Description
(1) This is the generic class for:
(A) Cleaning, i.e., the separation or removal of adherent dirt,scale, tarnish, impurities or any other foreign or undesired matter(as distinguished from solid-material working to obtain desiredshapes or new surfaces or removal of a constituent part of the basematerial of a solid) from solid materials or objects whether ornot the resultant separated ingredients are recovered in whole or inpart for subsequent use. This includes the pickling of metal. Bymaterials or objects are meant any solid material or object, whethera machine or any other solid in either a naturally occurring ormanufactured state and includes the living body.
(B) The contacting of solids with liquids for any purposenot provided for in other classes.
(2) This class has processes and apparatus for the purposesof section (A) above, not elsewhere provided for, as pointed outin the appended notes, but not the resultant products. When theproduct is claimed, it is classified in the class appropriate theretoand cross-referenced here for the process or apparatus disclosedor claimed.
(3) Cleaning may be performed by, or may involve as a partthereof, contacting solids with liquids. The contacting of solidswith liquids may be for purposes other than cleaning. Where thecontacting of solids with liquids is for some purpose other thancleaning and some other class provides for processes or apparatusfor such purpose, the patent is in general placed in such classeven though a combination with cleaning steps is claimed, see thenotes below for variations of this line with particular other classes.
(4) Steps or means for cleaning and/or for liquidcontact with solids are frequently claimed in combination with stepsor means for some additional purpose. Such processes and apparatusare in general classified in the class appropriate to the stepsor means for the additional purpose. In other words, this classtakes the subcombination for cleaning and/or liquid contactwith solids, with steps or means to promote, facilitate, or perfectthe cleaning or liquid contact. Most manufacturing classes involvecleaning of, or contacting the product being manufactured with,liquids.
(5) This class dominates over the compounds and compositionsused for cleaning or liquid contact with solids. Therefore, wherea process or apparatus for this class is claimed and also a compoundor composition used therein, the patent is classifiable in thisclass with a cross-reference to the appropriate compound or compositionclass. For further particulars as to this line with particular classes,see Lines With Other Classes and Within This Class, Compounds andCompositions, below.