An Improvement in Comb Foundations for Beehives.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Apr., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 12th Jan., 1894-Accepted, 17th Feb., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Comb Foundations for Beehives.
I STEPHEN WALTER ABBOTT, of Southall in the County of Middlesex
Beehive and Appliance Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the manufacture of honey comb foundations for beehives.
Heretofore such foundations have been made of uniform substance and strength
throughout but as the strain upon the comb foundation due to the weight of the
honey and becs is greatest upon the upper part of the foundation which is held in
the top of the comb frame it follows that the remainder of the foundation has been
made of a substance and strength in excess of what is necessary for the purpose.
The invention has for its object to effect an economy in wax and consequently in
the cost of manufacture, and it consists in making the foundation of gradually
diminishing thickness from the top downwards so as to approximately proportion
the thickness of each part of the foundation to the stress which it will have to
support when loaded. These improved graduated foundations may be rolled or
otherwise impressed or moulded in the usual manner by the employment of
impression or moulding appliances, suitably formed to produce the desired graduated
effect.
Dated this 19th day of April 1893
S. W. ABBOTT,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Comb Foundations for Beehives.
I, STEPHEN WALTER ABBOTT of Southall, in the County of Middlesex,
Beehive and Appliance Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion 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 the manufacture of honeycomb foundations which are
to be suspended in beehives for the building up thereon and filling of a honeycomb.
Heretofore such foundations have been made of uniform thickness and strength
throughout but as the strain upon the comb foundation, due to the weight of the
honey and bees, is greatest upon the upper part of the foundation which is held in
the top of the comb frame, it follows that the thickness necessary for the upper
part of the foundation is in excess of what is necessary for the remainder.
The invention has for its object to effect an economy in wax and consequently in
the cost of manufacture, and it consists in making the foundation of gradually
diminishing thickness from the top downwards so as to approximately proportion
the thickness of each part of the foundation to the stress which it will have to
support when loaded.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this
Specification, wherein I have illustrated in perspective, and on a magnified scale,
a portion of a comb foundation made in accordance with my invention.

page_text: .
a is the central web or sheet of wax upon the surfaces of which are formed in
hexagonal order the ribs which are utilized by the bees in building up the walls
of the cells. The thickness of the web a at the upper edge where it is clamped
between the bars of the comb holding frame should be two or more times that of
the thickness of the web at the bottom edge, the thickness being graduated
from top to bottom of the sheet. I find that a thickness of the web or sheet a
of ths of an inch at the upper edge and of a little over 4th of an inch at the
lower edge to answer well in practice.
It is to be understood that it is the central web a which is thus varied in
thickness, the ribs being uniform or not.
The most convenient way of making these comb foundations is by rolling a sheet
of wax between a pair of rollers having their surfaces grooved in counterpart of
the ribs b, the bearings of one or both of these rollers being movable in guides
under the operation of springs and of a cam so as to gradually vary the distance
between the rollers whilst rolling the comb foundation and thus produce the desired
variation of thickness.
The sheet of wax is of a width corresponding to that of the comb foundation and
may be of a length or substance sufficient for two or more foundations which are
joined together by the thin edge of one to the thick edge of the next, if a snail-
shaped cam is used, or by their thick or thin edges alternately, if a cam giving a
uniform motion of the rollers towards and away from each other is used.
Or, instead of rolling, the foundation may be cast in a mould suitably formed to
produce the desired graduated effect.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
The manufacture of comb-foundations for beehives, of variable thickness by
graduating or tapering the thickness of the central web of the foundation from the
upper to the lower edge, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 12th day of January 1094.
ated GHS 1 day of January 1094.
S. W. ABBOTT,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.