IPC 6 English version  Section B
SECTION B– PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
SEPARATING; MIXING

Notes

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:

B 01 D B 03 B, B 03 C, B 03 D B 04 B, B 04 C, B 07 B, B 07 C.

(2)

The classifying characteristics of these subclasses are:

(i)

the physical state of the matter to be separated;

(ii)

the principle of the process used;

(iii)

particular kinds of apparatus.

The first of these characteristics involves six different aspects, assembled in three groups:

(a)

liquid/liquid or liquid/gas and gas/gas;

(b)

solid/liquid or solid/gas;

(c)

solid/solid.

(3)

These subclasses are to be used according to the following general rules:

–

B 01 D is the most general class as far as separation other than solids from solids is concerned.

–

Apparatus for separating solids from solids are covered by B 03 B when the process concerned is regarded as the equivalent of "washing" in the sense of the mining art, even if such apparatus is a pneumatic one, especially pneumatic tables or jigs. Screens per se are not covered by this subclass but are classified in B 07 B, even if they are being used in a wet process. All other apparatus for the separation of solids from solids according to dry methods are classified in B 07 B.

–

If the separation takes place as a result of the detection or measurement of some feature of the material or articles to be sorted it is classified in B 07 C.

It should also be noted that the separation of isotopes of the same chemical element is covered by B 01 D 59/00, whatever process or apparatus is employed.

(4)

The following scheme illustrates the classification according to these rules.

TABLE A - LIQUID/LIQUID            LIQUID/GAS            GAS/GAS                                                     Subclasses dealing with            Operations                                 Method    Apparatus            General                                     B 01 D      B 01 D            by centrifugal force, using centrifuges or              free-vortex apparatus                     B 01 D      B 04 B,                                                                  B 04 C              using magnetic or electrostatic effect   B 03 C      B 03 C

TABLE B - SOLID/LIQUID            SOLID/GAS                                                     Subclasses dealing with            Operations                                 Method    Apparatus            General                                     B 01 D      B 01 D              by centrifugal force                     B 01 D      B 01 D              using centrifuges or free-vortex                apparatus                               B 01 D      B 04 B,                                                                  B 04 C              using magnetic or electrostatic effect   B 03 C      B 03 C

TABLE C - SOLID/SOLID                                                     Subclasses dealing with            Operations                                 Method    Apparatus

           Dry Methods            General              material in bulk                         B 07 B      B 07 B            Individual sorting                         B 07 C      B 07 C              Screening, sifting, pneumatic sorting     B 07 B      B 07 B                using pneumatic tables or jigs         B 03 B      B 03 B              by magnetic or electrostatic effect       B 03 C      B 03 C              by centrifugal force                     B 07 B      B 07 B              using centrifuges or free-vortex                apparatus                               B 07 B      B 04 B,                                                                  B 04 C

           Wet methods            General                                     B 03 B      B 03 B              flotation, differential sedimentation     B 03 D      B 03 D              screening                                 B 07 B      B 07 B

           Combinations            Dry methods - wet methods                   B 03 B

B 01

PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL (furnaces, kilns, ovens, retorts, in general F 27)

B 02

CRUSHING, PULVERISING, OR DISINTEGRATING; PREPARATORY TREATMENT OF GRAIN FOR MILLING

B 03

SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS USING LIQUIDS OR USING PNEUMATIC TABLES OR JIGS; MAGNETIC OR ELECTROSTATIC SEPARATION OF SOLID MATERIALS FROM SOLID MATERIALS OR FLUIDS; SEPARATION BY HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRIC FIELDS (separating isotopes B 01 D 59/00; crushing or disintegrating B 02 C; centrifuges or vortex apparatus for carrying out physical processes B 04) [5]

B 04

CENTRIFUGAL APPARATUS OR MACHINES FOR CARRYING-OUT PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES

B 05

SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING LIQUIDS OR OTHER FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL (domestic cleaning A 47 L; cleaning in general by methods essentially involving the use or presence of liquid B 08 B 3/00; sand-blasting B 24 C; coating of articles during shaping of substances in a plastic state B 29 C 39/10, B 29 C 39/18, B 29 C 41/20, B 29 C 41/30, B 29 C 43/18, B 29 C 43/28, B 29 C 45/14, B 29 C 47/02; for further classification of forming layered products, see B 32 B; printing, copying B 41; conveying articles or workpieces through baths of liquid B 65 G, e.g. B 65 G 49/02; handling webs or filaments in general B 65 H; paints, varnishes, lacquers C 09 D; enamelling of metals, applying a vitreous layer to metals, chemical cleaning or de-greasing of metallic objects C 23; electroplating C 25 D; treating of textile materials by liquids, gases or vapours D 06 B; laundering D 06 F; treating roads E 01 C; apparatus or processes for the preparation or treatment of photosensitive materials G 03; apparatus or processes, restricted to a purpose fully provided for in a single other class, see the relevant class covering the purpose) [2]

B 06

GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS IN GENERAL

B 07

SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SORTING (separation in general B 01 D; wet separating processes, sorting by processes using fluent material in the same way as liquid B 03; using liquids B 03 B, B 03 D; sorting by magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high voltage electric fields B 03 C; centrifuges or vortex apparatus for carrying out physical processes B 04; sorting peculiar to particular materials or articles and provided for in other classes, see the relevant classes)

B 08

CLEANING

B 09

DISPOSAL OF SOLID WASTE; RECLAMATION OF CONTAMINATED SOIL (treatment of waste water, sewage or sludge C 02 F; treating radioactively contaminated solids G 21 F 9/28) [3,6]
SHAPING

B 21

MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL (casting, powder metallurgy B 22; shearing B 23 D; working of metal by the action of a high concentration of electric current B 23 H; soldering, welding, flame-cutting B 23 K; other working of metal B 23 P; punching sheet material in general B 26 F; processes for changing of physical properties of metals C 21 D, C 22 F; electroforming C 25 D 1/00)

B 22

CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY

B 23

MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (punching, perforating, making articles by processing sheet metal, tubes, or profiles B 21 D; wire-working B 21 F; making pins, needles, or nails B 21 G; making chains B 21 L; grinding B 24)

B 24

GRINDING; POLISHING

B 25

HAND TOOLS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; HANDLES FOR HAND IMPLEMENTS; WORKSHOP EQUIPMENT; MANIPULATORS

B 26

HAND CUTTING TOOLS; CUTTING; SEVERING

B 27

WORKING OR PRESERVING WOOD OR SIMILAR MATERIAL; NAILING OR STAPLING MACHINES IN GENERAL

B 28

WORKING CEMENT, CLAY, OR STONE

B 29

WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL (processing doughs A 21 C; working chocolate A 23 G; casting of metals B 22; working cement, clay B 28; chemical aspects, see section C, particularly C 08; working glass C 03 B; candle making C 11 C 5/02; making soap C 11 D 13/00; manufacture of artificial filaments, threads, fibres, bristles or ribbons D 01 D, D 01 F; manufacture of articles from cellulosic fibrous suspensions or from papier-māche D 21 J)

B 30

PRESSES

B 31

MAKING PAPER ARTICLES; WORKING PAPER (making layered products not composed wholly of paper or cardboard B 32 B; handling thin material, e.g. sheets, webs, B 65 H)

B 32

LAYERED PRODUCTS
PRINTING

B 41

PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS (reproduction or duplication of pictures or patterns by scanning and converting into electrical signals H 04 N) [4]

B 42

BOOKBINDING; ALBUMS; FILES; SPECIAL PRINTED MATTER

B 43

WRITING OR DRAWING IMPLEMENTS; BUREAU ACCESSORIES

B 44

DECORATIVE ARTS
TRANSPORTING

B 60

VEHICLES IN GENERAL

B 61

RAILWAYS

B 62

LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS

B 63

SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT

B 64

AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS

B 65

CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL

B 66

HOISTING; LIFTING; HAULING

B 67

OPENING OR CLOSING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING (nozzles in general B 05 B; packaging liquids B 65 B, e.g. B 65 B 3/00; pumps in general F 04; siphons F 04 F 10/00; valves F 16 K; handling liquefied gases F 17 C)

B 68

SADDLERY; UPHOLSTERY
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