Electric space discharge devices having at least one electrode formed of and/or containing a solid material which is consumed during the operation of the discharge device, and such devices in combination with a current supply system therefor.
(1) Note. Most of the discharge devices in this class are provided with means to feed the electrodes of the discharge device together so as to compensate for the consumption of the consumable electrode and to maintain the proper distance for the space discharge between the electrode, the feeding being intermittent or continuous.
LINES WITH OTHER CLASSES
Patents claiming an "arc discharge device" or an "arc lamp", or arc discharge device circuits, or arc lamp circuits, are not classified in this class unless the claims are limited by claimed subject matter to discharge devices of the consumable electrode type. For arc lamps, arc discharge devices, and methods and apparatus for utilizing arc discharge devices for treating materials, objects or spaces, see "SEARCH CLASS" below.
This class does not provide for electric space discharge devices with mechanisms for bringing together and separating the electrodes of a discharge device merely to initiate the discharge unless the claims are limited by claimed subject matter to discharge device of the consumable electrode type. For discharge devices, per se, electrodes together and then separating them so as to initiate the discharge, search Class 313, Electric Lamp and Discharge Devices, subclasses 146+. Search Class 315, Electric Lamp and Discharge Devices: Systems, subclasses 327+ for systems where the discharge device is not a consumable electrode discharge device and the system includes means to bring the electrodes together and then to separate them to initiate the discharge.
This class does not provide for electrical systems including a consumable electrode discharge device and another device which is not a discharge device or lamp, such systems being classified in Class 307, Electrical Transmission or Interconnection Systems, subclasses 155+, or in the class which provides for the particular art to which they relate, except that this class does provide in subclasses 13 and 14 for systems wherein an impedance is substituted in the circuit for the consumable electrode device when the consumable electrode device is removed from the circuit, and provides in subclasses 115 and 135 for systems wherein an impedance is included in the circuit of the discharge device when the sole function of the impedance is to regulate the current flow to the consumable electrode discharge device.
This class does not take methods or apparatus for utilizing consumable electrode space discharge devices for treating materials or objects, or for apparatus or methods where the consumable electrode discharge device is utilized to generate ray energy, such as ultra violet light, for treating materials or objects. For such methods and apparatus, see "SEARCH CLASS" below. This class does take all patents claiming merely means for feeding the consumable electrode to compensate for the consumption of the electrode even though the electrode is disclosed as being for a particular art device, such as an electric furnace or arc welding or heating device. Merely naming one of the electrodes as a particular material or object broadly defined, such as "the work to be welded and/or heated," will not exclude the patent from this class provided the claims are directly only to the feeding means for the consumable electrode. This class does not take electrical systems which are provided with a consumable electrode discharge device for controlling and/or modifying the current and/or potential supplied to a load device other than a consumable electrode discharge device. For such systems search the appropriate electrical system class.
This class does not include illumination devices provided with consumable electrode discharge device lamps. Such illumination devices are classified in Class 362, Illumination; see "search class" below for the subclasses in Class 362 which provide for such illumination devices.
This class, except in subclass 60, does not provide for electrodes, per se, for consumable electrode discharge devices nor for the electrode holders, clamps, or electrodes where the structure claimed is not limited by claimed subject matter to use with consumable electrode discharge devices provided with means for feeding the electrodes to compensate for the consumption of the electrode. Class 373, Industrial Electric Heating Furnaces, subclasses 67+ and 88+, provides for arc furnace electrodes, Class 219, Electric Heating, subclasses 121.11+, for arc welding electrodes, and Class 313, Electric Lamp and Discharge Devices, subclasses 326+ for miscellaneous discharge devices electrode structure. See subclass 357 for rod-like electrodes of the type usually used with consumable electrode discharge devices. Note that Class 252, subclass 500, and the classes specified in the Notes thereto, provides for the materials for use for making discharge device electrodes and for discharge device electrodes which are defined only by the material of which they are composed. See section XI, 3 of the class definition of Class 313 for the classification of electrodes for discharge devices which are provided with electrical connector structure.
For electric systems for supplying electric current and/or potential to electric lamps and discharge devices other than consumable electrode discharge devices, search the classes in References to Other Classes, below.
REFERENCES TO OTHER CLASSES
SEE OR SEARCH CLASS
219, Electric Heating,
50+, especially 121.11+, for electric arc welding and heating apparatus provided with consumable electrodes. Class 219 provides for all patents which are limited by claimed subject matter to electric arc welding and/or heating, including, for example, such patents as claim means for holding, handling, feeding, and/or moving the work which is to be welded and/or heated. Class 219 also provides for all hand held tools for holding an electrode, such as are used in manual welding.
226, Advancing Material of Indeterminate Length, appropriate
subclasses for methods of, and apparatus for, feeding material without utilizing the leading or trailing ends to effect movement of the material.
250, Radiant Energy,
281+, for methods and apparatus for the ionic separation or analysis of materials wherein the material maybe ionized by subjecting the material to electronic or ionic bombardment, subclass 306 for method and apparatus to inspect solid or liquid materials by charged particles, subclass 324 for methods and apparatus to corona irradiate materials, subclasses 440.11+ for object supports to irradiate objects by charged particles in a vacuum and subclasses 492.1+ to irradiate objects or materials generally. 313, Electric Lamp and Discharge Devices, appropriate subclasses for arc lamps and electric space discharge devices other than the consumable electrode type. Class 313,
238, 243, 267 and 268 provide for the supporting and spacing structure for electrodes for arc lamps which are not within a sealed envelope. Subclass 325 of Class 313 also contains many patents for arc discharge devices which are not within a sealed casing or envelope. See Lines With Other Classes above for the subclasses in class 313 which provide for discharge devices with movable electrodes, and (6) note above for the subclasses in Class 313 which provide for the electrodes for discharge devices.
315, Electric Lamp and Discharge Devices: Systems, appropriate subclasses, for all such supply systems for electric lamp and for such supply systems for electric space discharger devices of the gas or vapor ionization type, including arc and spark devices.
323, Electricity: Power Supply or Regulation Systems,
220, 354 for systems for controlling voltage or current in a single circuit.
327, Miscellaneous Active Electrical Nonlinear Devices, Circuits, and Systems appropriate subclasses for miscellaneous electric space discharge systems not otherwise classified.
331, Oscillators,
78, and 126 for oscillator systems utilizing gaseous space discharge devices, particularly subclass 127, indented under subclass 126, wherein the space discharge device is of the spark or open arc type.
362, Illumination, appropriate subclasses, for arc lamps provided with means to modify and/or distribute the illumination, and/or with protective means, such as casings, globes, or guards, and for the supports and holders for arc
lamps. Particular reference is made to the following subclasses:
20, for automatic substitution of light sources, one of which may be of the carbon arc type. Subclass 210 for plural, carbon arc-type light sources. Subclass 228 for plural light sources, one of which may be of the carbon arc type. Subclasses 261+ for carbon arc-type light source combined with a light modifier. Subclasses 362+ for housings for carbon arc-type light sources. Subclass 376 for guard means for carbon arc-type light sources. Subclass 416 for arc lamp hangers.
373, Industrial Electric Heating Furnaces, 67+, for electric arc furnaces provided with consumable electrodes.