US PATENT SUBCLASS 148 / 100
.~ Magnetic materials

Current as of: June, 1999
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148 /   HD   METAL TREATMENT

95  DF  PROCESS OF MODIFYING OR MAINTAINING INTERNAL PHYSICAL STRUCTURE (I.E., MICROSTRUCTURE) OR CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF METAL, PROCESS OF REACTIVE COATING OF METAL AND PROCESS OF CHEMICAL-HEAT REMOVING (E.G., FLAME-CUTTING, ETC.) OR BURNING OF METAL {17}
100.~ Magnetic materials {7}
101  DF  .~.~> Permanent magnet {2}
104  DF  .~.~> Dust cores
105  DF  .~.~> Particulate material
108  DF  .~.~> Treatment in a magnetic field
110  DF  .~.~> Silicon steel {2}
120  DF  .~.~> Working
121  DF  .~.~> Heat treatment {1}

DEFINITION

Classification: 148/100

(under subclass 95) Processes which include developing, improving, modifying, or preserving the magnetic properties of a free metal or alloy, occurring alone or mixed with one or more other components.

(1) Note. Most of the patents in subclasses 100 through 122 relate to the production of stock material such as billets, rods, dust cores, powder, etc., having magnetic properties which are different from those of the starting material.

(2) Note. Subclasses 100 through 122 take all types of processes of the type defined therein except those restricted to changing the magnetic properties of a metal, and wherein such change is effected by:

(a)

electrolysis, provided for in Class 205, Electrolysis:

Processes, Compositions Used Therein and Methods of Preparing the Compositions.

(b) casting a metal and treatment of the metal before removal from a mold, provided for in Class 164, Metal Founding.

(c)

Class 335, Electricity: Magnetically Operated Switches, Magnets, and Electromagnets, subclasses 209+ for magnets and electromagnets in general especially subclass 284 for patents relating to magnetizing or demagnetizing, also Class 336, Inductor Devices, appropriate subclasses.

(d)

the formation of a coating on a metal base provided for in subclasses 240+ of this class or Class 427, Coating Processes, appropriate subclasses, respectively, depending on whether the coating is accomplished with or without a chemical reaction with the metal base.

(3) Note. The material being treated must contain a free metal or alloy component which is intentionally included therein. Treatment of such material, except as indicated in (2) Note, will result in classification in Class 148 unless there is a clear indication that such treatment has no effect upon the internal structure of the metal. This factor is of particular importance in connection with subclass 104.

(4) Note. Processes reciting some step in addition to heat treatment and/or working are classified in this subclass, rather than in one of subclasses 120, 121 or 122, e.g., combined processes reciting heat treatment and/or working combined with any of the steps of manipulation, pickling, impregnating, etching, winding, broad magnetizing, etc., are placed in this subclass and cross-referenced to the appropriate one of subclasses 120 to 122. However, some operations which amount to no more than that of "providing" the material, such as a broad casting of the metal or the mere alloying of specified metals making up the material whose magnetic properties are to be altered, are not sufficient, by themselves, to place a combined process in this subclass. In such cases classification will be in the appropriate indented subclass.

(5) Note. Processes of producing metal powder, of the type classifiable in Class 420, Alloys or Metallic Compositions, accompanied by broad treatment in a magnetic field, not carried out simultaneously with another operation, are classified in Class 148 subclass 100 and in indented subclass 108 when such treatment is significantly recited. Where the material has permanent magnet properties, such processes are classified in subclasses 101+.

SEE OR SEARCH THIS CLASS, SUBCLASS:

300+, for magnetic stock resulting from processes of subclasses 100 through 122, not recited in terms of significant external structure. A claim reciting a particular orientation of crystals relates to internal structure and belongs in subclasses 300+.

SEE OR SEARCH CLASS 29, Metal Working,

602.1+, for (1) methods of manufacturing magnets or parts thereof, having metallic material as an active magnetic component which, in addition to the manufacturing steps, recite no procedure other than broad treatment in a magnetic field, for intentionally modifying the magnetic properties of the work, or (2) methods of manufacturing magnets from nonmetallic materials which recite some step in addition to one or more of the following: making the composition, molding, heat treatment, magnetizing. Processes restricted to any or all of the four named operations are classified in Class 252, Compositions, subclasses 62.51+, unless the molding is recited significantly in which case the process is classified in Class 264, Plastic and Nonmetallic Article Shaping or Treating: Processes, subclasses 427+.

75, Specialized Metallurgical Processes, Compositions for Use Therein, Consolidated Metal Powder Compositions, and Loose Metal Particulate Mixtures,

343+, for processes of preparing free metals or alloys, or mixtures thereof in powder form, where the process does not modify any inherent magnetic properties that may be present in the material or where the magnetic properties of the material produced are due entirely to the size and/or shape of the particles.

252, Compositions,

62.51+, for processes of preparing magnetic compositions and the compositions resulting therefrom as well as such processes combined with heat treating, magnetizing and broad molding, taken singly or in combination, except where a metallic component is intentionally present in the composition and the magnetic properties of such component are modified by some step of the process, in which case the process belongs in Class 148, Metal Treatment, subclasses 100+.

335, Electricity: Magnetically Operated Switches, Magnets, and Electromagnets,

296+, for magnets or electromagnets with significant structural details.

336, Inductor Devices, appropriate subclasses for inductor

devices with significant structural details.

361, Electricity: Electrical Systems and Devices,

267, for demagnetizing methods and apparatus. 420, Alloys or Metallic Compositions, appropriate subclasses for alloys designated as "magnetic" or "permanent magnet" where no more specific designation of their magnetic properties is set forth.

428, Stock Material or Miscellaneous Articles,

611, for metallic stock material having magnetic properties coordinated with its shape.