F
SECTION F — MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  
ENGINES OR PUMPS
 F01 - 
F04

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

          Machines; engines; pumps.

        2. 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.

        3. 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.

        4. 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:

      Kind of displacement            Working fluid        Relations

                                                           of generality

      positive                non-                         in respect

                              positive                     of kind of

                                                           displacement

                rotary

      recipro-  or oscil-             liquid and

      cating    lating                elastic    elastic

      piston    piston   other        fluid      fluid   liquid

      MACHINES

      x                  x            x          x           F01B 

                x                     x          x           F01C 

                              x       x          x           F01D 

                              x                          x   F03B 

      x                  x                               x   F04B 

                x                                        x   F04C 

      ENGINES

      x                  x            x          x           F01B 

                x                     x          x           F01C 

                              x       x          x           F01D 

                              x                          x   F03B 

      x         x        x                               x   F03C 

      PUMPS

      x                  x            x          x       x   F04B 

                x                     x          x       x   F04C 

                              x       x          x       x   F04D 

It is seen from this table that:

 F03
MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS (for liquids and elastic fluids F01; positive-displacement machines for liquids F04); WIND, SPRING, WEIGHT, OR MISCELLANEOUS MOTORS; PRODUCING MECHANICAL POWER OR A REACTIVE PROPULSIVE THRUST, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
 F03B
MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS (machines or engines for liquids and elastic fluids F01; positive-displacement engines for liquids F03C; positive-displacement machines for liquids F04)
 F03B

Note(s)

  1. This subclass covers:
    • engines, other than of positive-displacement type, driven by liquids;
    • machines, other than of positive-displacement type, for liquids.
  2. Attention is drawn to the Notes preceding class F01, especially as regards the definition of "reaction type".
 F03B
Subclass index
TURBINES: IMPULSE; REACTION 1/00; 3/00
MACHINES OR ENGINES: NON-BLADED ROTOR TYPE; WATER WHEELS; ENDLESS-CHAIN TYPE 5/00; 7/00; 9/00
PARTS OR DETAILS OF ABOVE KINDS 1/00, 3/00, 11/00
ADAPTATIONS OR COMBINATIONS 13/00
CONTROLLING 15/00
OTHER MACHINES OR ENGINES 17/00
 F03B 1/00 - 
F03B 9/00
Non-positive-displacement machines or engines characterised by specified type, e.g. water turbines (adaptations of machines or engines for special use F03B 13/00; controlling F03B 15/00)
 F03B 1/00
Engines of impulse type, i.e. turbines with jets of high-velocity liquid impinging on bladed or like rotors, e.g. Pelton wheels; Parts or details peculiar thereto
 F03B 1/02
·  Buckets; Bucket-carrying rotors
 F03B 1/04
·  Nozzles (in general B05B); Nozzle-carrying members
 F03B 3/00
Machines or engines of reaction type; Parts or details peculiar thereto
 F03B 3/02
·  with radial flow at high-pressure side and axial flow at low-pressure side of rotors, e.g. Francis turbines
 F03B 3/04
·  with substantially axial flow throughout rotors, e.g. propeller turbines
 F03B 3/06
·  ·  with adjustable blades, e.g. Kaplan turbines
 F03B 3/08
·  with pressure/velocity transformation exclusively in rotors
 F03B 3/10
·  characterised by having means for functioning alternatively as pumps or turbines
 F03B 3/12
·  Blades; Blade-carrying rotors
 F03B 3/14
·  ·  Rotors having adjustable blades
 F03B 3/16
·  Stators
 F03B 3/18
·  ·  Stator blades; Guide conduits or vanes, e.g. adjustable
 F03B 5/00
Machines or engines characterised by non-bladed rotors, e.g. serrated, using friction
 F03B 7/00
Water wheels
 F03B 9/00
Endless-chain type machines or engines
   
 F03B 11/00
Parts or details not provided for in, or of interest apart from, the preceding groups (controlling F03B 15/00)
 F03B 11/02
·  Casings
 F03B 11/04
·  for diminishing cavitation or vibration, e.g. balancing
 F03B 11/06
·  Bearing arrangements
 F03B 11/08
·  for removing foreign matter, e.g. mud
 F03B 13/00
Adaptations of machines or engines for special use; Combinations of machines or engines with driving or driven apparatus (if the apparatus aspects are predominant, see the relevant places for such apparatus, e.g. H02K 7/18); Power stations or aggregates (hydraulic-engineering aspects E02B; incorporating only machines or engines of positive-displacement type F03C)
 F03B 13/02
·  Adaptations for drilling wells
 F03B 13/04
·  Adaptations for use in dentistry
 F03B 13/06
·  Stations or aggregates of water-storage type (turbines characterised by having means for functioning alternatively as pumps F03B 3/10)
 F03B 13/08
·  Machine or engine aggregates in dams or the like; Conduits therefor
 F03B 13/10
·  Submerged units incorporating electric generators or motors
 F03B 13/12
·  characterised by using wave or tide energy
 F03B 13/14
·  ·  using wave energy  [4]
 F03B 13/16
·  ·  ·  using the relative movement between a wave-operated member and another member  [4]
 F03B 13/18
·  ·  ·  ·  wherein the other member is fixed, at least at one point, with respect to the sea bed or shore  [4]
 F03B 13/20
·  ·  ·  ·  wherein both members are movable relative to the sea bed or shore  [4]
 F03B 13/22
·  ·  ·  using the flow of water resulting from wave movements, e.g. to drive a hydraulic motor or turbine  [4]
 F03B 13/24
·  ·  ·  to produce a flow of air, e.g. to drive an air turbine  [4]
 F03B 13/26
·  ·  using tide energy  [4]
 F03B 15/00
Controlling (controlling in general G05)
 F03B 15/02
·  by varying liquid flow
 F03B 15/04
·  ·  of turbines (rotors having adjustable blades F03B 3/06, F03B 3/14; adjustable guide vanes F03B 3/18; specially adapted for turbines with jets of high-velocity liquid impinging on bladed or like rotors F03B 15/20)
 F03B 15/06
·  ·  ·  Regulating, i.e. acting automatically
 F03B 15/08
·  ·  ·  ·  by speed, e.g. by measuring electric frequency or liquid flow
 F03B 15/10
·  ·  ·  ·  ·  without retroactive action
 F03B 15/12
·  ·  ·  ·  ·  with retroactive action
 F03B 15/14
·  ·  ·  ·  by or of water level
 F03B 15/16
·  ·  ·  ·  by power output
 F03B 15/18
·  ·  ·  ·  for safety purposes, e.g. preventing overspeed
 F03B 15/20
·  ·  specially adapted for turbines with jets of high-velocity liquid impinging on bladed or like rotors (nozzles F03B 1/04)
 F03B 15/22
·  ·  ·  for safety purposes
 F03B 17/00
Other machines or engines
 F03B 17/02
·  using hydrostatic thrust
 F03B 17/04
·  ·  Alleged perpetua mobilia
 F03B 17/06
·  using liquid flow, e.g. of swinging-flap type