DefinitionGENERAL STATEMENT OF CLASS SUBJECT MATTER. The basic subject matter of this class is limited to machines and methods for removing an object from a position immediately below the surface of the earth or from a position in which it extends partially through the earth"s crust by either (1) selectively engaging and the picking or pulling said object in such manner that it is removed from the earth (either with or without any substantial disturbance of the soil) or (2) by excavating said object and portions of the surrounding earth in such manner that said object is separated from said earth portions either during the excavation or subsequent thereto, or, in the case of shallow rooted plants or small stones projecting through the earth"s surface, by directly engaging and thrusting, impelling or pushing against said plants or small stones to force them out of the ground. The object must be completely recovered at some instant substantially free of earth, but otherwise in its original condition except that, in the case of plants, portions thereof may have been previously severed from the root. For example, machines which dig root plants are included if the root is recovered substantially intact regardless of whether the plant foliage or tap root is removed or whether the foliage and/or root are retained, subsequently destroyed, or returned to the earth. Included in this class are railroad ballast cleaners which remove or excavate the ballast from the railroad bed, separate the fine foreign matter from the coarse stone aggregates and which may return the latter to the railroad bed. The scope of this class also includes (1) combinations of the basic subject matter with other features where said combination is not provided for elsewhere such as (a) an additional treatment of the object as, e.g., sorting, cleaning or severing said object into parts, and (b) combinations of said basic subject matter with an accompanying soil treating operation, and (2) subcombinations of said basic subject matter not provided for elsewhere. |
Notes (1) Note. The unearthed object is normally (1) a weed or plant root with the vine, stem, or top portion of said plant either connected to the root or severed therefrom, (2) a stone or small rock capable of being handled in a manner consistent with the basic subject matter of this class as set forth in definition A supra, or (3) a foreign object recovered from sand removed from a beach. (2) Note. Subject matter relating to merely turning a furrow or digging a ditch to invert the earth in such fashion that some or all of a series of earth embedded objects are placed on top of the removed earth is excluded and forms subject matter for the appropriate soil handling Classes 37 or 172. (3) Note. Implements which are hand supported and have no driven digging or earth separation parts are excluded and are to be found in the appropriate implement classes noted below. (4) Note. Stump and boulder extractors are excluded. See Lines With Other Classes, below. (5) Note. Subject matter relating to pulling up plant by grasping the stalk or foliage is included (1) where there is a disclosure that the plant root is removed from the ground even where it is not clear from the disclosure whether the plant stalk or foliage is severed or whether the stalk or foliage is capable of pulling the plant root from the ground. (6) Note. Subject matter relating to partial unearthing of plants or buried objects in the manner provided for by this class has been included because of its similarity to corresponding means which completes the unearthing. (7) Note. Included in this class are structures and methods disclosed as adapted for the purpose of moving small stones along the surface of the ground to gather or windrow the stones. See (4) Note to subclass 63. |
Lines with other classes and within this classStump and boulder extractors are classified in appropriate subclasses in Class 254 and Class 37 as noted below. Subject matter relating to recovering objects buried in soil located beneath a body of water has been excluded and will be found in appropriate subclasses of Class 37 or in Class 299, subclasses 8 and 9 if objects are separated from the soil subsequent to excavation. Subject matter relating to recovering objects buried in the surfaces of tunnels, shafts or vertical soil faces or recovering a valuable mineral constituent has been excluded and will be found in appropriate subclasses of Class 299. |
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