US PATENT CLASS 251
Class Notes


Current as of: June, 1999
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251 /   HD   VALVES AND VALVE ACTUATION



DEFINITION

Classification: 251/

This class provides for means, for regulating flow of a fluid through a passage, either by closing the passage or restricting it by a definite predetermined motion of the closing-element, that are of general application not otherwise provided for.

LINES WITH OTHER CLASSES

A valve is distinguished from a closure of the cap type by being shiftable between open and closed position in the device rather than bodily removable from it, but pivoted closures and many pivoted valves have no definable difference. For this reason, closures associated with valves have been grouped with plural valves in certain parts of Class 137, Fluid Handling.

See the Class Definition of Class 137, Fluid Handling, References to Other Classes, for collected search notes on automatic valves, plural valves and their actuators, and manual valve actuation, selection, and/or adjusting.

REFERENCES TO OTHER CLASSES

SEE OR SEARCH CLASS

4, Baths, Closets, Sinks, and Spittoons, for valves combined with devices of that class, and for valves specialized for use in such devices.

16, Miscellaneous Hardware, 117, for insulated handles adapted for general use on rotary stems.

29, Metal Working,

888.4+, and 890.12+ for processes of making valves and valve seats.

48, Gas: Heating and Illuminating,

58, for valves for acetylene generators.

49, Movable or Removable Closures, appropriate subclasses for closures of the type provided for and see the search notes thereto in References to Other Classes for the loci of closures in other classes.

62, Refrigeration, appropriate subclasses, for a refrigeration producer including an expansion valve specialized to such purpose, particularly

204+, 210+, 216, and 528.

70, Locks,

175+, and 242+ for lock mechanisms for valves where no particular structure of the valve beyond accommodation of the lock is involved.

73, Measuring and Testing,

179, 203, 220, 221, 249, 265+, 268+, 271, and 276 for valve organizations associated with major devices. 84, Music, the various "pneumatic" and wind instruments, for valves specialized for such devices.

91, Motors: Expansible Chamber Type, appropriate subclasses for valves combined with expansible chamber motors, the valve acting as a control for the motive fluid for the motor.

110, Furnaces, appropriate subclasses, for valve organizations associated with furnaces.

114, Ships,

197, and 198, for boat plugs and sea cocks.

116, Signals and Indicators,

67+, for valves in combination with alarms, and subclass 277, for valve position indicators.

122, Liquid Heaters and Vaporizers,

437, 451.2, and 507 for valves associated with liquid heaters and vaporizers.

123, Internal-Combustion Engines,

90.1+, and 188.1+ for valves peculiar to internal-combustion engines. 126, Stoves and Furnaces,

285+, for dampers.

128, Surgery,

207, 210 and 211, for valved inhalers.

137, Fluid Handling, for fluid handling apparatus and processes not otherwise provided for including combinations with valves, certain special types of valves with or without actuators, and valves with complex actuators;

38+, for valves operated by change of position or inertia of the system; subclasses 47+ for speed responsive valve control; subclasses 67+ for flow control by destructible or deformable means; subclasses 171+ for fluid separating valves in diverse fluid containing pressure systems; subclasses 233+ for valves for inflatable articles such as tires; subclasses 243+ for valve grinding motion of valves on seats; subclasses 246+ for lubrication or liquid supplied at the valve interface; subclasses 247+ for liquid valves and liquid trap seals; subclasses 269+ for valves convertible to change the mode of operation; subclasses 272+ for hydrant valves; subclasses 309+ for regenerative furnace type reversing valves; subclasses 329.1+ for repair check valves; subclasses 382+ for valve guards; subclasses 383+ for valves with locks or seals; subclasses 386+ especially subclasses 397, 398+ and 409+ for float controlled valves; subclasses 454.2+ for removable valve head and seat units, see the search notes thereto; subclasses 455+ for line condition change responsive valves, such as safety valves, pressure regulators and check valves; subclasses 544+ for valves with filters or strainers; subclasses 551+ for valves with indicators, registers, recorders, alarms or inspection means; subclass 560 for valves combined with other structure; subclasses 561+ for fluid handling systems including valves, particularly subclasses 615+ for valves actuated by swinging spouts and subclasses 625+ for multiway valve units; subclasses 624.11+ for a distribution system including a programmer or a timer.

138, Pipes and Tubular Conduits,

40+, for similar structure where the flow is not cut off entirely, subclasses 89+ for nonvalve closures and plugs for conduits, especially subclasses 94.3+ for line blinds, and see (1) Note thereunder for the line.

141, Fluent Material Handling, With Receiver or Receiver Coacting Means, appropriate subclasses for valved filling devices.

152, Resilient Tires and Wheels,

415+, for inflating devices, for pneumatic tires. 166, Wells,

97.1, for a valve on a cap or wellhead, and subclasses 316+ for below-ground well devices with valves.

169, Fire Extinguishers,

19+, for valves associated with sprinkler systems designed to extinguish fires.

177, Weighing Scales,

60+, for weigher responsive flow control.

184, Lubrication, for lubricating devices with valves, particularly

33, 35 for pump lubricators with valves, subclasses 66+ for gravity feed type lubricators with automatic valves and subclasses 80, 82, 83, 86, and 87 for other gravity feed lubricators with valves.

193, Conveyors, Chutes, Skids, Guides, and Ways,

20, 21, 28, 31+, 32, and 39 for devices controlling the flow of chutes.

200, Electricity: Circuit Makers and Breakers,

61.86, for valve operators, manipulation of which additionally makes or breaks a circuit, and subclasses 81.9+ for flow responsive devices which control elements of a switch. 202, Distillation: Apparatus,

255+, for valves specialized to distillation.

209, Classifying, Separating, and Assorting Solids, for valve combinations, particularly

246, for sifter feeding hoppers with cut-offs and valves, subclass 258, for discharging valves for sifters, and

subclasses 488+, 490+ and 497+, for feeding and discharging means for stratifiers.

210, Liquid Purification or Separation, appropriate subclasses for various combinations of a valve and separator, particularly

92, 97+, 181, 245, 277+, 313, 340, 362, 392, 395+, and 418+.

215, Bottles and Jars,

17+, for valved closures having features to prevent refilling of the receptacle and subclasses 311+ for other valved closures.

217, Wooden Receptacles,

99+, for valved barrel bungs.

220, Receptacles, 200+, for closures adapted to remain in the articles with which they are associated, and see the notes thereto for closures, and subclass 86.1 for milking pails with a valved inlet.

222, Dispensing, for valves, cut-offs and discharge controllers in dispensing combinations, as where (a) the structural features of a supply container with or without material guiding means or the relation of the valve or its actuator thereto is claimed, (b) a dispensing type discharge assistant is claimed in combination with a valve, cut-off or discharge controller, (c) a preset or automatic cut-off is controlled by dispensed volume or rate of flow, (d) plural valves are so related as to have a measuring function, (e) or the valve, cut-off or discharge controller is considered to be specially adapted for dispensing purposes, as those operated by pressure applied to the contents of the supply container or by inversion of the supply container.

235, Registers,

94, for devices for registering the number of times a valve is operated.

236, Automatic Temperature and Humidity Regulation, for thermostatically-controlled valves.

239, Fluid Sprinkling, Spraying, and Diffusing,

87, 93+, 95, 96, 537+, and 569+ for valves in nozzles.

250, Radiant Energy,

229+, for prephotocell light valves.

261, Gas and Liquid Contact Apparatus, for valves associated

with special contact apparatus.

303, Fluid-Pressure and Analogous Brake System, 54+, for self-lapping valves and subclass 84.1+ for flow retarders and cut-offs.

359, Optics: Systems (Including Communication) and Elements,

227+, and 238+ for light valves.

361, Electricity: Electrical Systems and Devices,

254+, for gas-controlled valves operated by magnets, utilized in igniting means.

383, Flexible Bags,

44+, for the combination of a bag with a valve-type closure.

401, Coating Implements With Material Supply, appropriate subclasses, see particularly,

36, 40+, 45+, 135, 136, 204, 205+, 219+, 232+, 258+, 263+, 270+.

406, Conveyors: Fluid Current,

124+, for valves between plural receptacles in series at the conveyor inlet; and subclasses 127+ for valves between a conveyor and a material feeding receptacle.

454, Ventilation, 265+, 322+ and 333+ for valves associated with ventilating means.

604, Surgery,

32, 34, 236 to 238, 248 to 250 and 256.

D23, Environmental Heating and Cooling, Fluid Handling and Sanitary Equipment,

200+, for fluid handling or treatment equipment and subclasses 233+ for valves.