US PATENT CLASS 493
Class Notes


Current as of: June, 1999
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493 /   HD   MANUFACTURING CONTAINER OR TUBE FROM PAPER; OR OTHER MANUFACTURING FROM A SHEET OR WEB



DEFINITION

Classification: 493/

Process or apparatus for forming an article of commerce, which article is a receptacle intended to encompass and hold contents from fibrous cellulose previously matted together in thin, planar form, commonly called paper, or from material that is similarly handled or deformed, without substantial thinning flow thereof, or for forming a hollow cylinder from fibrous cellulose previously matted together in thin, planar form, or from material that is similarly handled or deformed, without substantial thinning flow thereof.

Process or apparatus for forming generally planar or curvilinear, relatively thin, laterally limited material that is either longitudinally limited or unlimited (such material hereafter is called a sheet or web workpiece) into an article of commerce or into stock material in either of the following operations:

A. Assembling or Disassembling - (1) the act of juxtaposing or fastening together a sheet or web workpiece and another

workpiece; or, (2) the act of disengaging a sheet or web workpiece from another workpiece to which it had previously been fastened.

B. Bending - the act of stressing a workpiece beyond its elastic limit, without substantial thinning flow, so that when stress is released the workpiece will not return to its original shape.

C. Flexing - the act of moving one portion of a workpiece with respect to another portion of that workpiece in order to place the respective portions of the workpiece in a desired positional relationship.

D. Surface treatment - a surface modification of a workpiece not penetrating deeply into the surface of the workpiece, which modification is not provided for elsewhere. Additionally, this class is the residual home for a process or apparatus for making a cigarette filter.

(1) Note. The sheet or web to be formed into an article of commerce by the method or apparatus of this class may be of any material except when provided for elsewhere. Specifically, note the search notes to other classes listed below.

(2) Note. A member previously made from a sheet or web into a three-dimensional workpiece may be considered to be a sheet or web workpiece under the definition of this class if it is treated as a sheet or web. For example, folding of a flap of a previously made container is included herein. LINES WITH OTHER CLASSES

A. Class 156 includes:

1. Bonding of sheet or web material surfaces (e.g., causing a supply of previously assembled labels to be united with a waxed paper carrier).

2. Bonding of sheet or web material surfaces combined with bringing together two work surfaces in the formation of stock material, e.g., bringing together then bonding a first and a second web.

3. Bonding of sheet or web surfaces (with or without bringing the surfaces together) combined with bending in formation of an indeterminate length stock material, e.g., spirally twisting and bonding adjacent convolutions of a paper strip to form an indefinite length pipe or other article; or, forming laminated stock material comprising corrugating a generally planar sheet of material and bonding a second and a third sheet to the top and bottom thereof.

4. Bonding a sheet or web surface to another surface combined with bringing the surfaces together in the labelling of an article. A postage stamp is considered to be a label, as is

a decorative layer secured to an article by adhesive bonding. Note that this is an exception to the general line regarding bringing together and bonding a sheet or web to another member in forming an article.

B. Class 493 includes:

1. Bringing together a sheet or web member and another member, e.g., placing a partition member inside a box.

2. Bending or flexing a sheet or web in forming an article of commerce (e.g., bending a flap in the formation of a box from a box blank; or, twisting and abutting adjacent convolutions of a paper strip and then cutting the product to length in the formation of a drinking straw).

3. Bringing together a sheet or web member and another member and bonding the two members together in the formation of an article of commerce (e.g., placing a partition member inside a box and gluing the partition member to the box; assembling and uniting a handle to a paperlike article; or, bringing a tape to a box and bonding that tape to the box to secure the integrity of the box). An exception to this line is the application of a label, postage stamp, or decorative layer to an article by adhesive bonding which is to be found in Class 156, especially subclasses 556+. Such a device which also serves another function, such as sealing a container closed, which would otherwise be proper for this class (493), will also be found in Class 156.

REFERENCES TO OTHER CLASSES SEE OR SEARCH CLASS

12, Boot and Shoe Making, for making a foot covering member from a sheet or web.

29, Metal Working,

428+, for a process of and subclasses 700+ for apparatus for assembling, generally; including assembling a sheet or web member with another member when (a) the members are handled in the manner of a nonsheet or web member (e.g., placing a window pane into a window frame or assembly therewith, etc.), (b) combined with metal deforming other than deforming a fastener to secure, or (c) combining an operation of that class (29) generally with an operation of this class (493). Subclasses 33+, 592+, and 650 for combined operations in manufacturing an article from a nonsheet or web material as well as for the combination of construction of an article from a sheet or web, i.e., in the manner of this class (493) with an operation going beyond such construction. See the note below to Class 227, Elongated-Member-Driving Apparatus, for classification of means to force a nail or staple into a workpiece even if the workpiece is a sheet or web if there is no other article making that is proper for this class (493).

53, Package Making, for a method of or apparatus for placing goods or materials in a container. The container may serve to identify, protect, or allow unit handling of the goods or materials; and may comprise a simple band wrapped about the goods or materials. The combination of making a container from sheet or web material with packaging will be found in Class 53. Apparatus for or the method of closing a filled package, even without any recognition of the contents, is to be found in Class 53. Generally, the combination of making a sheet or web assembly will be found in this class (493) if the packaged material is a component of the package; however, search Class 53,

394+, for making a match book and match assembly, an exception to the general rule.

57, Textiles: Spinning, Twisting, and Twining, for the process of or apparatus for making twisted or spirally wrapped cellulose tape.

69, Leather Manufactures, for making a product from leather.

72, Metal Deforming, the residual locus for plastic deformation (including bending) of metallic work (a) as simple metal stock or a blank, (b) in combination with nonmetal, as in the case of a paper and metal laminate, or (c) as unspecified or unidentified material which appears to be metal.

100, Presses, for a press not elsewhere provided for.

112, Sewing, for means to secure two sheets of cloth or clothlike material by a sequence of stitches. The stitches of Class 112 may be made repeatedly in the same area, as is done in tacking a label of paper material to a cloth member. Folding of nontextile combined with stitching, e.g., to secure the sheets of a book signature, is to be found in this class (493). 144, Woodworking, for shaping of wood, generally, including making a product from wood; also

51, for manufacture of an ignitable match of paper.

156, Adhesive Bonding and Miscellaneous Chemical Manufacture, for securing two surfaces together, generally. Class 156 is the generic home for surface bonding. This class (493) is the generic home for making a product from a sheet or web comprising assembling, bending, flexing, or certain surface treatment. Between the classes, Class 156 is directed primarily to the formation of stock material (with many exceptions) this class (493) is directed primarily to the formation of a finished article (but includes subcombinations and other exceptions). Class 156 has not been screened; however, the following is believed to generally represent the placement of the art.

242, Winding, Tensioning, or Guiding, particularly

430+, for a method or apparatus for winding a composite article and subclasses 570+ for convolutely winding a web to form a storage package.

452, Butchering,

21+, for an apparatus for or method of shirring a sausage casing with or without filling of the casing.

162, Paper Making and Fiber Liberation, for paper making especially

123+, for uniting of wet paper sheets; subclass 197 for the method of decurling or flexing, bending, straightening, or decurling combined with paper making or as an ancillary operation to paper making.

223, Apparel Apparatus, for making of clothing from a sheet or web.

227, Elongated-Member-Driving Apparatus, for means to force a nail or staple into a workpiece (or into a stack of workpieces that are not individually treated) even if the workpiece is a sheet or web if there is not other operation of this class (493), e.g., no assembling, bending, flexing, or surface treatment. Assembling of a first workpiece which is a web or sheet and a second workpiece combined with driving a staple to secure the relationship of the first and second workpiece is to be found in this class (493). Similarly, engaging a first portion of a workpiece and engaging a second portion of a workpiece and driving an elongated fastener into the portions to secure them together will be found in this class (493). 229, Envelopes, Wrappers, and Paperboard Boxes, for a container made from paper.

264, Plastic and Nonmetallic Article Shaping or Treating: Processes, for the step of forming a sheet or web into an article of commerce, e.g., bag, box, etc., or into stock material if the step involves a thinning (or thickening) flow of the material. Commonly, shaping moist previously made paper or paperlike material or shaping sheet or web material in a heated die involves a thinning flow and will be found in Class 264. Shaping of this class (493) involves only incidental thinning flow. For example, drawing a planar sheet into a cup shape is proper for Class 264; folding radiating portions of a sheet to form a conical shape is proper for this class. If it is not clear from the disclosure that there is a thinning flow of the material, shaping of such material will be found in this class (493). A Class 264 operation combined with an operation of this class will be found in this class (493) unless both operations are done in the same die, which will be found in Class 264.

270, Sheet-Material Associating, for bringing sheets of paper having printed material thereon together so that the printed material of one of the sheets corresponds to the printed material of the other sheet, even when combined with an operation of this class (493).

412, Bookbinding: Process and Apparatus, for processes and apparatuses for assembling, bending, or flexing of sheet or web material peculiar to the manufacture of a book.

425, Plastic Article or Earthenware Shaping or Treating: Apparatus, for apparatus for forming sheet or web material into an article of commerce or into stock material, e.g., bag, box, etc., involving thinning (or thickening flow of the material). Commonly, means for shaping sheet or web material in a heated die involves a thinning flow and will be found in Class 425. Shaping of this class (493) involves only incidental thinning flow. For example, apparatus for drawing a planar sheet into a cup shape is proper for Class 425; apparatus for folding radiating portions of a sheet to form a generally conical shape is proper for this class (493). If it is not clear from the disclosure that there is thinning flow of the material, the device for shaping such material is to be found in this class (493). Apparatus for performing a Class 425 operation combined with apparatus to perform an operation of this class generally will be found in this class (493) unless both operations are done in the same mold which will be found in Class 425.