improvements in Bee Hives.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Apr., 1897--Accepted, 10th July, 1897
improvements in Bee Hives.
I, JANOS SZABO. of Er-Endred, Hungary, Clergyman, 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:-
This invention relates to bee-hives and it consists in providing them with a
perforated metallic or other frame which also serves the purpose of an artificiat
honeycomb. The frame is so constructed that the honey deposited in the hive
by the bees runs down automatically to the bottom thereof and is collected in a
suitable reservoir. With this construction of hive the honey can be withdrawn
without disturbing the insects and as a consequence the keeper is less liable to be
stung.
And in order that my said invention may be properly understood I have hereunto
appended an explanatory sheet of drawings, whereon,
Fig. 1 is a sectional view showing the construction of the cells of the artificial
honeycomb.
Fig. 2 is a view of an artificial honeycomb.
Fig. 3 is a front view of a frame.
Fig. 4 shows a device for suspending the frame in the hive.
Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the hive with the frames suspended therein.
Under this invention the mobility and fluidity of honey are taken advantage of
to promote the end in view.
The honeycomb cells are specially constructed, not being horizontal but having
their openings at a somewhat higher level than their bottoms and the cellular
walls inclined at about an angle of 160 to the horizontal. The bottom of each cell
is perforated to enable the honey to run out of it.
Each honeycomb is divided into two halves and is provided with two artificial
walls (a Fig. 1). Inclined passages are made in the comb at the bottom of each
cell. As a consequence a communication-chamber is formed having two branches
one of which is formed by the cells and the other by the perforations at the
bottom of said cells. As the honey accumulates it fills the chamber d and the
perforations c and any excess runs down through the openings r. The cells can
thus be completely filled up, whilst, on the one hand, the honey cannot run, and,
on the other, the bees cannot obstruct the perforations as they are below the upper
surface of the honey. The bees can only obstruct the perforations when they
empty the cells but, as is well known, the bees do not empty their cells during
the honey making months but on the contrary they fill the same. As a result
the dropping down or trickling of the honey is assured.
The artificial honeycombs are preferably made of zine or other non-rusting
metal and are provided at one side with artificial-stamped-combs. On this side
the bees build their cells. The honeycombed plates a are bent over their edges,
see Fig. 2, and thus form a tray on which are superposed the wax cells built by
the bees these cells being closed up in front level with the frame. These metal
plates or trays are placed in the compartments of the frame, there being two such
trays in each compartment, making 8 in a chamber. Between the two metal

page_text: pockets of a compartment there is left an empty space of about 3 to 4 centimetres
broad into which the honey drips and which is closed to the bees by the bars of
the frame b. In order to convey away the honey which trickles down the
horizontal cross bar f, f, (Fig. 3) of the frame is perforated, whilst a canal formed
in the lower bar of the frame is provided for conveying the honey to the corner.c
of the frame from whence it is led by means of the tubes (Fig. 5) to the
chamber at the bottom of the hive.
The frames bare hung in the hive in the following manner: The upper side
of the bee hive, Fig. 5, is provided with triangular shaped grooves into which
the heads of the nails h (see also Fig. 4), inserted in the frames b, can be filled
in such a manner as to suspend the frames in position. As will be seen the
arrangement is such that the frames can easily be fitted in place in the hive or
removed therefrom. Between the upper bars of the frames and the roof board a
space of about 3 to 4 millimetres is left. This space cannot be filled up by the
bees as they cannot pass through the grooves.
The bee hive (Fig. 5) consists of a living room and a honey chamber and these
rooms are separated the one from the other by a trellised board . The hive is
also provided with the chamber i for the collection of the trickling-down honey.
The surfaces of the metallic trays which are turned towards the bees are covered
with warm liquid wax. The bees take this wax ground and build their cells
thereon and fill them with honey. When the cells are filled with honey the
metallic trays are removed from the frames and the perforations on the rear side
of the honey-comb are opened with a heated nail. This latter operation can also
be effected by means of a metallic plate provided with nails arranged to correspond
with the perforations so that all the perforations can be opened at once.
When the cells are used again the following year the honey combs are primed or
filled with honey so as to start the trickling.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
consider novel and desire to claim is:-
In bee-hives the use of artificial honey-combs made of metal and provided with
inclined perforations (c) to enable the honey to trickle or drop down substantially
as hereinbefore set forth.
Dated this 3rd dor of Anvil 180
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70 Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.