B
SECTION B — PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  
SEPARATING; MIXING
 B01 - 
B09

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:
    It should also be noted that the separation of isotopes of the same chemical element is covered by B01D 59/00, whatever process or apparatus is employed.
  4. The following scheme illustrates the classification according to these rules.

 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)
 B07C
POSTAL SORTING; SORTING INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, OR BULK MATERIAL FIT TO BE SORTED PIECE-MEAL, e.g. BY PICKING (specially adapted for a specific purpose covered by another class, see the relevant place, e.g. A43D 33/06, B23Q 7/12)
 B07C

Note(s)

This subclass covers sorting of materials or articles by hand or by devices actuated, manually or automatically, as a result of inspection or of detection or measurement of some feature of the material or articles.

 B07C 1/00 - 
B07C 3/00
Postal sorting; Similar sorting of documents, e.g. cheques (tube mail systems B65G 51/04; sorting information records, e.g. punched cards, G06F 7/10)
 B07C 1/00
Measures preceding sorting according to destination
 B07C 1/02
·  Forming articles into a stream; Arranging articles in a stream, e.g. spacing, orientating
 B07C 1/04
·  ·  Forming a stream from a bulk; Regulating the stream, e.g. spacing the articles
 B07C 1/06
·  ·  Orientating; Aligning
 B07C 1/10
·  Sorting according to size or flexibility
 B07C 1/12
·  ·  Separating letters from parcels
 B07C 1/14
·  ·  Sorting according to length or width
 B07C 1/16
·  ·  Sorting according to thickness or stiffness
 B07C 1/18
·  Orientating articles other than in a stream
 B07C 1/20
·  Sorting according to orientation, e.g. according to position of stamp
 B07C 3/00
Sorting according to destination
 B07C 3/02
·  Apparatus characterised by the means used for distribution
 B07C 3/04
·  ·  Drum-type sorting machines
 B07C 3/06
·  ·  Linear sorting machines in which articles are removed from a stream at selected points
 B07C 3/08
·  ·  using arrangements of conveyers
 B07C 3/10
·  Apparatus characterised by the means used for detection of the destination (methods or arrangements for reading and recognising printed or written characters or geometric figures G06K 9/00)
 B07C 3/12
·  ·  using electric or electronic detecting means (B07C 3/14 takes precedence)
 B07C 3/14
·  ·  using light-responsive detecting means
 B07C 3/16
·  ·  using magnetic detecting means
 B07C 3/18
·  Devices or arrangements for indicating destination, e.g. by code marks
 B07C 3/20
·  Arrangements for facilitating the visual reading of addresses, e.g. display arrangements
 B07C 5/00
Sorting according to a characteristic or feature of the articles or material being sorted, e.g. by control effected by devices which detect or measure such characteristic or feature; Sorting by manually actuated devices, e.g. switches (sorting by hand only B07C 7/00; separating solids from solids by sieving, screening, or sifting or by using gas currents or other separating by dry methods applicable to bulk material B07B)  [3]
 B07C 5/02
·  Measures preceding sorting, e.g. arranging articles in a stream, orientating
 B07C 5/04
·  Sorting according to size
 B07C 5/06
·  ·  measured mechanically
 B07C 5/07
·  ·  ·  by calipering using relatively moving article-engaging means, e.g. clamps  [2]
 B07C 5/08
·  ·  measured electrically or electronically (B07C 5/10 takes precedence)
 B07C 5/10
·  ·  measured by light-responsive means
 B07C 5/12
·  ·  characterised by the application to particular articles, not otherwise provided for (sorting eggs A01K 43/00)
 B07C 5/14
·  ·  ·  Sorting timber or logs
 B07C 5/16
·  Sorting according to weight (sorting eggs A01K 43/00; weighing apparatus per se G01G)
 B07C 5/18
·  ·  using a single stationary weighing mechanism
 B07C 5/20
·  ·  ·  for separating articles of less than a predetermined weight from those of more than that weight
 B07C 5/22
·  ·  using a plurality of stationary weighing mechanisms
 B07C 5/24
·  ·  using moving weighing mechanisms, e.g. moving along a circular path
 B07C 5/26
·  ·  ·  wherein the counterbalancing effect of the weighing mechanisms is varied during such movement
 B07C 5/28
·  ·  using electrical control means
 B07C 5/30
·  ·  with associated counting means
 B07C 5/32
·  ·  with associated check-weighing means
 B07C 5/34
·  Sorting according to other particular properties
 B07C 5/342
·  ·  according to optical properties, e.g. colour
 B07C 5/344
·  ·  according to electric or electromagnetic properties
 B07C 5/346
·  ·  according to radioactive properties
 B07C 5/36
·  Sorting apparatus characterised by the means used for distribution
 B07C 5/38
·  ·  Collecting or arranging articles in groups
 B07C 7/00
Sorting by hand only
 B07C 7/02
·  Compartmented furniture, e.g. pigeon-holes (storage racks B65G)
 B07C 7/04
·  Apparatus or accessories for hand picking
 B07C 9/00
Sorting, with or without orientating, not otherwise provided for