Abstract:
The method comprises a first step of applying liquid wax to a mold formed by a plurality of projections conjugate with the cells of the honeycomb in a manner such that the filling of the spaces of the mold with molten wax is complemented by the formation of an upper plate interconnecting the various cells, then proceeding with the molding of the half honeycomb and subsequent cooling to enable the half honeycomb to be removed from the mold. The apparatus has two parallel, endless belts separated by a space slightly larger than the height of a half honeycomb and driven in a manner such that the adjacent passes have the same speed and direction of movement, a mold constituted by a plurality of rows of silicone projections of a shape conjugate with the cells being fitted on one of the belts.

Description:
DESCRIPTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to a method and to the corresponding apparatus for the preparation of honeycombs for beekeeping, contributing considerable characteristics of novelty and inventive activity to the currently known method.  
           [0002]    The preparation of wax honeycombs so that bees can deposit honey therein has become widespread in recent years as a means of avoiding the need for the bees not only to perform the work of filling the honeycomb with the honey which they produce, but also to prepare their own honeycomb beforehand, which represents a much longer production time and hence a lower yield from the hive of bees.  
           [0003]    Amongst currently known methods for solving the said problem is that which comprises the forming of the honeycomb by means of groups of cores of a shape conjugate with the holes on both faces of the honeycomb in suitable apparatus which supplies the wax to the moulding region and subsequently enables the honeycomb to be removed and cooled. These honeycombs have to be incorporated in a receiving frame which considerably increases costs and reduces adaptability to hives of different types.  
           [0004]    The method and apparatus of the present invention are intended precisely to achieve more economical preparation of the honeycombs, dispensing with the supporting frames or casing and permitting easy adaptation to hives of different types.  
           [0005]    In order to achieve its objectives, the present invention provides the continuous moulding of the honeycombs for beekeeping in the form of half honeycombs produced between two conveyor belts arranged parallel to one another with a separation slightly greater than the thickness of the honeycomb, as will be explained. In the method of the present invention, as a panel or mould carrying the plurality of cores for forming the cells of a half honeycomb moves on one of the conveyor belts, at the beginning of the region in which the two belts coincide, the spaces situated between the cores are filled with molten wax, provided by external means, the wax adapting itself to all of the spaces between the cores and, in addition, forming a thin plate which connects the spaces between the cores and which will subsequently constitute the plate connecting the various cells of a half honeycomb. After the spaces between cores have been filled, the moulded half honeycomb which is in contact, by means of the cells, with the panel carrying the cores and, by means of the base, with the other belt which passes parallel to that carrying the plate of the cores, is cooled. At the end of its travel between the two belts, the half honeycomb will already have solidified sufficiently to be able to be separated from the core-carrying panel which has resilience characteristics.  
           [0006]    To improve the filling of the spaces between the cores of resilient material which are intended to form the cells of a honeycomb, a slight transverse separation of the said cores is brought about by mechanical action, creating a larger opening thereof and thus enabling the quantity of wax contained between every two cores to be increased, by virtue of the said partial opening, in comparison with that strictly necessary to form the completed honeycomb cells so that the surplus wax will be projected towards the belt which passes opposite that carrying the cores, enabling the base plate connecting the various cells to be formed so as to correspond to a half honeycomb.  
           [0007]    Moreover, to assist the separation of the half honeycomb from the upper conveyor belt once it has been moulded and partially cooled, the said belt is heated locally in order to soften the wax of the half honeycomb corresponding to the region of contact with the belt, which can easily be separated. To achieve an additional improvement in the said separation, the present invention provides for the arrangement of a transverse wire which, upon acting on the softened or molten laminar region, brings about a mechanical action for separating the half honeycomb produced.  
           [0008]    According to a variant of the present invention, the intermittent operation of the apparatus is converted into continuous operation by virtue of the conversion of the belt carrying the moulding cells into a continuous belt unit having projections for forming the half honeycombs over its entire surface, without a break throughout its length, so that the wax is supplied continuously, the lower belt continuously transporting a layer of wax coupled with the moulding projections which, upon acting in combination with the upper belt, permit the production of an element of indeterminate length and with a structure corresponding to that of a half honeycomb, but of indefinite length. At the output of the unit with the two belts, there is a cutting system which enables half honeycombs of the desired length to be produced. The useful length of the half honeycomb may be variable by variation of the cutting length.  
       
    
    
       [0009]    For a better understanding, some drawings of the method and apparatus of the present invention are appended by way of non-limiting example.  
         [0010]    FIGS.  1  to  5  show various steps of the method; these drawings show two endless, parallel belts, one carrying the resilient mould constituted by a plurality of cores for forming the cells of the half honeycomb, the drawings then showing the initial step of the filling of the spaces with molten wax, the step of moulding and cooling the half honeycomb produced, and the final step of separation thereof.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIGS. 6 and 7 show details of the application of the hot wax to the resilient core.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 8 shows the step of the removal of the half honeycomb produced from the resilient core.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 9 shows a version with an auxiliary roller for detaching the half honeycombs formed.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIGS. 10 and 11 show respective schematic views of the unit with the two belts and of the cutting device at the output thereof, according to a variant of the invention.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIGS. 12 and 13 show respective details of the wax-supply region of the variant indicated.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIGS. 14 and 15 show, in section, respective details of the cut portion of the element produced at the output of the process in the same variant as FIGS.  12  to  15 .  
     
    
       [0017]    According to the drawings, the half honeycombs are manufactured by two endless conveyor belts  1  and  2  mounted, respectively, on rollers  3 ,  4  and  5 ,  6 , which are moved in a manner such that the inner runs  7  and  8  of the said belts move in the same direction and at the same speed. The space between the said runs  7  and  8  is slightly larger than the half honeycomb to be produced, which is indicated  9  in FIGS. 5 and 8. The said half honeycomb comprises a plurality of projections in the form of resilient cores  10  and a joining region or back plate  11  which connects them.  
         [0018]    Preferably, the endless belts  1  and  2  are arranged at a small angle to the horizontal and the lower belt has a region or mould  12  provided with a plurality of rows of resilient cores  13 , FIGS.  6  to  8 , which are intended to form the cells of the half honeycombs to be produced. As the mould moves in front of a wax-supply vessel  14 , the spaces between the cores  13  are filled, as can be seen in greater detail in FIG. 7, in which it can be seen that the spaces between the cores  13  are filled with masses of wax  15  which also form the rear joining region or plate  11 .  
         [0019]    In order to improve the filling of the spaces between the cores  13 , a mechanism is provided for opening out the spaces at the moment when they are filled; this mechanism may be a simple roller  16  which establishes contact with a region in the vicinity of the tip or end of the cores  13 , enlarging the intermediate spaces and allowing a quantity of wax greater than the stable volume  15  shown to enter between every two cores; owing to the resilient action of the cores, this enables the surplus volume of wax to be expelled outwardly relative to the cores, enabling the connecting region or plate  11  to be formed correctly. A lower container  17  is intended to receive the surplus wax from the filling operation.  
         [0020]    After the spaces between the cores have been filled, the movement of the endless belts arranged close together as shown in the drawings, permits the correct formation of the half honeycomb  9  which is the objective of the method. During its passage between the two endless belts, cooling of the half honeycomb takes place and leads to its solidification.  
         [0021]    To improve the removal from the upper belt  1  of the half honeycomb produced when the end of the travel is reached, as can be seen in FIG. 8, the present invention provides for the arrangement of a heat source  18  situated in the vicinity of the output of the half honeycomb produced, preferably on the inner side of the conveyor belt  1 , the heat source being intended to bring about local softening or melting of the rear portion of the plate  11  of the half honeycomb to enable it to be detached more easily. To improve the said detachment, the present invention provides for the arrangement of a wire or thin bar  19 , substantially touching the conveyor belt  1 , facilitating the separation of the half honeycomb  9  from the upper belt  1 .  
         [0022]    For half honeycombs with very thin walls, the arrangement shown in FIG. 9 may be advantageous; this drawing shows an auxiliary roller  20  which, together with the end roller  6  of the lower belt  2 , enables a greater smoothness to be achieved in the separation of the half honeycomb from the upper belt.  
         [0023]    Preferably, the endless belts  1  and  2  are steel-based belts and the moulds or groups of cores  13  are silicone-based in order to give them sufficient resilience and favourable mould-release characteristics.  
         [0024]    The method provides for the addition of a certain quantity of water to the molten wax to ensure better adhesion of the half honeycomb to the upper belt, means being provided for replacing the water which is used up during the operation of the machine.  
         [0025]    As will be understood, the method and apparatus of the present invention permits the production of half honeycombs, that is, elements such as that indicated  9  in FIG. 8 such that, in order to produce the complete honeycomb, it will be necessary to use two of the said half honeycombs, joined by their bases, the various cores extending in opposite directions.  
         [0026]    The present invention permits the production of half honeycombs the dimensions of which are variable according to the mould used. In this connection, it should be borne in mind that, for simplicity, the drawings do not show the half honeycomb  9  with the same dimensions as the mould or core region  12 ; however, this is only a convention of representation since, depending on the filling of the mould, the half honeycomb produced may have dimensions variable up to overall dimensions corresponding to the whole mould.  
         [0027]    The variant of FIGS.  10  to  15  provides for the lower belt  21  to be formed in a manner such as to have, on its outer face and for its entire length, projections  22  of a shape conjugate with the cells  23  to be formed in the honeycombs so that the said projections  22  extend over the entire length of the belt  21  without a break and without any difference over its entire travel so that, after the supply of wax has been received from the supply vessel  24 , a continuous mass of wax  25  is transported, held between the cell projections  22  of the belt  21  and the facing run of the upper belt  26 , giving rise, at the output, to a continuous element  27  of indefinite length, the structure of which corresponds basically to that of the half honeycombs to be produced. In order to separate the individual half honeycombs from the linear element  27  as a whole, the machine has a cutting device  28  for cutting the element  21  into sections of the desired length. The said cutting device may be of any suitable type, there being shown schematically, purely by way of example, a cranked blade which is operated by an eccentric or the like and which may be graduated in order to vary the length of the sections cut. As will be appreciated from FIG. 11, after the cutting operation, a section  29 , constituted by a half honeycomb which will subsequently be joined back-to-back with another similar section to form a complete honeycomb, is obtained.  
         [0028]    As will be understood, the conversion of the intermittent production system to a continuous production system will considerably improve productivity, reducing production costs.