WORKING STONE OR STONE-LIKE MATERIALS

Introduced: September 1968

Classification Context

Section:: PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
Class:: WORKING CEMENT, CLAY, OR STONE
Subclass:: WORKING STONE OR STONE-LIKE MATERIALS

Description

B28D covers machines and methods for processing natural stone and stone-like materials, including cutting, grinding, polishing, shaping, and finishing operations. This subclass encompasses equipment such as stone saws, grinding mills, chisels, and automated machinery designed specifically for quarrying, dressing, and fabricating stone products into finished components or architectural elements. The classification includes both hand tools and industrial apparatus, as well as techniques for working materials such as granite, marble, limestone, slate, and synthetic stone composites, but excludes cement and clay processing, which are addressed in related subclasses.

Filing statistics

IPC subclass B28D recorded 65,679 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023. Annual filings grew from 2,346 in 2013 to 8,941 in 2023 (+281%), peaking at 9,347 applications in 2020. The most active applicants in class B28 are MITSUBOSHI DIAMOND INDUSTRIAL COMPANY (868 applications), QINGDAO GAOCE TECHNOLOGY COMPANY (678 applications) and DISCO CORPORATION (500 applications).

Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings

Related Keywords

cutting or working CORALDRESSING stonecutting or working of GEM(S)cutting or working GRANITEcutting or working MARBLE(S)working PORCELAINworking PRECIOUSWORKING stone

4 direct subcodes

Child Classifications

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B28D 1/00 Working stone or stone-like materials, e.g. brick, concrete, not provided for elsewhere; Machines, devices, tools therefor
B28D 3/00 Dressing mill discs or rollers
B28D 5/00 Fine working of gems, jewels, crystals, e.g. of semiconductor material; Apparatus therefor
B28D 7/00 Accessories specially adapted for use with machines or devices of the other groups of this subclass

Top Applicants

Top 10 applicants by patent filingsfor class B28, 2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT

MITSUBOSHI DIAMOND INDUSTRIAL COMPANY 868
QINGDAO GAOCE TECHNOLOGY COMPANY 678
DISCO CORPORATION JP 500
ZHOU ZHAODI 500
MITSUBOSHI DIAMOND INDUSTRIAL COMPANY JP 456
HILTI LI 455
CORNING US 407
UNITED STATES GYPSUM COMPANY US 375
ZHENGZHOU YUAN DONG REFRACTORIES COMPANY 370
HUNAN SANY KUAIERJU RESIDENTIAL INDUSTRY COMPANY 351