IMPROVEMENTS IN BEE-HIVES AND APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1862

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by James Boothman at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 26th March
1862.
I, JAMES BOOTHMAN, of Gisburn, near Skipton, in the County of York,
Farmer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN BEE-HIVES AND APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved aprarian's bee-hive, feeding trough,
condenser, wax-making apparatus, honey-comb pulverizer, and cylindrical
press.
First, then, to explain the observatory and collateral bee-hives, they being
so constructed as to answer as a single stock or observatory hive, and so as to
admit of an additional hive or two being placed at one or both sides, as one on
the top or bell glasses, the passage to each having a separate slide, all the
hives being of the same shape and dimensions, so that any one of them will
answer as a stock hive or as a side hive, as occasion may require. To effect
this the hives are so constructed as to admit of either end being drawn out at
the top; both door and glass together. The corners of the box are about an
inch and three-quarters square, with cross pieces top and bottom to hold the
frame together and support the under-mentioned bars. The glass and doors
are attached to a loose frame which slides down in a rarebit or groove cut in
each of the corners. When it is necessary to attach one of the side bives

page_text: there is a tin slide which is forced down within the glass for the purpose of
keeping the bees inside when the other frame is withdrawn (there being a
small rarebit to admit of this slide). There is a board to fill the vacancy
caused by the removal of the other frame; this board has two perpendicular
openings which extend from the top to near the bottom, and another horizontal
opening at the bottom to form a communication between the hives, each of
these openings being closed at will by means of two separate slides for the top,
the other being put in from the back. The hives being held securely together
by two screws, they being thus connected and the connecting passages adjusted,
the slide is withdrawn, when the bees will speedily take possession of the side
bive and fill it. When necessary, the connexion can be cut off and the hives
separated without the bees being able to make their escape. By adopting
this plan the bees continue to work without a desire to swarm. The side
hives being kept at such a low temperature by means of ventilation that the
queen is prevented from depositing her eggs in them. The top of the hive is
composed of bars from back to front, to which the bees attach their combs.
I attach small pieces of combs to the under side of each bar, there being a
kind of framework partly to prevent the combs falling and partly to cause the
bees to continue their combs in a straight direction to the bottom. There is
another top, when desired either to place another hive on the top or nine bell
glasses, each of the holes communicating with the glasses being furnished with
its own slide, so that one can be taken off without interfering with the rest.
This frame has a bottom to it to prevent the bees attaching their combs to the
floor board. The frame is composed of angular rods attached to the corners
of that part of the bar to which the bees attach their combs, with a very small
rod down each side in the centre to bear thin horizontal pieces about half an
inch broad. These run along each side of the comb, with small apertures to
admit of slips of wood to support the comb. There is a small triangular piece
of wood near the bottom to keep the comb frames at a proper distance. On
the top and in the centre of each bar there is a piece of polished brass about
two inches and a half long, one inch broad, with a hole in the centre one inch
long and a quarter of an inch wide; this is let into the wood with sufficient
room underneath it to admit of a key with which the bar, comb, and bees can
be hoisted into a glass frame (placed on the top) for inspection, the key
to hoist the comb with being long enough to reach from the top of the frame
to the top of the bar, the bottom of it fitting into the hole at the top of the
brass; by putting the end of the key into the hole and turning it half way
round it of course cannot come out till it is turned back again there being
notches. on the under side to prevent it going round. The bar with comb

page_text: being hoisted into the frame it can be fastened up in the frame by two keys,
one at each end, shaped like the letter T, which draws out and rests on the
frame at each end, so that the comb is held steady in the frame for inspection,
when the key can be taken out until the comb is replaced, the inside of the
frame being the same width and length as the bar, so that the bees cannot
escape at the top; there being a rarebit at the bottom of the frame to admit
of a slide to prevent them getting out at the bottom, if necessary to remove
them to another hive or for any other purpose, care being taken to place some-
thing on the hole caused by the removal of the bar until that or a similar bar
of the same construction is replaced. In the edge of one of the bars there is
a piece cut out to answer the purpose of ventilation and to form a passage
through which the bees can ascend the feeding trough; this hole is regulated
by means of a slide, one part of which is perforated and the other whole, and
one part having a hole through it to correspond with the other. This slide is
worked by means of two small pulleys, they having a square hole at the top to
admit of a key with which to turn them round, a small chain being attached,
one end to the pulley and the other to the slide; there being one of these let
in near each end of the bar, by turning one of the pulleys round it will draw
the slide. one way and the other the other way. There are holes cut across the
under side of the bars to cause the air to circulate freely in every part of the
hive alike and to form passages for the bees to approach the feeding trough.
Very near the centre there is a thermometer, which is put in at the top, it
slides in a rarebit and is screened off with wire grating to prevent the bees
coming in contact with it, this grate being attached to the rarebit so that the
thermometer can be raised out for inspection without annoying the bees, and
forms no obstruction to them or the raising the bar and comb, it being attached
to a separate frame connected to each side of the hive. The tops of these
bars are covered with a board, which is fastened down at the corners, through
which there are holes to communicate with the pulleys and ventilator and
feeding trough, these holes being closed. by small screwed plugs. The floor
board is made of an inch plank with half-inch pieces screwed on to it for the
hive to rest on, being faceable with the outside of the hive and extending
about a quarter of an inch inside on each side of the hive and front, excepting
the space required for the entrance of the bees. There being a rarebit cut on
the under side of each of these pièces to admit of a false bottom sliding in
from the back, a piece being cut out of the bottom of the back part of the
hive, and a similar piece attached to the loose board that slides in to fill up
the opening when the board is in its proper place; by drawing this out all dirt
and dead bees are withdrawn without much annoyance to the inmates of the

page_text: hive; in the loose bottom there are two pieces cut out, each being covered
with a grate placed at equal distances from the side about six inches long and
'one inch and a quarter broad; these grates run lengthways in the slide, there
being small slidės either to admit air or otherwise.
As the bees are apt to fill up the grates with propalis, I have constructed a
small article to clear them out without any annoyance to the bees or much
trouble. It is a kind of fork, which fits the whole with its prongs up, one
of which goes between each bar of the grate; and is worked by a shaft, which
comes so near the outside that it can be got hold of when the fork is at the
extreme end of the hole. By this shaft the fork is drawn to and fro to clear the
grate; that done the fork is pushed back to the extreme end, so as to form no
'obstruction to the slides. The hive is fastened down by means of small books
underneath eacli corner out of sight, these hooks being attached to the bottom
board and stand up about a quarter of an inch, this hooks into a piece of
brass with a hole cut through to admit of it. The hive being pushed forward
a little the said plate goes under the hook and holds the hive down, being
secured there by a small bolt: These hooks not only hold the hive down, but
also prevent it from slipping. The entrance, which is of any suitable size and
'shape, is closed or narrowed by means of two slides, one at each side. These
slides are worked by means of two small wheels, a rack being attached to
the edge of each slide. These wheels being horizontal, and. the bottom fitting
in a socket, both wheel and slide being covered with a thin plate of brass or
zinc, there being a hole through this small plate to admit the axle of the
wheel, with 'a 'square hole in it to admit of a key with which to turn it; by
turning these wheels the slides are moved to either close or open the passage
more or less. The landing board has small ridges cut on the top, with a saw-
cut through between each to drain off the water. On the top is a condenser,
which stands in a frame, there being a piece of thick india-rubber with a
hole in the centre, and a groove cut out on the upper side in which a thick
glass 'stands, resembling a bottle without bottom, with a stopper ground in at
the top this glass being about three inches in diameter. The glass condenses
the perspiration ascending out of the hive, which is conveyed away by means
of a small elastic tube passing through the frame underneath the glass, and
connected to a small tube at the corner of the hive. This 'condenser will fit
the top of the feeding trough. The feeding trough is about seven inches in
diameter, thirteen and a quarter inches deep, with a circular hole in the centre,
one and a quarter inches in diameter, with a tube one inch deep soldered
round the hole, there being another circular piece connected to one the same
depth which fits inside the rest, one round the inside of the outer rim, the

page_text: other round the tube, there being two small square tubes attached to the
larger of them at opposite sides, with a piece of perforated zinc slanting at
the bottom to prevent the bees entering the tube, which extends to the lid,
through which there are holes to pour in the liquor or the food; these holes
being closed by plugs screwed in. The centre of the lid has a square liole about
two inches wide having a slide, one part of glass, the other perforated zinc';
the glass to watch the bees through, the zinc to answer as a ventilator, or to
form a communication with the condenser. This slide is worked in the same
way as that in the top of the bar. The honey can best be poured in out of a
pitcher. The interior. of the trough is fitted with a frame, which is composed
of wedge-shaped pieces of wood, which extend from the tube in the centre to
the outer rim, being held at proper distances by means of small pieces of
wood; and being attached to the loose rims can be easily taken out to clean,
holes being cut in the under edge of each to admit of the food running' all
round. The bees on ascending into this box can walk on these pieces to any
part of the trough without bedaubing themselves, or even wetting their feet,
and by means of their probosces can lick up sweets, and carry them into the
hive without being chilled by the cold (the heat of the hive keeping it warm)
or being disturbed by robbers, it being too far off to be scented by them. All
the interior of the trough is well covered with wax to keep. it sweet, and
prevent its corroding, as it otherwise would do; paint being unfit for this pur-
pose, as it gives the honey a bad flavor.
The next article is a wax making apparatus, constructed of either tin or
copper, of about twelve inches in diameter, and thirteen inches deep. There
is a spindle attached in the centre of the bottom, which stands erect about
eight inches above the edge of the pan. This spindle supports a tube, to which
is attached a boss supporting a rim which fits the interior of the pan. To this
rim is attached two sieves, one fine and the other coarse, which can be easily
separated to clean. This rim and the sieves are supported by two cross bars
from the boss. The combs being placed in the pan, the sieves are put down
on the top, the pan being nearly filled with water the sieves are forced down
on the top through which the wax ascends when melted, all of which ascends
through the sieves, being lighter than the water, the sieves preventing the finest
particles of dross from ascending. The sieves are worked up and down the
better to separate it. After boiling about half an hour the seeds are fastened
down near the bottom, there being a hole through the spindles to admit of a
small key for the purpose of fastening the sieves either higher or lower as required;
there being a lid with a hole through the centre to admit of the spindles.
The wax being all filtered through, the whole is allowed to stand till cold, when

page_text: the wax will be easily removed and the apparatus refilled, and to continue the
process till as is done, when the wax can be re-melted and moulded in any
shape required.
The next article is a machine, one part of which is composed of two rollers,
these rollers being composed of segments, each of which has about six teeth
in one inch long; these fit beside each other. in a square shaft, one revolving
faster than the other, the teeth of one roller passing between the other,
being turned round by a handle at the side. A. kind of hopper being placed
above them into which the combs are put, which on passing from a roller
gets pulverized, falling down into an earthenware vessel. This vessel is placed
on sieves, through which the honey passes, it also passing through fine canvas.
The remainder of the pulp is placed a little at a time in a bag, and put into
a cylinder with a loose perforated bottom, there being a piston forced down on
to it by a screw, by which means all the remainder of the honey is pressed
out. By these means I can extract every particle of honey without heating it
or otherwise affecting its flavor.