Apparatus specially adapted to produce an intimate contact between gases and liquids to exchange properties or mutually modify conditions.
(1) Note. This class includes devices generally known as air and gas washers, air-moisteners, carbonators, carburetors, jet-condensers, coolers, heaters, and the like, operating by direct contact of the two fluids.
LINES WITH OTHER CLASSES
Processes for gas separation by contacting a gaseous fluid mixture with a liquid and processes of degasifying a liquid by stripping with a gas are classified elsewhere, even if gas and liquid contact apparatus is also claimed, which apparatus, if claimed alone, would be classifiable in Class 261. See References to Other Classes, below.
REFERENCES TO OTHER CLASSES
SEE OR SEARCH CLASS
43, Fishing, Trapping, and Vermin Destroying, for aerators permanently associated with minnow buckets or in combination with significant minnow bucket structure.
62, Refrigeration, 121, for processes specialized to cooling a material involving gas-liquid contact, and subclasses 304+ for apparatus specialized to cooling a material out of contact with the fluids undergoing gas and liquid contact.
95, Gas Separation: Processes, see Lines With Other Classes. Processes for gas separation by contacting a gaseous fluid mixture with a liquid and processes of degasifying a liquid by stripping with a gas are classified elsewhere. in Class 95, Gas Separation: Processes,
149+, and 241+, respectively, even though gas and liquid contact apparatus is also claimed, which apparatus, if claimed alone, would be classifiable in Class 261.
96, Gas Separation: Apparatus, for apparatus used in separation of a gas from a fluid mixture comprising (i) a gas and solid or liquid particles entrained therein, (ii) a liquid and gas entrained therein, or (iii) a plurality of gases are classified in Class 96, Gas Separation: Apparatus. Class 261 will take apparatus for degasifying liquid (e.g., deaerating feed water heater, etc.) wherein the liquid is merely contacted with a gas in a chamber or space for deaeration thereof; for apparatus wherein a gaseous fluid mixture is contacted with a liquid spray, sheet, stream, or bath to precipitate dust or to sorb a constituent from the gaseous fluid mixture; for apparatus comprising a nonabsorbent element on which a gaseous fluid mixture is contacted with a liquid if the element is continuously supplied with a liquid or is continuously moved into and out of a liquid bath or supply; and for apparatus comprising an absorbent porous sheet or mass on which a gaseous fluid mixture is contacted with a liquid if the sheet or mass is: (a) continuously supplied with liquid,(b) cyclically or periodically moved through a liquid reservoir,(c) maintained wet by liquid applying means, or(d) moistened by maintaining some part of a continuous wick type member immersed in liquid, by following the law of the machine, or during normal operation of a gas contacting function.
Note that under the provisions of (a) and (b) there must be no affirmative means to dry the sheet or mass, nor means to assure a dry condition of the sheet or mass before gas flow is resumed or the sheet or mass is returned to the gas contacting position.If apparatus for degasifying liquid by contact with a gas has other means to cause gas separation of the liquid with gas entrained therein, of the separated gas, or of the separated liquid, then the apparatus is classified in Class 96. If apparatus in which a gaseous fluid mixture is contacted with a liquid to precipitate dust or to sorb a
constituent from the gaseous fluid mixture has other means to cause gas separation or has means to treat the contact liquid, then the apparatus is classified in Class 96.
(1) Note. Apparatus for separating ammonia (NH3) or acid anhydrides (CO2, SO2, etc.) from a gas by mere contact with a liquid is classified in Class 261.
110, Furnaces, for gas and liquid contact apparatus in combination with significant furnace structure; particularly
124, 127 and 128.
122, Liquid Heaters and Vaporizers,
459, 479.1 and 487 for processes of desuperheating steam by gas and liquid contact with or without claimed contact apparatus which, per se, is classifiable in Class 261.
202, Distillation: Apparatus, 182+, for distilling apparatus combined with apparatus for absorbing a gas in a liquid.
222, Dispensing, particularly
394+, for apparatus which, in some cases, is disclosed as gas and liquid contact apparatus but claims dispensing structure to the exclusion of any arrangement to assist a contact operation. For a statement of the line, see Lines With Other Classes, Gas or Vapor Dispensers, of the class definition of Class 222.
239, Fluid Sprinkling, Spraying, and Diffusing,
34+, for liquid saturated absorbent masses for slowly diffusing the liquid into a gas atmosphere, and see the class definition of Class 239, Lines With Other Classes and Within This Class, Slow Diffusers, for a statement of the lines between Classes 55, 239, and 261.
399, Electrophotography,
250, for liquid carrier condensation of liquid developer material within an electrophotos:graphic device.
435, Chemistry: Molecular Biology and Microbiology, appropriate subclasses for processes of contacting gases with liquids in operations that include fermentations or for apparatus for use in such processes.