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:

  
ENGINEERING IN GENERAL
 F17
STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS (water supply E03B)
 F17D
PIPE-LINE SYSTEMS; PIPE-LINES (pumps or compressors F04; fluid dynamics F15D; valves or the like F16K; pipes, laying pipes, supports, joints, branches, repairing, work on the entire line, accessories F16L; steam traps or the like F16T; fluid-pressure electric cables H01B 9/06)
 F17D

Note(s)

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

  • "pipe-line systems" means systems described in flow sheets as well as arrangements of co-operating elements, the elements per se being covered by the relevant subclasses.

 F17D 1/00
Pipe-line systems (conveying articles or materials through a pipe-line by means of a fluid carrier B65G 51/00, B65G 53/00; dispensing, delivering or transferring liquids B67D; special devices for transferring liquids from bulk storage containers into vehicles or boats or vice versa, e.g. loading or unloading vehicles or portable containers B67D 5/00; conveying material which has been excavated by a dredger or soil shifter through a pipe-line E02F 7/10; sewer pipe-line systems E03F 3/00; thermal insulation of pipe-lines F16L 59/00; central heating systems F24D)  [2]
 F17D 1/02
·  for gases or vapours
 F17D 1/04
·  ·  for distribution of gas
 F17D 1/05
·  ·  ·  Preventing freezing (by heating F16L 53/00)
 F17D 1/06
·  ·  for steam
 F17D 1/065
·  ·  Arrangements for producing propulsion of gases or vapours  [2]
 F17D 1/07
·  ·  ·  by compression  [2]
 F17D 1/075
·  ·  ·  by mere expansion from an initial pressure level, e.g. by arrangement of a flow-control valve  [2]
 F17D 1/08
·  for liquids or viscous products (water-main or service pipe systems E03B 7/04; domestic hot-water supply systems F24D 17/00)  [2]
 F17D 1/12
·  ·  Conveying liquids or viscous products by pressure of another fluid  [2]
 F17D 1/13
·  ·  Conveying liquids or viscous products by gravity  [2]
 F17D 1/14
·  ·  Conveying liquids or viscous products by pumping  [2]
 F17D 1/16
·  ·  Facilitating the conveyance of liquids or effecting the conveyance of viscous products by modification of their viscosity  [2]
 F17D 1/17
·  ·  ·  by mixing with another liquid  [2]
 F17D 1/18
·  ·  ·  by heating  [2]
 F17D 1/20
·  Arrangements or systems of devices for influencing or altering dynamic characteristics of the systems, e.g. for damping pulsations caused by opening or closing of valves (fluid dynamics F15D; damping pulsations in fluids in pipes in general F16L 55/04)  [2]
 F17D 3/00
Arrangements for supervising or controlling working operations
 F17D 3/01
·  for controlling, signalling, or supervising the conveyance of a product  [2]
 F17D 3/03
·  for controlling, signalling, or supervising the conveyance of several different products following one another in the same conduit, e.g. for switching from one receiving tank to another  [2]
 F17D 3/05
·  ·  the different products not being separated (separation of contaminants by distillation B01D 3/00)  [2]
 F17D 3/08
·  ·  the different products being separated by "go-devils", e.g. spheres (cleaning devices moved along inside a pipe-line by fluid pressure B08B 9/04)  [2]
 F17D 3/10
·  for taking out the product in the line (investigating or analysing materials by determinating their chemical or physical properties G01N)  [2]
 F17D 3/12
·  for injecting a composition into the line  [2]
 F17D 3/14
·  for eliminating water (separation of liquids B01D, e.g. B01D 17/00; separation of gases or vapours B01D 53/00)  [2]
 F17D 3/16
·  for eliminating particles in suspension (from liquids by sedimentation B01D 21/00; separation by filtration or otherwise B01D 24/00-B01D 51/00; centrifugal apparatus B04)  [2]
 F17D 3/18
·  for measuring the quantity of conveyed product (measuring volume or volume flow, in general G01F)  [2]
 F17D 5/00
Protection or supervision of installations (arrangements for protecting foundations E02D 31/00; protecting pipes from damage or internal or external wear F16L 57/00, against corrosion or scale F16L 58/00; investigation of the fluid-tightness of structures G01M 3/00)  [2]
 F17D 5/02
·  Preventing, monitoring, or locating loss  [2]
 F17D 5/04
·  ·  by means of a signalling fluid enclosed in a double wall  [2]
 F17D 5/06
·  ·  using electric or acoustic means  [2]
 F17D 5/08
·  Protection of installations or persons from the effects of high voltage induced in the pipe-line (emergency protective circuit arrangements H02H)  [2]