Definition

This class provides for apparatus or process not otherwise classified for operating upon crops which have been removed from their natural or original positions by harvesting; in addition this is the generic class for crop separation including apparatus and process relating to separating crop material lying under the soil such as peanuts, potatoes, beets or the like.

(1) Note. This class includes means to separate grain from the head, straw, short broken straw (cavings), pieces of broken ears (cobs) and chaff. Also included are means for separating grain, seeds or produce from trash and separating hops strings, beans, peas and tomatoes from the vine, Brussels sprouts or the like from stems, husks and kernels from the corn. (2) Note. This class is limited to the individual components that perform the separation except as provided under machine component arrangement. The combine with harvesting or pickup is more appropriate for other classes. See Lines With Other Classes, below, for the Harvesting class and the class for Unearthing Plants or Buried Objects.

Lines with other classes and within this class

Class 14, Bridges: Class 14 does not have any direct relationship to Class 460 except subclass 70 which includes floored, narrow structures having an endless conveyor as whole or part of the floor.

Class 19, Textiles: Fiber Preparation: Class 19 includes means which mechanically isolate and manipulate fibers so as to place them in condition for the purpose for which they are to be utilized; subclasses 5+ includes an apparatus having means to separate stalk and leaf fibers of plants and also includes means for stripping the seeds or leaves from the plant; subclasses 65+ includes method and apparatus to disentangle, clean and straighten the fibers.

Class 29, Metal Working: Class 29 the generic class of assembly and combined mechanical manufacturing.

Class 30, Cutlery: Class 30 is the broad generic class for cutting implements including those for cutting by sharp point, which are manipulable by hand. Class 30 also includes hand manipulable scrapers having a sharpened scraping or cutting edge. Subclass 121.5 includes devices for corn strippers. Subclass 298 includes hand harvesting implements such as removing corn ear from stalk, removing grapes from vine, fruit stem from fruits.

Class 56, Harvesters: Classes 56 and 460 are closely related due to the fact that one of the most important modern day (at least for the last 50 years) power farming machines is the harvester-thresher. It is more often called the "combine" as it combines several operations into a single operation. With the help of the combine, harvesting and threshing are done simultaneously thereby eliminating several expensive operations formerly needed such as binding, shocking, stacking, pitching bundles and hauling crop to the thresher. Combines now harvest all the grain crops, roots crops, most of the vine crops and corn crop. The combine as a whole unit performs six major operations. Processes and apparatus with respect to the cutting unit, the feeding unit and the grain handling unit are classified more appropriately in Class 56. Processes and apparatus with respect to threshing and rethreshing, separating, and cleaning are classified in Class 460. Further, in Class 56, particular attention should be given regarding subclasses 14.6 and 16.5 which include combines having threshing machines; subclasses 122+ which includes apparatus for cutting, conveying and threshing; subclasses 103+ which includes machines for seed gatherers, strippers and also those which thresh from the standing stalks.

Schematic cross-section of combine showing units that perform the six major operations.

Class 99, Foods and Beverages: Apparatus: Class 99 includes apparatus for preparing, treating, and preserving food substances such as all types of grain, underground and above ground vegetables, nuts and similar crop material. Subclasses 567+ includes apparatus which spatially removes recognizable external portion from food material by compressing, impacting, or severing means.

Class 171, Unearthing Plants or Buried Objects: Class 171 includes machines and methods for removing a weed or plant root with the vine stem or top portion of said plant either connected to the root or severed therefrom. Particularly subclass 13 has an apparatus having a pronged member which is adapted to snag or comb vines, tops, weed, trash or other material; subclass 17 has an apparatus which separates material by fluid current; subclass 23 has means to shift the flow of recovered objects; subclasses 27 and 28 include apparatus which severs or separates parts of harvested plants.

Class 209, Classifying, Separating, and Assorting Solids: Class 209 includes methods and apparatus for separating solids materials and assorting and segregating them in grades or classes according to their physical characteristics. The class in general includes separation of grains, fruits and vegetables. It does not include separation of straw and chaff from grain. In particular, subclasses 132+ includes conveyors delivering the material; subclasses 233+ includes apparatus having reciprocating agitators with sifters having convex and concave forms; subclasses 307+ includes methods and means having endless belt sifters; subclass 607 includes apparatus for separating corn silk.

Class 222, Dispensing: Class 222 is the generic class for processes or apparatus for dispensing material which may be in any physical state (solid, liquid or gaseous), and may have any form or shape. The class may include subject matter related to feeders for shellers and huskers. Subclass 161 includes dispensing container having movement for the purpose of shaking the contents, and may include vibrators or shakers for grain separator and straw carrier.

Class 241, Solid Material Comminution or Disintegration: Class 241 includes processes or apparatus for classifying and separating the material into grades or sizes. This class also has means for applying fluid to the material and includes processes and apparatus for comminution of cereal or other seeds or seed plants. Subclass 38 includes apparatus for inducing, controlling or directing fluid to or from the material; subclass 185.5 includes apparatus in which the material is subjected to a rotary member; subclasses 198.1, 221 and 244+ include apparatus in which comminution of the material takes place between the two relatively moving surfaces having nonsmooth surface characteristics which cooperate with each other and in which the material flows either circumferentially or tangentially.

Class 294, Handling: Hand and Hoist-Line Implements: Class 294 does not have direct relationship to Class 460 except subclass 25 which includes miscellaneous hand and finger attachments to facilitate handling of material.

Class 340, Communications: Electrical: Class 340 is the residual class for subject matter, not elsewhere classified, relating to communication by means which are in part or in whole electrical. Subclass 684 includes condition-responsive indicating system in a agricultural machinery where an electrical means provides a humanly perceptible signal in response to the attainment for a predetermined condition.

Class 406, Conveyors: Fluid Current: Class 406 includes apparatus or methods for conveying solid material or articles which are guided or supported to travel along a path by means of or with the assistance of a fluid current. Subclass 53 includes screw-type power driven conveyor; subclass 73 includes reciprocating or oscillating conveyors; subclass 77 includes endless conveyors; subclass 69 includes means to advance the load which means is a plurality of flexible bristles; subclass 70 includes a rotating annular or cylindrical member to advance the load.

Class 492, Roll or Roller: Class 492 is the generic class for a roll or roller, per se, not elsewhere provided for, and see the search notes thereunder.