Improvements in Bee-hives.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 28th May, 1892
Complete Specification Left; 24th Feb., 1893-Accepted, 20th May, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bee-hives.
JOHN HENRY HOWARD Builder, Apairian & Manufacturer of Beekeeping
Appliances Holme near Peterborough do hereby declare the nature of this inven
tion to be as follows:-
The floor or alighting board of any bee-hive is so made, that a mother-bee
excluder may be placed at, fixed to, or removed at will from the entrance or
entrances of a hive. When such floor, alighting board, entrance or entrances, are
covered with mother-bee excluder, none but worker-bees can fly abroad, & therefore
any mother-bee or drone would be a prisoner within the hive. But to relieve the
hive of drones, or to capture the mother-bee should she attempt to leave the hive,
the floor or alighting board is cut, or left short of the confines of the hive body
or excluder, or it may be bored with holes. To any opening in such floor or
alighting board, a wire cone or cones, or any other form of bee escape is placed,
or fixed, in such position that a mother-bee, drone or worker, may pass through
them from the hive, but not return the same way. The cones or bee escapes
conduct all bees which pass through them, into a drawer, hive, or any receptacle,
such drawer, hive, or receptacle, is covered in whole, part, or parts, with mother-
bee excluder, so that any worker bees may escape therefrom to the open air, &
back to the hive by the usual entrance, or they may again return to the mother-
bee. Thus at swarming, the bees would return to the mother (or queen) bee, &
cluster, or hive themselves beneath the floor of any hive so fitted, while at other
times any excess of drone life is checked by trapping them.
Dated this 97th day of May 1809
JOHN HY. HOWARD.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bee-hives.
JOHN HENRY HOWARD Builder & Manufacturer of Bee Appliances Holme,
near Peterborough do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :--
The floor For alighting board A of any bee-hive is so made, that a mother-bee
excluder may be placed at, fixed to, or removed at will from the entrance E or
entrances of a hive. When such a floor, alighting board, entrance or entrances,
are covered with mother-bee excluder, none but worker-bees can fly abroad, &
therefore any mother-bee or drone would be a prisoner within the hive, but to
relieve the hive of drones or to capture the mother-bee should she attempt to
leave the hive, the floor or alighting board is cut, or left short of the confines of
the hive body or excluder, as B or it may be bored with holes H. To any
opening in such floor or alighting board, a metal cone or cones, or any other form
of bee escape is placed or fixed, in such a position, that a mother-bee drone or
worker, may pass through them from the hive, but not return the same way.
The cones or bee escapes conduct all bees, which pass through them into a
drawer, hive, or any receptacle. Such drawer, hive, or receptacle is covered in
whole, part or parts with mother-bee excluder, so that any worker-bees may
escape therefrom to the open air, & back to the hive by the usual entrance, or
they may again return to the mother-bee. Thus at swarming the bees would
return to the mother (or queen) bee & cluster, or hive themselves, beneath the

page_text: floor of any hive so fitted, while at other times any excess of drone life is checked
by trapping them.
Having now particularly described & ascertaine the nature of my said inven-
tion, & in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is.
1. A bee-hive floor & alighting board, so made, that when in use to a hive,
brood chamber, or surplus chamber, the entrance may be shut off or covered with
mother-bee excluder, & yet the queen, drones, or worker-bees, may leave such
hive or chambers, through the said floor or alighting board.
2. The use of any drawer, box, body, chamber, or hive, beneath such a floor &
alighting board.
3. Exit or entrances through a bee-hive floor or alighting board. Such passage
ways may be circular square or oblong, used open or fitted with a cone or cones, or
any other form of bee escape.
Dated this 23rd day of February 1802
JOHN HENRY HOWARD.