Improvements in Bee-hives.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Jan., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 21st Oct., 1890--Accepted, 22nd Nov., 1890
PROVISIONAL DIUITIATION
Improvements in Bee-hives.
1, JACKSON BARNARD WILCOX of 396, River Street, Manistee, in the County of
Manistee, and State of Michigan, United States of America, Dentist, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in beehives, and has for its object to provide
a means whereby a hive carrying movable comb frames and provided with a removable
bottom may be converted into an invertible hive in a simple and expeditious manner.
The hive is preferably rectangular.
It is provided with a cover and bottom both of which are detachable and upon the
inner face of two of its walls it has recesses forming a ledge upon which a comb
frame is supported. The comb frames are also preferably rectangular and consist of
a head piece and side pieces secured to the under face of the said head piece near
the ends thereof and united at their lower ends by a base strip. Each of the comb
frames may be provided with an adjustable knob for convenience in handling the same
and to avoid mashing bees between the hive and frame when removing the frame from
the hive, and to hold the frame in its proper position.
When the several comb frames have been placed into the recess, a spacing device
is introduced to extend from side to side of the hive transversely of the comb frames
over the top of the same. These spacing devices consist of a body bar or beam
recessed in its inner side to receive downwardly-projecting spacing arms which arms
are preferably recessed longitudinally upon their inner faces to ensure lightness in
construction and pointed at their lower ends to ensure their easy introduction between
the frames. The spacing arms are located upon the body bar a distance apart slightly
greater than the width of the upper portion of the comb frames and when the said
spacing devices are placed in position, one is located at each end of the said comb
frames contracting with the inner end wall of the hive and one arm projects down-
wards between the side walls of the hive and the opposed comb frame and also
between each of the intermediate comb frames. Thus each comb frame is held a
suitable and equal distance apart.
In order to rigidly secure these movable comb frames within the hive, I may employ
two or more fastening devices which may consist of set screws passed into each side
of the hive to a bearing upon the base wall of a recess produced centrally in the
extremity of each bar or the end surfaces of said bars may be bevelled. By this means,
the spacing device is made to bear firmly upon the frames and cause the latter to be
firmly seated in their recesses.
Another method of securing the spacing devices and comb frames rigidly within
the hive consists in securing an eye upon the upper surface of each bar at or near
its centre there being opposite each of the said eyes an aperture in the end of the
hive. A wedge block, preferably cylindrical, enlarged at its inner end and more or
less oval in general contour, is employed in connection with the eye the larger or
inner end of the said wedge block being inserted in the eye and the smaller or outer
end made to pass through the aperture in the hive. By turning the block, owing
to its oblong shape, it secures the frame holders securely in position. The block may
be turned with the fingers, by forceps, or any suitable pliers.
It will thus be observed, that, if it is necessary to invert the hive, although the
comb frames are readily removable they are held firmly in position and properly
spaced and are not in the least disturbed when this operation is performed. By reason
of the detachable bottom of the hive, access may readily be had to the comb

page_text: frames. Either a single tier of comb frames or any suitable number of tiers may be
employed.
Dated this 21st day of January 1890.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bee-hives.
I, JACKSON BARNARD WILCOX, of 396, River Street, Manistee, in the County of
Manistee, and State of Michigan, United States of America, Dentist, 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:-
My invention relates to improvements in bee-bives and has for its object to provide
a means whereby a hive carrying movable comb frames and provided with a removable
bottom may be converted into an invertible hive in a simple and expeditious
manner.
The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several
parts, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth and pointed out in the claims.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this
Specification, in which
Figure 1 is a plan view of a hive with the cover removed and having a removable
bottom, illustrating my improvements as applied thereto and the comb frames as held
in position by thumb or set screws entering the sides of the hive.
Figure 2 is a vertical section taken between two opposed comb frames, illustrating
a modified form of retaining the said frames in position within the hive, and
Figure 3 is a vertical section, taken at a right angle to the section illustrated in
Figure 2.
Similar letters and figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the
views.
In carrying out the invention, the hive 10 may be made of any desired contour,
preferably, however, rectangular, being provided with a removable cover 11 and a
detachable bottom 12. In the inner face of two opposed walls of the hive body, a
suitable distance from the top and bottom, a recess 13 is produced, upon one end
wall of each of which recesses the ends of a comb frame 14 are supported when said
frames are introduced into the hive. The comb frames 14 are preferably rectangular,
consisting of a head piece A and side pieces A³ secured to the under face of the said
head piece near the ends thereof and united at their lower ends by a base strip A², as best
illustrated in Figure 2. Each of the comb frames may be, if found desirable, and
preferably are, provided with an adjustable knob 15 for convenience in handling the
same and to avoid mashing bees between the hive and frame when removing the frame
from the hive and to hold the frame in its proper position.
When the several comb frames have been introduced into the recess 13 to bear,
for instance, upon the base wall, as shewn in Figure 2, a spacing device B is introduced,
to extend from side to side of the hive transversely of the comb frames over the top of
the same, as illustrated in Figure 1. These spacing devices consist of a body bar or
beam 16 recessed in its inner side to receive downwardly-projecting spacing arms 17,
as illustrated in Figure 3, which arms are preferably recessed longitudinally upon their
inner faces, to ensure lightness in construction, and pointed at their lower ends, to
ensure their easy introduction between the frames. The spacing arms are located
upon the body bar a distance apart slightly greater than the width of the upper portion
of the comb frames and when the said spacing devices are placed in position one is
located at each end of the said comb frames contacting with the inner end wall of the
hive and one arm 17 projects downwards between the side walls of the hive and the

page_text: opposed comb frame and also between each of the intermediate comb frames, as is also
best illustrated in Figure 3. Thus each comb frame is held a suitable and equal
distance apart.
In order to rigidly secure these movable comb frames within the hive, I may employ
two or more fastening devices, two forms of which I have illustrated in the drawing.
The preferred form of fastening device is shewn at the right in Figure 1, and also in
Figure 3, and consists in passing set screws 18 into each side of the hive to a bearing
upon the base wall of a recess 19 produced centrally in the extremity of each bar 16
or the end surfaces of said bars may be bevelled, as shewn at 20 in Figure 3. By this
means the spacing device is made to bear firmly upon the frames and cause the latter
to be firmly seated in their recesses 13. Another method of securing the spacing
devices and comb frames rigidly within the hive, consists in securing upon the upper
surface of each bar 16, at or near its centre, an eye 21, as illustrated at the left in
Figures 1 and 2, and opposite each of the said eyes an aperture is produced in the end
of the hive. A preferably cylindrical wedge block 22, enlarged at its inner end and
more or less oval in general contour, is employed in connection with the eye 21, the
larger or inner end of the said wedge block being inserted in the eye and the smaller
or outer end made to pass through the aperture in the hive. By turning the block,
owing to its oblong shape, it secures the frame holders securely in position. The block
may be turned with the fingers, by forceps, or any suitable pliers. It will thus be
observed that if it is necessary to invert the hive, although the comb frames are readily
removable they are held firmly in position and properly spaced and are not in the
least disturbed when this operation is performed, by reason of the detachable bottom
of the hive, access may readily be had to the comb frames.
I desire it to be understood that although I have illustrated the hive as containing
but one tier of comb frames two or more tiers may be introduced if deemed
advisable or desirable and that the blocks 22 may be made of any suitable
material.
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
1. In a beehive, the combination; with a hive having a removable lid and bottom,
of a series of comb frames detachably supported in the said hive, a spacing device
consisting of a body bar and downwardly-projecting spaced arms adapted to be
introduced between the several comb frames and a transversely extending fastening
rigidly securing the body bar to the body of the hive, whereby the hive may be
inverted and its bottom removed without disarranging the frames, substantially as
set forth.
2. In a beehive, the combination, with a body provided with a removable lid and
bottom and a recess in the inner face of each of its opposed ends or sides, of a series
of comb frames, spacing devices extending transversely of the several frames and
entering the said frame recesses comprising a body bar contacting with the upper
surface of the said frames and arms downwardly projected from the said body bar
between the several frames and a lock introduced through the hive bearing upon said
spacing devices, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
3. In a beehive, the combination, with a body provided with a removable lid and
bottom and a recess in the inner face of each of its sides and a series of comb frames
entered in the said recesses, of a spacing device extending transversely across the
several comb frames comprising a body bar contacting with the upper face of the
said comb frames at or near their ends and arms projected from the under face of
the said body bar between the sides or ends of the body of the hive and the opposed
comb frames and also between the intermediate comb frames and a set or thumb screw
bassing through the hive and bearing upon the said body bar, all combined for operation
ubstantially as shewn and described.
4. In a beebive, the combination, with the hive, of a series of comb frames
upported therein, spacing devices contacting with, and bearing upon, the said comb

page_text: frames comprising a body bar and arms perpendicularly projected downward between
the several comb frames, and a set or thumb screw passing through the hive and
bearing upon the body bar, substantially as shewn and described, whereby the hive
may be inverted when desired and the comb frames be rigidly held within the said
hive yet rendered capable of being removed on occasion, substantially as and for the
purpose specified.
Lotod
ALANUT LAMU
Llorod the SIN
J. B. WILCOX.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.