US PATENT CLASS 248
Class Notes
Current as of: June, 1999
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DEFINITION
Classification: 248/
This class provides for devices which carry the weight of an article or articles or otherwise hold or steady it or them against the pull of gravity, and devices for holding an article to its support, which are not otherwise provided for.
(1) Note. Devices having structural features limiting them to use in a particular art remain with the art.
LINES WITH OTHER CLASSES
LINE BETWEEN CLASS 248, AND CLASS 362, CLASS 313/39, AND CLASS 431
The line between this class and Classes 362, Illumination, 313, Electric Lamp and Discharge Devices, subclass 39, and 431, Combustion is as follows:
Class 223, Apparel Apparatus, subclass 120 for supports, bases and stands claimed in connection with means for making, repairing or maintaining in condition articles of apparel.
Class 362 takes any combination of a support with significant structure of the light distributing means or the combination of the light distributing and generating means.
Class 313, subclasses 49+ is the generic class for the combination of a support with significant structure of an electric space discharge device. See Lines With Other Classes, "Combined with a Support" of the class definition for the other classes which provide for the combination of a
support and a discharge device. The mere supporting structure goes to Class 248 and such supporting structure may include conduits for fuel or energy and mere cut-offs therefor. Supporting structures limited to use with lighting devices are in Class 362. Supports for a light generating device are in Class 248 unless a significant structure of the light generator is claimed, in which case it goes to Class 431 or Class 362.
The mere naming of a light or discharge device as the thing supported will not operate to take the case out of Class 248. If the support is in itself an essential part of the lamp or discharge device such as are many lamp bases, it remains in the art class. In Class 313, class definition, see the following sections of Lines With Other Classes: "Combined with Electrical Connector Structure,...(3) Electrodes Combined with Connector Structure"; and see "Envelopes, Casings, and Jackets for Lamps and Discharge Devices,...(1) With Attached Base" for the classification of an envelope with a base attached thereto.
LINES BETWEEN CLASSES 313, 248, AND 174
See Class 313, Electric Lamp and Discharge Devices, subclasses 49+ for electric space discharge devices in combination with a mere supporting means therefor. See subclasses 238+ which provide for electric lamp and discharge devices which have supporting or spacing structure for the electrodes or shielding members thereof. See Class 248, subclass 50, which provides for supports for elongated discharge or lamp tubes (e.g., neon) where no electrical features are involved. See Class 174, Electricity: Conductors and Insulators, subclass 138 which provides for insulated supports for neon and similar elongated tubular lamps where the support includes no structure limiting the device to use with electric lamps. Also, see paragraph 1 of Lines With Other Classes and Within This Class, above.
LINE BETWEEN CLASS 211 AND CLASS 248
Class 211 is a specific class under the class definition of this class (248). In general, Class 211 is the generic support class for plural articles and Class 248 is the generic support class for single articles. However, Class 248, subclasses 235 - 250, inclusive, subclasses 309.1 -316.7, inclusive, subclasses 500 - 509, inclusive, and subclasses 511 - 541 inclusive, additionally provide for supports of plural devices of the same (i.e., nondiverse) nature, and any of the subclasses in this class (248) will take plural diverse supports where one of the supported devices is ancillary to the main device supported (e.g., check, label and tag holders combined with an article support); while in Class 211 additionally provides for supports for single articles.
REFERENCES TO OTHER CLASSES
SEE OR SEARCH CLASS
4, Baths, Closets, Sinks, and Spittoons,
571.1+, 589+, 592+, 621+, and 643+ for supports limited by structure to use with basins or with bath tubs.
5, Beds, appropriate subclasses for beds and 127+, for supports limited by structure to use for supporting a hammock.
24, Buckles, Buttons, Clasps, etc., appropriate subclasses for fasteners. Fasteners such as pins, clasps, buckles, etc., are provided for in Class 24, whether simple or combined, as clasp-pin, clasp-clasp, etc. Combinations of a fastener, simple or combined with a bracket or stand, are in Class 248, and cross-referenced to Class 24 when desirable. A mere fastening means as a plate, integral with or attached to the base of a clamp, is not considered as a bracket and such combination goes to Class 24. Bracket hooks wherein the article carrying portion thereof is in the form of a hook are in Class 248.
27, Undertaking,
25.1, for corpse chin supports.
30, Cutlery,
231, for shears combined with a support therefor.
33, Geometrical Instruments,
299, for supports for sight line instruments.
38, Textiles: Ironing or Smoothing, appropriate subclasses for ironing devices combined with supports.
47, Plant Husbandry,
39+, 41.01, 42+, and 44+ for plant and tree supports and flower holders.
52, Static Structures (e.g., Buildings), 27+, for a specific building structure in combination with a disparate article or article support.
54, Harness,
84, for fire harness supports.
56, Harvesters,
431, for supports for shocks of grain or hay in the field,
65, Glass Manufacturing,
361, for glassworking molds combined with supporting or carrying means; see the "Search Notes" thereunder.
84, Music, appropriate subclasses, particularly
280, and 421 for supports claimed in combination with musical instruments or supports, structurally limited to use with specific musical instruments.
108, Horizontally Supported Planar Surfaces, appropriate subclasses for a horizontally supported planar surface.
109, Safes, Bank Protection, or a Related Device, 50+, and the notes appurtenant thereto, for supports for safes, vaults, etc.
114, Ships,
363, for foot supports for boats.
122, Liquid Heaters and Vaporizers,
510, for steam boiler supports.
128, Surgery,
581+, for devices accommodating shoes to foot deformities and remaining in the shoe upon removal of the shoe from the foot.
131, Tobacco,
329, particularly subclasses 257-260, for supports and stands, combined or peculiarly adapted for use with tobacco users' appliances.
141, Fluent Material Handling, With Receiver or Receiver Coacting Means,
106, and 364 for means for supporting inverted supply receptacles upon receivers for draining.
142, Wood Turning, 48, and 49 for wood-working tool rests; subclass 57 for work holders for use in wood turning.
164, Metal Founding,
397+, for centering or supporting means for a metal shaping core.
174, Electricity: Conductors and Insulators, for supports
for electrical conduits, cables, conductors, housings and insulators limited by claimed structure to electrical use.
180, Motor Vehicles, appropriate subclasses for a motor vehicle having means for supporting an accessory or component of the vehicle.
181, Acoustics,
200+, and 208+ for sound attenuating means, per se.
182, Fire Escape, Ladder, or Scaffold, appropriate subclasses, for a workman's support of ladder or scaffold type.
188, Brakes,
205+, for supports for vehicle brake elements.
192, Clutches and Power-Stop Control, 115, for clutch supports.
198, Conveyors: Power-Driven,
300+, for supports limited by structure to use with conveyors.
204, Chemistry: Electrical and Wave Energy,
285, 286+ and 297 for supports specialized for electrodes and work being treated in electrolytic devices.
209, Classifying, Separating, and Assorting Solids,
409+, and subclass 508 for supports for sifting elements and stratifies.
210, Liquid Purification or Separation,
241+, and 249+ for separators having supports there provided for, and see subclass 94 of this class.
211, Supports: Racks, for supports for plural articles; see
29, for supports for shocks of grain or hay in the field.
212, Traversing Hoists, 189, for auxiliary supports limited by structure to use with traversing hoists.
220, Receptacles,
3.3+, 3.9+, 476+, and 628+ for supports tied up with the structure of a receptacle as such, and for lap or leg supported pail holders, see subclasses 17.1+. In general, as
between the receptacle classes and the support classes, the receptacle classes provide for the combination of a receptacle plus support: except, the support classes will accept a claim to a support combined with a receptacle, wherein the claim (a) nominally recites the receptacle, or (b) recites only so much of the receptacle structure as is needed to cooperate with the support, or (c) recites only those receptacle features which have been modified specifically to cooperate with the support.
221, Article Dispensing,
186+, for article dispensers, not otherwise provided for, and in which the supply container is movably mounted for dispensing, and subclasses 282+ for article dispensers provided with particular casing or support features in combination.
222, Dispensing,
92+, for supports for collapsible wall type receptacles; 160+ for supports for movably mounted dispensing receptacles; 173+ for supports for other dispensing receptacles; and 577 for an inkstand comprising a dispensing inkwell and a support therefor.
238, Railways: Surface Track,
264+, for railway rail supports.
241, Solid Material Communication or Disintegration,
285.1+, for supports for comminutors or comminutor parts. See the Class Definition of class (241). 242, Winding, Tensioning, or Guiding,
398+, for a support for a reeling device, and subclasses 130+ and 134+ for a spool or bobbin support.
249, Static Molds,
205+, for mold adjuncts which function to support mold parts.
250, Radiant Energy,
428+, for a fluent material support for the purpose of irradiating the support with nuclear or invisible electromagnetic radiation with or without an irradiating source, subclasses 453.11+ for an object support for the purpose of irradiating the supported object with nuclear or invisible electromagnetic radiation with or without a support for the radiation source or a support for a detector of radiation from the source, and subclass 522.1 for supports for nuclear or electromagnetic radiation.
269, Work Holders, appropriate subclasses for work holders as the generic place for work holders, per se. Patents to a support capable of general utility, though disclosed as supporting a work holder but, which support does not include elements which contact the work, are classified in appropriate subclasses of Class 248 on the basis of the claimed support structure.
294, Handling: Hand and Hoist-Line Implements,
137, for article supports having a portion adapted to be gripped by the hand for lifting and carrying the support.
296, Land Vehicle: Bodies and Tops,
35.1, for vehicle body hold-downs and supports. 297, Chairs and Seats, appropriate subclasses for a support device limited to use by a seated occupant especially
187+, for a kneeling stand of the prie-dieu type, subclasses 391+ for a stool with resilient surfaces, disclosed as used by a seated occupant, and subclass 411.1 for armpit engaging props disclosed as used by seated persons.
312, Supports: Cabinet Structure, appropriate subclasses for supports, cabinets.
313, Electric Lamp and Discharge Devices,
49+, provides for electric space discharge devices in combination with a mere supporting means therefor. See subclasses 238+ (of class 313) which provide for electric lamp and discharge devices which have supporting or spacing structure for the electrodes or shielding members thereof. See Lines With Other Classes and Within This Class, for the lines between Classes 313, 248, and 174.
343, Communications: Radio Wave Antennas,
869, for loop type antennas with a rotatable support, and subclasses 878+ for antennas with a support for the antenna, reflector or director. See (1) Note under subclass 700 of this class (343) for the classification lines between antennas and supports.
351, Optics: Eye Examining, Vision Testing and Correcting,
38, for adjustable stands or bases which support ophthalmic diagnostic test instruments or test charts.
352, Optics: Motion Pictures,
34+, 197 and 243 for motion picture apparatus with structural cooperation with supporting structure.
359, Optics: Systems (Including Communication) and Elements,
409+, for binoculars with body support or handle and subclasses 811+ for lens supports.
362, Illumination,
314, for lamp chimney supports, and subclasses 453+ for shade and bowl supports.
378, X-Ray or Gamma Ray Systems or Devices,
20, 68+, 79+, 177+, 195, 205, and 208+ for various means to support an object combined with X-ray devices.
379, Telephonic Communications,
454+, for supports limited by structure to use with telephones.
381, Electrical Audio Signal Processing Systems and Devices,
361+, and 386+ for a microphone or speaker support or mounting.
384, Bearings,
428+, for bearing mounting, or supports. 396, Photography,
419+, for a support limited by structure to use with photos:graphic cameras.
399, Electrophotography,
377+, for holder of original and subclass 393 for copy medium input tray; all support structure is limited to use with an electrophotos:graphic device.
405, Hydraulic and Earth Engineering,
7, for bilge and keel blocks for supporting a marine vessel in dry dock.
422, Chemical Apparatus and Process Disinfecting, Deodorizing, Preserving, or Sterilizing,
297, and 300+ for racks or supports combined with a sterilizer.
431, Combustion,
298+, for a candle holder and subclass 343 for a burner having a supporting bracket or leg.
439, Electrical Connectors, appropriate subclasses for
electrical connector; especially 527+, for an electrical connector with mounting or supporting means therefor.
452, Butchering,
185+, for supports for meat and animal carcasses.