A New Method of Constructing Bee Hives.
Year: 1899

page_text: A New Method of Constructing Bee Hives.
I, WILLIAM PRESTON MEADOWs, of Syston, near Leicester, in the County of
Leicester, Ironmonger and Bee Appliance Maker, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
A new method of constructing bee-hives to prevent swarming, to give perfect
ventilation, and to facilitate feeding by an arrangement of sliding chambers
which may be manipulated quite independently of the compartment where the
bees are in. The new method also provides for an arrangement of hanging and
sliding feeders. The bodies may be arranged to draw out at any of the four sides
of the hives as desired.
This invention consists in the application of a lower chamber to.
bee hives of modern construction which is disposed below the hive
entrance. It is loose SO that it can be removed without trouble,
and without in any way disturbing the hive proper or its inhabitants. In order
that this may be conveniently effected, I employ also a suitable stand of an
entirely new pattern which enables the said lower chamber to be withdrawn from
either side, or from the back or front. It will be understood that upon this stand
rests a superposed chamber of the ordinary type which forms the upper part of
the hive.
By this method swarming will be prevented, by reason of the natural cluster
having ample room to extend downwardly, and thence extending laterally take
possession and commence work in my new pattern lower chamber. When this is
once commenced the chamber can be removed to the upper part and another sub-
stituted for it in the lower position.
The tops of the frames thus form the floor; and additional ventilation is secured
when necessary by means of a loose shelf-fitting reversible alighting board, one
half of which has slits or saw cuts formed in it through which air for ventilation
can obtain access, passing through the entrance from underneath the hive. When
ventilation is not required the board can be turned so that the slits are at the
lower edge of the alighting board.
My improved construction of lower frame and hive lends itself also to a con-
venient arrangement of hanging and sliding feeders which may be hung in the
bodies and arranged to draw out at either of the four sides of the hive. By
placing a loose board, instead of frames or feeders, upon one of the bodies when
in its place, a solid floor is formed, similar to that in use in the ordinary bar
framed bee-hive.
WILLIAM J. MUNDEN,
75, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: I, WILLIAM PRESTON MEADOWS, of Syston, near Leicester, in the County of
Leicester, Ironmonger and Bee Appliance Maker, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
A new method of constructing bee-hives to prevent swarming, to give perfect
ventilation, and to facilitate feeding by an arrangement of chambers which may
be manipulated quite independently of the compartment where the bees are in.
The new method also provides for an arrangement of hanging removable feeders.
The bodies may be arranged to draw out at either of the four sides of the hive as
desired. Or they may be added or removed by lifting the other bodies and
substituting this arrangement underneath.
This invention consists in the application of a lower chamber to bee-hives of
modern construction which is disposed below the hive entrance. It is loose so
that it can be removed without trouble and without in any way disturbing the
hive proper or its inhabitants. In order that this may be conveniently effected
I employ also a suitable stand which encloses the lower chamber and enables it to
he withdrawn from either side or from the back or front by lifting the frame
slightly. Or if preferred the chamber containing the bees may be lifted off the
stand and the additional non-swarming body put underneath. It will be under-
stood that upon this stand rests a superposed chamber of the ordinary type which
forms the upper part of the hive.
By his method swarming will be prevented by reason of the cluster having
ample room to extend downwardly in their natural way, and thence extending
laterally take possession and commence work in the lower chamber. When this
is once commenced the chamber can be removed to the upper part and another
substituted for it in the lower position.
The tops of the frames thus form the floor allowing the bees to travel from
the front to the back so that combs can be reached as required; and additional
ventilation is secured when necessary by means of a loose self-fitting reversible
alighting board, one half of which has slits or saw cuts formed in it through
which air for ventilation can obtain access passing through the entrance from
underneath the hive. When ventilation is not required the board can be turned
so that the slits are at the lower edge of the alighting board.
My improved construction of lower frame and hive lends itself also to a con-
venient arrangement of feeding: the feeders may be placed or hung in the bodies
and arranged to draw out at either of the four sides of the hive. By placing a
loose board, instead of frames or feeders, upon one of the bodies when in its
place, a solid floor is formed, similar to that in use in the ordinary bar framed
bee hives.
In order that my invention may be fully understood and ascertained I append
drawings in which:-
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a half-hive, cut down the middle for the purpose
of shewing the bodies.
Fig. 2 is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of part of the outer case, the
porch, and a modified form of stand.
Fig. 3 is a view of the alighting board.
Fig. 4 shews the fluted, and
Fig. 5 the slit end of the same.
Fig. 6 is a front, and

page_text: Fig. 7 a side elevation of an eccentric button used to adjust the porch.
Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the hanging feeders.
The first part of my invention is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 in which A indi-
cates the outer case, B the stand, C the porch and D the alighting board. It will
be seen that the case is formed of a number of rectangular parts (each without
top or bottom) resting upon each other, these being held in position by ledges a
which are attached rigidly to the lower edges of each part, and fit over the upper
edges of the next part below it; thus serving to protect the interior from water
which might otherwise enter through a joint. The ledges a of the lower case will
also fit over the upper edge of the stand, and the latter having either one of its
sides or one of its ends removable, by simply lifting slightly the case which rests
upon it, the interior of the stand is exposed.
Fitting loosely inside the cases are the bodies A¹, these being of any suitable
kind each having any convenient number of frames suspended therein in the
manner common to modern hives. The bodies rest upon each other, the lowest
resting upon the bottom of the stand B. The stand being below the level of the
porch it is obvious that swarming is prevented as the natural cluster can extend
freely downwards, so as to take possession of and commence work in the body
which occupies the interior of the stand. When work is thus commenced, by
lifting one end or side of that case A which rests upon the stand, slightly, the
loose end can be removed, and the lowest body with its contained frames can be
slid out quietly, and removed to the upper portion of the hive. At the same
time another empty body can be placed inside the stand ready for the cluster to
extend downwards and occupy it.
By this means the ventilation is improved, and when additional ventilation is
required I secure it by the use of a loose self-fitting alighting board; this is
shewn in Figs. 3, 4, and 5 where that portion indicated by the letter is simply
fluted or corrugated while the end indicated by the letter has slits or saw
cuts formed in it. The end is turned to the hive in wet or cold weather;
the corrugations allowing any wet caused by rain or dew to run off, so that the
bees can always reach the upper or dry surface. In hot weather the end is
turned to the hive the slits then serving to allow currents of air to pass freely
through them and the hive entrance, thus securing a perfect ventilation; the
flutings serve their purpose equally in this case.
The porch Chas fitted underneath it so as to connect it to the lower chamber
one or more reversible eccentric buttons" E which are pivoted to the outside
of the chamber by a screw passing through an eccentrically disposed hole e upon
which it is free to turn. The underside of the top of the porch rests upon these,
and by turning them the height of the porch may be adjusted to two, three, or
more positions; this will be understood with reference to Figs. 6 and 7.
Fig. 8 shews my hanging feeders G, any suitable number of which may be
suspended in a tin or other vessel H which occupies the interior of the body A
An opening K may be left at one end through which the bees can obtain access
to the feeders; or openings may be formed in the sides for the same purpose.
By placing a loose board instead of a frame or feeder upon one of the bodies when
in position, a solid floor is formed similar to that in use in the ordinary bar
framed bee-hive.
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 claim is:
1. A hee-live constructed substantially as shewn and described with reference
to the accompanying drawings.
2. A bee-hive having a porch and a lower chamber disposed below the hive
entrance, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.
3. A bee-hive having a porch, a lower chamber and a stand, constructed sub-
stantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

page_text: 4. A bee-hive consisting essentially of one or more bodies and cases, a lower
chamber, a porch, and a stand, substantially as described and shewn.
5. For use with a bee-hive, the loose self-fitting alighting board having part of
its upper surface corrugated and part slitted, substantially as described and shewn.
6. The hanging and sliding feeders suspended in the frames or bodies substan-
tially as described and shewn.
Dated this 6th day of October 1899.
WILLIAM J. MUNDEN,
75, Chancery Lane, Agent for Applicant.