optical components, e.g. for controlling, analysing or signalling the functioning of micro-structural devices. [7]
 B82
NANO-TECHNOLOGY  [7]
 B99
SUBJECT MATTER NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR IN THIS SECTION  [8]