PITCHING OR DEPITCHING MACHINES; CELLAR TOOLS

Introduced: September 1968

Classification Context

Section:: CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
Class:: BIOCHEMISTRY; BEER; SPIRITS; WINE; VINEGAR; MICROBIOLOGY; ENZYMOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING
Subclass:: PITCHING OR DEPITCHING MACHINES; CELLAR TOOLS

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.

Additional Content

Pitching coating barrels or casks with pitch Depitching removing the pitch

3 direct subcodes

Child Classifications

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C12L 11/00 Cellar tools
C12L 3/00 Pitching or depitching machines
C12L 9/00 Venting devices for casks, barrels, or the like

Top Applicants

Top 10 applicants by patent filingsfor class C12, 2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT

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