An Apparatus for Producing Deep Cellular Formations in Wax or the like.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Apparatus for Producing Deep Cellular Formations in Wax or
the like.
We, EDWARD HENRY TAYLOR, Manufacturer, residing at The Apiary, Welwyn,
in the County of Hertfordshire, and CHARLES HERBERT LACEY, Draughtsman,
residing at 73, Comyn Road, Wandsworth, in the County of Surrey, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an apparatus for producing deep cellular formations
in wax, or the like, for use in beehives, called deep celled combs, .and has for
its objects, the saving of the consumption of honey by the bees, necessary for
the production of wax, used by them in the construction of combs, in which
they rear their brood and store honey, and to save the time necessary for the
bees in constructing their combs, thereby obtaining an increased yield of honey.
This apparatus is a double acting press, and having two sets of punches being
opposite or nearly so, are caused to approach the one to the other at the same
time. The punches are arranged so as to penetrate the block of wax, thus
forming the cells to the required number, depth, shape and pitch, also leaving
the required thickness of wax on the sides and bottom of the said cells.
The points of one set of punches, are not opposite the points of the other set.
but midway and between rows. The hexagon shaped punches have pyramidical
points with three sides.
The upper portion or stem of the punches are round, this portion slides in a
guide plate, and is the same size or smaller in diameter than the lower part.
The lower portion of same being of suitable length, is hexagonal or any other
shape according to the design of the cells to be made in the block of wax.
The guide plates are drilled or punched with round holes at required pitch,
and being the same in diameter as the stems of the punches. To this plate is
fastened another plate, having hexagon or other shaped holes through it, for
the purpose of receiving the lower part of the punches and allowing them to
draw back to the guide plate, when in this position the points of the punches
will then be level or below the surface or face of the said plates.
The stems of both sets of punches are held at suitable distance and pitch in
another plate by any known method.
A hole is drilled down the centre of each punch, and in this hole is inserted
a wire of about 14 B.W.G. of sliding fit at point of same. The wires are held
together at the same pitch as the punches, and being of a suitable length, that is
to say when the wires are pressed to a required distance they will fill up the
holes at the points of the punches, which prevents any wax entering the said
holes.
To produce a comb of a required size, the requisite quantity of wax, (preferably

page_text: in a block) is placed between the two sets of punches. Pressure being applied
the wires will fill up holes at the points of the punches before touching the wax,
and then causing the one set of punches to approach the other at the same time,
but not touch one another. When the punches have been forced into the block
of wax to desired depth; the wires are withdrawn so as to allow the inlet of air
while the punches are being drawn out of the wax. Whilst the punches are
being withdrawn the wax bas a tendency to draw back with them, this is stopped
by the plates that are fastened to the guide plates, into which the lower portions
of the punches are drawn, and housed, then comb produced is removed.
Dated this 19th day of Fahun 1908
EDWARD HENRY TAYLOR.
CHARLES HERBERT LACEY.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Apparatus for Producing Deep Cellular Formations in Wax or
the like.
We, EDWARD HENRY TAYLOR, Manufacturer, residing at "The Apiary,"
Welwyn, in the County of Hertford, and CHARLES HERBERT LACEY, Draughtsman,
residing at 73, Comyn Road, Wandsworth, in the County of Surrey, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in, and by the following
statement:-
This invention relates to a method of, and means for producing deep cellular
formations in wax or equivalent substance, such as deep celled combs for use
in beehives and the like, and has for its object to provide the bees with artifically
produced combs in which to rear their brood, and to store honey, and thereby
to effect an increase in the yield of honey from the bees as a result of time saved,
that otherwise would be employed in the construction of the natural combs, and
of the prevention of the consumption of honey by the bees which is necessary
to enable them to produce the wax with which to construct the combs.
In order to produce a comb which will have the desired pitch, depth, formation
of cell. thickness of wall and partition or foundation peculiar to the natural
production, we proceed on the following principle:-
<
A block of wax, or other suitable substance, is subjected to pressure in a press,
the said wax or equivalent substance being contained in a press-frame," or
box, whereof the top and bottom are temporarily closed by perforated plates, in,
and through the perforations in the said plate, the punches are caused to slide
and so appreach one another thereby penetrating and compressing the substance
contained in the "press-frame" the degree of penetration is limited so that a
partition or "foundation" remains between the points of the said punches: the
cellular portions of the formation are disposed on either side of the said foundation.
Apparatus for producing such cellular formations or combs in wax, or equiva-
lent substance is illustrated in the accompanying drawings whereof
Fig. 1 is an elevation.
Fig. 2 heing a section on the line (-) in Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a detached view of the press, drawn to a larger scale. showing the
position of the two sets of hexagonal punches and plates, in relation to the
press-frame which contains a block of wax, or equivalent substance to be
acted upon at the commencement of the compressing stroke.
"

page_text: Fig. 4 being a corresponding view illustrating the press closed part being
cut away to show the position of the punches at the end of the compressing
stroke.
Fig. 5. is a plan of a fragmentary portion of one of the guide-plates through
which the punches are advanced; these plates also form the top and bottom, or
covering plates to the "press-frame."
Fig. 6 is an elevation and
Fig. 7a corresponding plan of one of the hexagonal punches.
Fig. 8 is a plan of the "press-frame" in which the wax or equivalent substance
is compressed.
Reference being made to Fig. 1, and more particularly to Fig. 3 and 4, it
will be seen that the "press-frame" a wherein the substance to be acted upon
is placed, rests on the lower of two perforated plates 6 61, these plates serve to
form the top and bottom of the said "press-frame" when the press is closed;
the said plates b b also act as guides to the sets of punches cc maintained in
plates in any convenient manner.
The punches of each set c c are secured accurately as to pitch in the punch
plates, the punches of the lower set c¹ are not arranged in alignments with
those of the upper set c but are arranged midway and between the .rows of
punches in the latter set so as to form the cells on each side of the partition of
the comb corresponding to those on each side of the "foundation" in the natural
production.
The points of the hexagonal punches may be made pyramidal, as shown in
Fig. 6 and 7 to form the pyramidal ends to the cells in the "foundation."
To prevent a vacuum being created behind the punches during the withdrawal
of the same from the wax, or equivalent substance, after compression, which
vacuum-would probably cause a collapse of the comb, a hole c is drilled through
the punches for the admittance of air to the said cells.
To prevent the wax, or equivalent substance, entering the air conduits in
the punches, the said punches are provided with sets of wire cores d d mounted
in plates respectively. In order to avoid the entire removal of the said
wire cores and to allow free passage for the air, the holes are drilled of larger
diameter at the ends remote from the points of the punches, and gradually
reduced to such a diameter that the wire cores make a sliding fit; by this.
provision, on the withdrawal of the wire cores to the enlarged portion of the
bore of the punches, free access of air to the cells is permitted.
The guide-plates may be built up of short lengths of hexagonal tube, accu-
rately disposed, sweated together and mounted in a frame as shewn in Fig. 5.
The guide-plates so obtained may the furnished with a back plate drilled with
holes corresponding with those of the hexagonal tube plates 6 6, in this instance
the stems of the punches are circular in cross section.
The "press-frame" is hinged at three of its angles, the remaining angle
being secured with a catch engaging over a projection a³, the whole when
closed forming a rigid rectangular frame.
To ensure the several parts working truly in relation to one another, projec-
tions a are formed on the upper and lower edges of the " "press-frame a: these
projections register with indents on the face of each guide-plate b b guide
bolts 66 mounted on the said guide-plates engage with the punch plates c2 c³: and
guide bolt c mounted on the said punch plates engage with the wire core
plates The guide bolts be limit the movement of the punches and.
wire cores.
The press may be actuated by any suitable means, it being observed that the
guide plates 6 61 must be secured in the closed position previous to the compres-
sion of the wax, or equivalent substance, and retained in that position until the
completion of the withdrawal of the punches, subsequent to the withdrawal of
the wire cores.
Means of accomplishing these operations mechanically may be constructed as

page_text: illustrated in Fig. 1 and 2, same comprising a frame which consists of a bed-
plate e from which upwardly projects two standards e¹ e connected across by
two plates ff; the said standards maintain the lower guide plate 61 secured
in the parts e and on said guide-plate the press-frame rests.
The upper and lower ends of the said standards e¹ e carry shafts g gl mounted
in bearings power being transmitted from one shaft to the other through
gearing g². The shafts g gl transmit motion to the two parts of the press through
eccentrics and rods 22 pivotally connected thereto; the said rods pass
through guides 2 f3 in the cross plates of fl and are secured to the wire core
plates d³ of the press.
23
The lower guide-plate is secured to the standard ee and is also per-
manently in the elesed position inasmuch as the "press-frame a is seated
thereon.
In order to ensure the simultaneous and equal advancement of both sets of
punches from their respective guide-plates, the guide-plate and the set of
punches are made respectively deeper and longer to admit of a greater amount
of withdrawal of the latter within the former.
The guide-plate 6 is connected by links kk to lever pivoted in the standard
and the opposite end is pivotally connected to the lower end of a rod 2 which
slides through a guide f in the cross-plate f and makes contact with a cam 7,
the latter may be made integral with the eccentric i.
The upper end of the rod 2 may be provided with a roller for reducing
friction between the cam and the rod.
On depression by the cam 7 of the rod, lever ¹, links k, the guide-plate 6 is
also depressed to the closed position.
The cam is so formed that the said depression shall take place simultaneously
with the advancement of the punches, and be maintained until the movement of
the punches has been reversed in direction and withdrawn within the plate, when
the latter is permitted to rise with the plate through its connection therewith
by the guide bolts 66.
"
a and the shafts
In producing a comb by apparatus such as herein before described, a block
of wax, or equivalent substance is placed in the "press-frame
g set in motion by a clutch (not shown) of any suitable type.
As the shafts rotate the eccentrics and rods cause the core plates d³, punch
plates and the upper guide plate 6 to advance, the said guide-plate being
also controlled by the means herein before described.
On the arrival of the punches at the upper and lower surfaces of the block
of wax, or equivalent substance the cores d d will have closed the apertures in
the points of the punches, and on the combined advancement of the punches
and cores to the full extent, the block will be pressed to the desired formation,
the interstices between the punches being completely filled up.
On further rotation of the shafts, the cores will be withdrawn to the
enlarged portion of the bore in the punches: the guide-plates meanwhile being
maintained in the closed position, (the lower because of its permanent position,
and the upper through the cam 7 and intermediate parts) in order to support
the walls of the cells while the punches are being withdrawn, thus preventing
breakage of the said walls through the sticking of the substance to the punches
during such withdrawal, which would result should such support not be afforded.
When the withdrawal of the punches is completed, the cam has arrived at
such a position that the rod may rise and effect the release of the guide plate
which is now raised by the eccentric and intermediate connections. The clutch
is now released and the press rendered stationary, the press-frame is removed.
another containing a block of wax or equivalent substance is now introduced
and the operation repeated.
The press-frame is opened and the comb removed, another block being inserted
and the press-frame closed ready for re-insertion in the press.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:
1. The manufacture of deep cellular formations of wax consisting in subjecting
a block of wax to the action, in a press, of two sets of punches so as to form
deep cells on each side of a central partition and admitting air to the cells thus
formed simultaneously with the withdrawal of the punches therefrom substantially
as described.
2. In apparatus for use in the manufacture of deep cellular formations with
central partition from wax, the combination with a press-frame a, of guide-
plates bb, two sets of hollow punches c c¹ furnished with moveable cores, sub-
stantially as described.
3. In apparatus for use in the manufacture of deep cellular formations with
central partition from wax, the combination of a press-frame a, guide plates bb',
two sets of hollow punches c c¹, furnished with moveable cores dd, with shafts
yg, gearing, eccentrics ¿¹, rods, and links kk pivotally connected to
the upper guide-plate, lever k¹, rod and cam 1, all arranged to operate, sub-
stantially as set forth.
4. The combination with a press consisting of two sets of hollow punches,
furnished with moveable cores, a stationary lower guide plate, adapted for the
reception of an interchangeable press frame, and a reciprocated upper guide plate,
of means whereby the upper guide plate is temporarily maintained in a closed
position, same comprising links kk, mounted on pins carried by the upper guide
plate, and in connection pivotally with a lever ki, fulcrumed in the frame-work,
provided with a rod or plunger 2, and a cam keyed on the upper shaft g, all
arranged to operate substantially as set forth.
5. Means of the kind herein referred to whereby a block of wax or equivalent
substance, is subjected to pressure and a cellular formation having a central
partition ("foundation") imparted thereto, substantially as described.
6. For use in the manufacture of deep cellular formations with central partition
such as combs for use in beehives and the like, hollow punches furnished with
moveable cores substantially as, and for the purpose set forth.
7. For use in apparatus, of the character herein referred to, a guide plate
constructed of suitable lengths of tubing, sweated together, and mounted in a
frame, substantially as described.
Dated this 17th day of November 1808
EDWARD HENRY TAYLOR,
CHARLES H. LACEY.
73, Comyn Road, Wandsworth, S.W.