Improvement in the Manufacture of Sheets of Wax for Making Comb Foundation for Bee-hives.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Mar., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 18th Dec., 1896-Accepted, 13th Mar., 1897
Communicated from abroad by EDWARD D. WEED, a citizen of
States, residing at Medina, in the County of Medina, State Ohio.]
Improvement in the Manufacture of Sheets of Wax for Making
Comb Foundation for Bee-hives.
JOHN HENRY HOWARD Bee Appliance Manufacturer, of Holme in the County
of Hunts and near Peterborough, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
The invention relates, to the sheets of wax from which, what is known among
beekeepers as comb foundation is made, & the art of making such sheets, & to
machines for use in the said art.
By all the methods heretofore practiced in the art of making honey-comb
foundation, & by the meaus used heretofore in the said art, the sheets of wax &
the honey-comb foundation, inade thereby, are brittle, granular, opaque, & of a
dull or lusterless appearance.
The objects of my invention are these.
First. A sheeted wax that is pliable under all conditions, that is free from
granulations, that is transparent, & which has a brilliant lustre. Second. Improve-
ment in the art of making sheeted wax. Third. A simple & effective machine, for
practicing the said art.
My invention consists, first, in a sheeted wax, that is pliable & transparent,
second in the production of sheeted wax, by means of pressure, applied to the
wax, from which such sheets are made, when the wax is in a pliable state & third,
in the construction & combination of parts of the machine, hereinafter described,
for use in the art of making the said sheets.
In the accompanying drawing,
Fig. 1. is a vertical cross section of the machine embodying my invention, in
means that may be used in practicing the art hereinafter described.
Fig. 2. is a section taken on a horizontal plane through the axis of the roller.
My discovery & invention in the art of making sheet wax, consists in reducing
the material, to a condition of plasticity & then subjecting the same to a high
pressure.
In the practice of my improvement, in the art of making sheet wax, the
preferred method, consists in heating wax, or other suitable material to melting
point, & reducing such wax, or material, to a liquid state, then cooling it to
become plastic, then subjecting the same to a high pressure. The same thing can
be accomplished, by taking cold material, in the solid state, & warming it, to the
requisite degree of plasticity, then subjecting it to a high pressure.
Sheet wax made by this process, is a product. materially different, from anything
heretofore known as made.
This product, is pliant, under all conditions of temperature, not grauular, is
trausparent & brilliant in appearance, & will not become dry & hard.
I will now describe the means best adapted to use in the art, herein before
described for making sheeted wax.
1. (Fig. 2) is a rectangular open frame which constitutes the bed of the machine,
at the front side of which is an upward extension 1 (Fig. 1), which when continued
as 1 over hangs the hollow roller 2. (Figs. 1 & 2) & fits closely, on the flanges 2*

page_text: & 2 (Fig. 2) of the roller & acts, as a retaining plate, to keep the wax carried by
the roller, from being forced therefrom, before reaching the pressure chamber.
The pressure chamber, 1b (Fig. 1) consists of a rectangular opening, through
the front 1.& 1° (Fig. 1.) of the frame.
Below the pressure chamber, to the inner side of the front, of the frame, is a
scraper 3. the upper edge of which bears against the face of the roller 2. between
the flanges shewn 2ª & 2 (Fig. 2) & forms a guide to deflect the wax from the
face of the roller, to the pressure chamber.
To the front of the frame, are attached two die plates 4 & 4* (Fig. 1) separated
to form a slot as 4° which serves as an outlet from the pressure chamber. The
slot formed by the die plates is of a width equal to the thickness, of the sheets of
wax, it is desired to make.
To adapt the machine, to making sheets of various thicknesses, the upper die, is
made adjustable, to & from the other, by means of adjusting screws, & hand
.wheels 5. & 6, at each end of the dieplate 4. which pass through the flange or
lug 1. Hand wheels 6 serve to turn the adjusting screw.
Under the back side of the frame 1. is a scraper 7. regulating the amount of
wax, which is carried from the pan by the roller.
The ends of the scraper 7. rest against the annular flanges 2 & 2° (Fig. 2)
leaving a space the depth of the said flanges, between the edge of the said scraper
& roller.
The roller 2. (Fig. 2) is rotated by a shaft 8. which rotates in bearings 9 & 9ª
above the ends of the bed plate. The above shaft has bores 8" & 8b axially
thereof from the ends, to two points, within the hollow roller 2. which bores open
into the roller, through cross bores 8° & 8°.
The ends of the shaft 8. are connected by any suitable means, (not shewn) with
pipes, whereby a current of cold water, is carried continuously into & out, of the
hollow roller, to keep it cool.
The shaft & the roller are driven by the pulley 10. fixed on the shaft.
A metal pan 11. (Fig. 1.) is attached to the underside of the frame 1. (Fig. 2) in
which the wax is melted. Wax placed in the pan is kept in a molten state, by
means of heating pipes 12. (Fig. 1.).
The pan is made with outer & inner walls, with the pipes between the walls of the
double bottom of the pan.
The operation of the machine is as follows.
The wax is kept beated, by means of the heating pipes, that are coiled in the
bottom of the. wax pan, & the roller is driven by means of a belt on the driving
pulley. The pan is kept filled with wax, to a height which will partly submerge
the roller. The roller is kept cool, by passing cold water through as afore
described.
The heated wax adheres, to the face of the roller, & is cooled thereon, to a plastic
state. The amount of wax adhering thereto being gauged by the scraper below
the back side of the bed which limits the amount of wax, carried by the roller,
adhering to the face of same, between its end flanges. The wax that passes the
said scraper, is carried by the roller, around & under the overhanging projection 1°
(Fig. 1). The scraper 3. attached to the inside of the front frame, diverts the wax
into the chamber 16. After such chamber, shall have become filled, the wax or
material therein, will be subjected to a high pressure, & as additional wax is
carried to the said chamber 15 the wax therein will be forced out, through the slot
formed by the dies 4 & 4* attached to the front of the frame.
As the wax is forced through the said slot, it comes out, in a smooth sheet of
even thickness: Comb-foundation is sheet wax favosed, or honey combed by suitable
dies. As favosing of the sheets of wax forms no part of the present invention, the
means by which it is done is not described.
Dated this 19th day of March 1906

page_text: Improvement in the Manufacture of Sheets of Wax for Making
Comb Foundation for Bee Hives.
I, JOHN HENRY HOWARD, Bee Appliance Manufacturer of Holme, in the
County of Huntingdo, near Peterborough, 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 :-
The invention relates to the sheets cf wax, from which is made, what is known,
among tee-keepers, as comb foundation; and the art of making such sheets; and
to n.achines for use in the said art.
By all the methods heretofore practised in the art of making honey-comb
foundation, and by the means heretofore used in the said art, the sheets of wax
aud the honey-comb foundation made thereby are brittle, granular, opaque, and of
a dull or lustre-less appearance.
The objects of my invention are these:-1st. A sheeted wax that is pliable under
all conditions; that is free of granulations; that is transparent, and that has a
brilliant lustre.
2nd. Improvement in the art of making sheet wax; and 3rd, a simple and
effective machine for practising the said art.
My invention consists, first, in a sheeted wax, that is pliable and transparent;
second, in the production of sheeted wax, by means of pressure applied to the
wax from which sheets are made when the wax is in a pliable state; and third, in
the construction and combination of parts of the machine hereinafter described for
use in the art of making the said sheets.
In the drawing,
Fig. 1, is a vertical cross-section of the machine, embodying the invention in
means that may be used in practising the art herein described.
Fig. 2 is a section taken on a horizontal plane through the axis of the roller.
My discovery and invention in the art of making sheet wax, consists in reducing
the material to a condition of plasticity, and then subjecting the same to a high
pressure. In the practice of my improvement in the art of making sheet wax,
the preferred method consists in heating beeswax or other suitable material to a
temperature of about 150 degrees Fahrenheit, at which temperature, the material
is reduced to a liquid state, and then cooling the same to such an extent that it
becomes plastic, and then subjecting the same to a high pressure. The same thing
can be accomplished by taking cold material in the solid state, and warming it to
the requisite degree of plasticity, and then subjecting it to a high pressure.
Sheet wax, made by this process is a product materially different from anything
heretofore known as such. This product is pliant under all conditions not granular,
is transparent, and brilliant in appearance, and will not become dry and hard.
I will now describe the means which I consider the best adapted to use in the
art herein before described for making my new and improved sheet wax. (N.B.-
Drawings as left with Provisional.)
1. is a rectangular open frame, which constitutes the bed of the machine; at the
front side of which is an upward extension, 1 that overhangs the hollow roller 2
and fits closely on the flanges 2" and 2b of the roller (Fig. 2) and acts as a retaining-
plate to keep wax carried by the roller from being forced therefrom before reaching
the pressure-chamber. The pressure-chamber 1Fig. 1.) consists of a rectangular
opening through the front (1) of the frame. Below the pressure-chamber, to the
inner side of the front of the frame is a scraper, 3, the upper edge of which bears
against the face of the roller 2 between the flanges 2 and 2 (Fig. 2) and forms a
guide to deflect the wax from the face of the roller to the pressure-chamber. To

page_text: the front of the frame are attached two die-plates 4 and 4°, separated to form a
slot, 4 that serves as an outlet from the pressure-chamber.
The slot formed by the die-plates is of a width equal to the thickness of the
sheets of wax that it is desired to make. To adopt the machine to making sheets
of, various thicknesses, the upper die is made adjustable to, and from the other by
means of adjusting screws, 5, at each end of the die-plate 4, that pass through the
flange or lug 1. Hand wheels, 6, serve to turn the adjusting screws. Under the
back side of the frame is a scraper, 7; that regulates the amount of wax which is
carried from the pan by the roller. The ends of the scraper, 7, rest against the
annular flanges 2 and 2 (Fig. 2) leaving a space the depth of the said flanges
between the edge of the said seraper and the roller.
The roller 2 is rotated by a shaft 8, that rotates in the journal-boxes, 9 and 9
(Fig. 2) above the ends of the bed-plate. The said shaft has bores, 8 and 80
axially thereof from the ends to a point within the hollow roller 2 which bores
open into the roller through the cross-bores 8° and 8d (Fig. 2). The ends of the
shaft 8 are connected by any suitable means (not shown) with pipes whereby a
current of cold water is carried continuously into, and out of the hollow roller to
keep it cool. The shaft and roller are driven by the pulley 10 (Fig. 2) fixed on
the shaft.
A metal pan 11, is attached to the under side of the frame 1, in which the wax
is melted. Wax, placed in the pan is melted, and kept in a molten state by means
of heating-pipes, 12, or otherwise.
The pan is illustrated as made with outer and inner walls, with the pipe between
the walls of the bottom of the pan.
The operation of my machine is as follows:-The wax in the pan is kept heated
by means of the heating-pipes that are coiled in the bottom of the waxpan, and the
roller is driven by means of a belt on the driving-pulley fixed to the shaft of the
roller. The pan is kept filled with wax to a height which will partially submerge
the roller.
The roller is kept cool by passing cold water therethrough, as described. The
beated wax adheres to the face of the roller, and is cooled thereon to a plastic
state, the amount of wax adhering thereto being gauged by the scraper below the
back side of the bed, which limits the amount of wax carried by the roller,
adhering to the face of the same, between its end flanges. The wax that passes
the said scraper is carried by the roller around under the overhanging projection
of the frame; and the scraper attached on the inside of the front of the frame,
diverts the wax into the chamber formed by the opening through the front elevation
of the frame.
After such chamber shall have become filled, the wax therein will be subjected
to a high pressure; and, as additional wax is carried to the said chamber, the wax
therein will be forced out through the slot formed by the dies attached to the front
of the frame.
As the wax is forced through the said slot, it comes out in a smooth sheet of
even thickness.
Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, & in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is.
1. The herein described process of making sheet wax consisting of first, making
the wax plastic, second in subjecting the plastic wax to pressure and third, in
forming the wax into sheets, substantially as described.
2. The herein described improvement in the art of making wax sheets, consisting
in making the wax plastic & subjecting the plastic wax to pressure, substantially as
described.
3. The herein described improvement in the art of making sheet wax, consisting
in forcing the wax, while in a plastic state, through an opening between dies,
substantially as described.

page_text: 4. The herein described improvement in the art of making sheet wax, consisting
in making the wax plastic, then forcing it by pressure between the walls of an
opening, whereby the wax is made highly cohesive, substantially as described.
5. A machine for making sheet wax, consisting of a pan, a roller adapted to be
partially submerged in wax in the pan, a scraper to regulate the amount of wax
carried by the roller from the pan; a chamber into which the wax is diverted from.
the roller, and an opening from the chamber through which the wax is forced out
of the chamber, substantially as described.
6. A machine for making sheet wax, consisting of a roller adapted to be partially
submerged in wax in the pan, a scraper to regulate the amount of wax carried.
from the pan by the roller, a chamber into which wax is diverted from the roller,.
a guide to divert wax from the roller into the chamber, and an opening through.
which wax is forced from the chamber, substantially as described.
7. The combination, in a machine for making sheet-wax, of a roller, a chamber
in front of the roller, a scraper for diverting wax from the roller into the chamber,.
a retaining-plate above the chamber, and an outlet from the chamber substantially
as described.
8. In a machine for making sheet wax, the combination of a pan, a hollow roller
adapted to be partially submerged in wax in the pan; connections to the roller
whereby a current of water may be caused to flow through the roller, a chamber
into which wax may be diverted from the face of the roller; said chamber being
provided with an opening through which wax may be forced from the chamber,.
substantially as described.
9. In a machine for making sheet wax, the combination of a pan, means for
heating the pan, a hollow roller adapted to be partially submerged in wax in the
pan, connections to the roller whereby a current of water may be caused to flow
through the roller, and a chamber into which wax is diverted from the roller,.
substantially as described.
10. In a machine for making sheet wax, the combination of a frame, a roller, a
pan below the rolier, means for keeping wax warm in the pan, and a slotted
opening through the frame, through which wax is forced from the roller,..
substantially as described.
11. In a machine for making sheet wax, a chamber, an outlet from the chamber,.
means for adjusting the size of said outlet, and means, for subjecting wax in the
chamber to pressure, and forcing wax through the outlet, substantially as.
described.
Dated this 17th day of December 1806.
JOHN HENRY HOWARD...