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DIFF Subclass Not Allocatable
C12L

PITCHING OR DEPITCHING MACHINES; CELLAR TOOLS (cleaning of casks B08B9/00)

Introduced: September 1968

Description

C12L covers machinery and hand tools specifically designed for wine and beer production processes, particularly those used for removing or adding yeast and sediment during fermentation and clarification stages. This subclass includes pitching machines (equipment for introducing yeast cultures into fermentation vessels) and depitching machines (apparatus for separating and removing spent yeast and sediment from finished beverages). The classification also encompasses general cellar tools and equipment used in winery and brewery operations that facilitate beverage processing and quality control. Adjacent classes handle the broader biochemical and fermentation processes themselves (C12C, C12H), while C12L focuses on the mechanical implements and apparatus that enable these processes.

Title

Titles differ between systems:

IPC: PITCHING OR DEPITCHING MACHINES; CELLAR TOOLS

CPC: PITCHING OR DEPITCHING MACHINES; CELLAR TOOLS (cleaning of casks B08B9/00)

Full Title

Full titles differ between systems:

IPC:

PITCHING OR DEPITCHING MACHINES; CELLAR TOOLS

CPC:

PITCHING OR DEPITCHING MACHINES; CELLAR TOOLS (cleaning of casks B08B9/00)

Additional Content IPC

Pitching coating barrels or casks with pitch Depitching removing the pitch

IPC and CPC are identically structured here. All 3 subcodes exist in both systems.

Child Classifications

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  • C12L 11/00 Cellar tools IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
  • C12L 3/00 Pitching or depitching machines IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC
  • C12L 9/00 Venting devices for casks, barrels, or the like IPC+CPC Available in IPC and CPC

Top Applicants

Top Applicants (IPC)

Class C12,2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT

  1. CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 10,330
  2. HARVARD UNIVERSITY US 7,308
  3. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA US 6,383
  4. JIANGNAN UNIVERSITY 5,144
  5. MONSANTO TECHNOLOGY US 4,121
  6. PIONEER HI-BRED INTERNATIONAL US 3,630
  7. REGENERON PHARMACEUTICALS US 3,515
  8. CNRS (CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE) FR 3,499
  9. INSERM (INSTITUT NATIONAL DE LA SANTE ET DE LA RECHERCHE MEDICALE) FR 3,371
  10. CJ CHEILJEDANG CORPORATION KR 3,361

Top Applicants (CPC)

Class C12,2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT

  1. HARVARD UNIVERSITY US 8,321
  2. CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 7,486
  3. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA US 7,320
  4. REGENERON PHARMACEUTICALS US 5,003
  5. INSERM (INSTITUT NATIONAL DE LA SANTE ET DE LA RECHERCHE MEDICALE) FR 4,292
  6. UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA US 4,213
  7. CNRS (CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE) FR 4,113
  8. JIANGNAN UNIVERSITY 3,961
  9. ROCHE CH 3,792
  10. ILLUMINA US 3,692