F
SECTION F — MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
 F01 - 
F42

Note(s)

Guide to the use of this subsection (classes F01-F04)

The following notes are meant to assist in the use of this part of the classification scheme.

  1. In this subsection, subclasses or groups designating "engines" or "pumps" cover methods of operating the same, unless otherwise specifically provided for.
  2. In this subsection, the following terms or expressions are used with the meanings indicated:
    • "engine" means a device for continuously converting fluid energy into mechanical power. Thus, this term includes, for example, steam piston engines or steam turbines, per se, or internal-combustion piston engines, but it excludes single-stroke devices. "Engine" also includes the fluid-motive portion of a meter unless such portion is particularly adapted for use in a meter;
    • "pump" means a device for continuously raising, forcing, compressing, or exhausting fluid by mechanical or other means. Thus, this term includes fans or blowers;
    • "machine" means a device which could equally be an engine and a pump, and not a device which is restricted to an engine or one which is restricted to a pump;
    • "positive displacement" means the way the energy of a working fluid is transformed into mechanical energy, in which variations of volume created by the working fluid in a working chamber produce equivalent displacements of the mechanical member transmitting the energy, the dynamic effect of the fluid being of minor importance, and vice versa;
    • "non-positive displacement" means the way the energy of a working fluid is transformed into mechanical energy, by transformation of the energy of the working fluid into kinetic energy, and vice versa;
    • "oscillating-piston machine" means a positive-displacement machine in which a fluid-engaging work-transmitting member oscillates. This definition applies also to engines and pumps;
    • "rotary-piston machine" means a positive-displacement machine in which a fluid-engaging work-transmitting member rotates about a fixed axis or about an axis moving along a circular or similar orbit. This definition applies also to engines and pumps;
    • "rotary piston" means the work-transmitting member of a rotary-piston machine and may be of any suitable form, e.g., like a toothed gear;
    • "cooperating members" means the "oscillating piston" or "rotary piston" and another member, e.g., the working-chamber wall, which assists in the driving or pumping action;
    • "movement of the co-operating members" is to be interpreted as relative, so that one of the "co-operating members" may be stationary, even though reference may be made to its rotational axis, or both may move;
    • "teeth or tooth equivalents" include lobes, projections or abutments;
    • "internal-axis type" means that the rotational axes of the inner and outer co-operating members remain at all times within the outer member, e.g., in a similar manner to that of a pinion meshing with the internal teeth of a ring gear;
    • "free piston" means a piston of which the length of stroke is not defined by any member driven thereby;
    • "cylinders" means positive-displacement working chambers in general. Thus, this term is not restricted to cylinders of circular cross-section;
    • "main shaft" means the shaft which converts reciprocating piston motion into rotary motion or vice versa;
    • "plant" means an engine together with such additional apparatus as is necessary to run the engine. For example, a steam engine plant includes a steam engine and means for generating the steam;
    • "working fluid" means the driven fluid in a pump and the driving fluid in an engine. The working fluid may be in a gaseous state, i.e., compressible, or liquid. In the former case coexistence of two states is possible;
    • "steam" includes condensable vapours in general, and "special vapour" is used when steam is excluded;
    • "reaction type" as applied to non-positive-displacement machines or engines means machines or engines in which pressure/velocity transformation takes place wholly or partly in the rotor. Mmachines or engines with no, or only slight, pressure/velocity transformation in the rotor are called "impulse type".
  3. In this subsection:
  4. For use of this subsection with a good understanding, it is essential to remember, so far as subclasses F01B, F01C, F01D, F03B, and F04B, F04C, F04D, which form its skeleton, are concerned:
    • the principle which resides in their elaboration,
    • the classifying characteristics which they call for, and
    • their complementarity.
      1. Principle

        This concerns essentially the subclasses listed above. Other subclasses, notably those of class F02, which cover better-defined matter, are not considered here.

        Each subclass covers fundamentally a genus of apparatus (engine or pump) and by extension covers equally "machines" of the same kind. Two different subjects, one having a more general character than the other, are thus covered by the same subclass.

        Subclasses F01B, F03B, F04B, beyond the two subjects which they cover, have further a character of generality in relation to other subclasses concerning the different species of apparatus in the genus concerned.

        This generality applies as well for the two subjects dealt with, without these always being in relation to the same subclasses.

        Thus, subclass F03B, in its part dealing with "machines", should be considered as being the general class relating to subclasses F04B, F04C, and in its part dealing with "engines" as being general in relation to subclass F03C.

      2. Characteristics

        The principal classifying characteristic of the subclass is that of genera of apparatus, of which there are three possible:

        Machines; engines; pumps.

        As stated above, "machines" are always associated with one of the other two genera. These main genera are subdivided according to the general principles of operation of the apparatus:

        Positive displacement; non-positive displacement.

        The positive displacement apparatus are further subdivided according to the ways of putting into effect the principle of operation, that is, to the kind of apparatus:

        Simple reciprocating piston; rotary or oscillating piston; other kind.

        Another classifying characteristic is that of the working fluid, in respect of which three kinds of apparatus are possible, namely:

        Liquid and elastic fluid; elastic fluid; liquid.

      3. Complementarity

        This resides in association of pairs of the subclasses listed above, according to the characteristics under consideration in respect of kind of apparatus or working fluid.

        The subclasses concerned with the various principles, characteristics and complementarity are shown in the following table:

It is seen from this table that:

  
LIGHTING; HEATING
 F24
HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING (protecting plants by heating in gardens, orchards, or forests A01G 13/06; baking ovens and apparatus A21B; cooking devices other than ranges A47J; forging B21J, B21K; specially adapted for vehicles, see the relevant subclasses of classes B60-B64; combustion apparatus in general F23; drying F26B; ovens in general F27; electric heating elements or arrangements H05B)
 F24

Note(s)

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

  • "stove" includes apparatus which may have an open fire, e.g. fireplace;
  • "range" means an apparatus for cooking having elements that perform different cooking operations or cooking and heating operations.

 F24B
DOMESTIC STOVES OR RANGES FOR SOLID FUELS; IMPLEMENTS FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH STOVES OR RANGES  [6]

 F24C
OTHER DOMESTIC STOVES OR RANGES; DETAILS OF DOMESTIC STOVES OR RANGES, OF GENERAL APPLICATION (radiator stoves of the fluid-circulating type F24H)
 F24C
Subclass index
STOVES OR RANGES, NOT RESTRICTED TO SOLID FUEL
General characteristics 1/00
With single kind of fuel or energy supply 3/00 - 9/00
With more than one, or unspecified kind of fuel or energy supply 1/00
With additional means for heating water 13/00
With self-cleaning provisions 14/00
Combinations of stoves or ranges 11/00
DETAILS OF STOVES OR RANGES IN GENERAL 15/00

 F24D
DOMESTIC- OR SPACE-HEATING SYSTEMS, e.g. CENTRAL HEATING SYSTEMS; DOMESTIC HOT-WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; ELEMENTS OR COMPONENTS THEREFOR (preventing corrosion C23F; water supply in general E03; using steam or condensate extracted or exhausted from steam engine plants for heating purposes F01K 17/02; steam traps F16T; domestic stoves or ranges F24B, F24C; water or air heaters having heat generating means F24H; combined heating and refrigeration systems F25B; heat exchange apparatus or elements F28; removing furring F28G)
 F24D

Note(s)

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

  • "central heating system" means a system in which heat is generated or stored at central sources and is distributed by means of a transfer fluid to the spaces or areas to be heated. [5]

 F24D
Subclass index
CENTRAL HEATING SYSTEMS
With heat-transfer fluid: steam; hot water; hot air or exhaust gas; other fluid 1/00; 3/00; 5/00; 7/00
Combinations 9/00
District heating systems 10/00
By heat storage 11/00
Other systems 12/00
OTHER DOMESTIC- OR SPACE-HEATING SYSTEMS
Electric; Other 13/00; 15/00
DOMESTIC HOT-WATER SUPPLY 17/00
DETAILS 19/00

 F24F
AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING (devices for ventilating greenhouses A01G; animal husbandry A01K, e.g. controlling humidity in incubators A01K 41/04; disinfecting or sterilising of air A61L; devices for reconditioning breathing air in sealed rooms or for ventilating gasproof shelters A62B; filtering, washing or drying of gases B01D; mixing gases with vapours or liquids in general B01F 3/00; spraying B05B, B05D; removing dirt or fumes from areas where they are produced B08B 15/00; ventilation, air-conditioning, or cooling, specially adapted for vehicles, see the relevant vehicle places, e.g. B60H, B61D 27/00; production of ozone C01B 13/10; chimneys or flues E04F 17/02, E04H 12/28, F23J 11/00, F23L 17/02; air ducts or conduits E04F 17/04, F16L; ventilation in doors or windows E06B 7/02; fans, blowers F04; noise-absorbing in pipes or pipe systems F16L; tops for chimneys or ventilating shafts F23L; cooling F25; details of heat-exchange or heat-transfer apparatus, of general application F28F; apparatus for generating ions to be introduced into non-enclosed gases, e.g. the atmosphere, H01T 23/00)
 F24F

Note(s)

  1. In this subclass:
  2. In this subclass, the following terms or expressions are used with the meanings indicated:
    • "air-conditioning" means the supply of air to rooms or spaces by means which provide for the treatment of the air in at least two of the following ways:

      heating — cooling — any other kind of treatment, e.g. humidification;

    • "ventilation" means the supply of air to, or its extraction from, rooms or spaces, and systems for circulating air within rooms or spaces, but does not cover the mere treatment of air being supplied to, extracted from, or circulated within, rooms or spaces.
  3. Processes using enzymes or micro-organisms in order to:
    1. liberate, separate or purify a pre-existing compound or composition, or to
    2. treat textiles or clean solid sufaces of materials
    are further classified in subclass C12S[5]
 F24F
Subclass index
AIR-CONDITIONING
Room units; central systems; other systems or apparatus 1/00; 3/00; 5/00
AIR-HUMIDIFICATION 6/00
VENTILATION 7/00
SCREENING BY AIR CURRENTS 9/00
COMMON DETAILS
Control, safety 11/00
Use of energy recovery systems 12/00
Other details 13/00

 F24H
FLUID HEATERS, e.g. WATER OR AIR HEATERS, HAVING HEAT-GENERATING MEANS, IN GENERAL (tube furnaces for thermal non-catalytic cracking C10G 9/20; devices, e.g. valves, for venting and aerating enclosures F16K 24/00; steam traps or like apparatus F16T; steam generation F22; combustion apparatus F23; domestic stoves or ranges F24B, F24C; domestic- or space-heating systems F24D; furnaces, kilns, ovens, retorts F27; heat-exchangers F28; electric heating elements or arrangements H05B)
 F24H

Note(s)

  1. The distinguishing feature of the air heaters covered by this subclass is that the heat is predominantly released to the air by convection, mostly by forced circulation of the air. The domestic stoves or ranges covered by subclass F24B, F24C may also be fired or electric air heaters but they release their heat to a considerable extent by radiation and only to some extent by natural convention. [3]
  2. In this subclass, the following terms or expressions are used with the meanings indicated:
    • "water" includes other liquids and means always the liquid to be heated; [3]
    • "air" includes other gases or gas mixtures and means always the gas to be heated; [3]
    • "furnace tubes" means tubes inside the heater wherein combustion is performed; [3]
    • "fire tubes" means tubes inside the heater through which flue-gases flow from a combustion chamber located outside the tubes; [3]
    • "heater" means apparatus including both heat generating means and means for transferring the generated heat to water or air. [3]
  3. All storage heaters are classified in group F24H 7/00[3]
 F24H
Subclass index
WATER HEATERS 1/00
AIR HEATERS; STORAGE HEATERS 3/00; 7/00
FLUID HEATERS USING HEAT PUMPS 4/00
COMBINATIONS OF WATER AND AIR HEATERS 6/00
FLUID HEATERS FOR EXTRACTING LATENT HEAT FROM FLUE GASES 8/00
DETAILS 9/00

 F24J
PRODUCTION OR USE OF HEAT NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (engines or other mechanisms for producing mechanical power from heat, see the relevant classes, e.g. F03G for using natural heat)
 F24J

Note(s)

Processes using enzymes or micro-organisms in order to:

  1. liberate, separate or purify a pre-existing compound or composition, or to
  2. treat textiles or clean solid surfaces of materials
are further classified in subclass C12S[5]