Note(s)

• Attention is drawn to the Notes following the subsection title "SEPARATING; MIXING".

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;
  • "particulate materials" includes powders, granules, short fibres or chips;
  • "coating" means the materials applied. The coating may be a liquid having become solid after drying, e.g. paint.

Note(s)

• This class does not cover:
  • combinations of operations covered by different subclasses of class B21, which are covered by subclass B23P;
  • combinations of operations covered by any particular subclass of class B21 with operations covered by other classes, e.g. with operations involving removal of material, which are also covered by subclass B23P, except that if the operations covered by the other classes are subsidiary to the operations properly covered by a single subclass of B21 the combination is classified in that subclass.
• 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.

Note(s)

• 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.
• 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.
• If details, components, or accessories have no essential feature specific to machine tools, the more general class, e.g. F16, takes precedence.

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.

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.

Note(s)

• 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.
• 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.

Note(s)

• 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.
• This class does not cover:
  • making articles directly from paper pulp, which is covered by D21J;
  • handling sheets, webs, or blanks of wider applicability, irrespective of whether described or claimed only for paper-working machinery, which is regarded as being of a more comprehensive nature and is covered by B65H.
• 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.

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.

Note(s)

• In this class, the following term is used with the meaning indicated:
  • "vehicle" means all vehicles except those restricted to one of the following types of vehicles: rail vehicles, waterborne vessels, aircraft, space vehicles, hand carts, cycles, animal-drawn vehicles, and sledges, which are covered by the relevant subclasses of B61-B64.
    • Thus the term "vehicle" includes:
      • vehicular characteristics which are common to more than one of the above-listed types;
      • certain characteristics restricted to automobiles, road or cross-country trailers.
      • The following exceptions to the above should be noted:
        • subclass B60B or B60C embrace all vehicle wheels and tyres, except wheels for roller skates A63C 17/22, wheels for model railway vehicles A63H 19/22, and special adaptations of wheels or tyres for aircraft B64C 25/36;
        • subclass B60C embraces the connection of valves to inflatable elastic bodies in general, and in this respect it is not limited to vehicles;
        • subclass B60L embraces certain electric equipment of all electrically-propelled vehicles;
        • subclass B60M embraces certain power supply equipment for, but external to, any kind of electrically-propelled vehicle;
        • subclass B60R embraces safety belts or body harnesses used in all types of land vehicles;
        • subclass B60S relates to all kinds of vehicles, except the servicing of rail locomotives B61K 11/00, ground equipment for aircraft B64F, or cleaning apparatus peculiar to waterborne vessels B63B 57/00, B63B 59/00;
        • subclass B60T includes brake control systems of general applicability, and in this respect it is not limited to vehicles. It also includes rail-vehicle power-brake systems and some other features of rail-vehicle brake systems;
        • subclass B60V embraces air-cushion vehicles per se and land vehicles, waterborne vessels or aircraft combined with features allowing them to alternatively operate as air-cushion vehicles or to be partially supported by an air cushion.

Note(s)

• In this class, the following expression is used with the meaning indicated:
  • "railway systems" covers:
    • 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);
    • 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);
    • 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.

Note(s)

• 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.
• In this class, the following expressions are used with the meaning indicated:
  • "micro-structural devices" covers:
    • micro-mechanical devices comprising movable, flexible or deformable elements; and
    • 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;
  • "micro-structural systems" covers:
    • systems of cooperating micro-structural devices; and
    • 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.