Improvements in Bee-hives with Movable Frames.
Year: 1896

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bee-hives with Movable Frames.
I KAREL DE KESEL, of No. 526, Rue des Palais Brussels in the Kingdom of
Belgium Apiarist 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 consists in a novel method of construction of bee-hives the object
of which is to provide a bee-hive of simple and eronomical construction offering
for the wintering of the bees the same advantages in regard to conservation of
heat as the old bell or dome shaped hives and affording beside every facility for
rapid inspection of the frames and also for introduction or withdrawal of any one
frame without disturbance of the adjacent frames.
My said invention further admits of several swarms being easily housed in the
same hive by dividing it either in the direction of its height or in the direction of
its length which in addition to economy of construction presents the advantage
that two neighbouring swarms may be separated from each other merely by a
light partition of wire-gauze or other material thus permitting the bees of the two
swarms to cluster together in such a manner as to form for the winter a single
ball-shaped cluster divided only by the said partition.
In order that my invention may be well understood I will describe it with
reference to the accompanying drawings in which
Figure 1 is an isometric perspective view of a bee-hive constructed according to
my invention in which hive four or five swarms of bees may be housed.
Figure 2 is a plan view partly in section and a front elevation showing a portion
of the lower front wall of the hive with two frames in the position which they
occupy in the hive relatively to the said lower front wall and a frame adjacent to
the others and inclined laterally to permit of its inspection.
Figure 3 represents a separate frame in front and side elevations.
As will be seen in Figure 1, the bee-hive consists of a box A of rectangular
section having any desired length and resting diagonally on supports B of suitable
shape in such a manner that the part which is uppermost forms an angle similar to
the ridge of a roof. The box A is furnished with a lid C fitting closely enough
to cause the heat to accumulate in the upper angle of the box and to remain there
as in bell or dome shaped hives.
The frames D of the same section as the interior of the hive slide diagonally
into place along the lower front wall a and rest against the lower rear wall a¹.
The side d of the frame which slides on the wall a is furnished near each end
with a small projecting piece preferably a small round-headed screw e which is
but partly screwed into the frame and the frame may be rendered reversible by
fixing similar screws on the opposite side of the frame. The two other sides of
the frame are likewise furnished near each end with projecting pieces el which keep
them at a small distance from the wall a' and with a padded frame which is
Fituated between the lid and the tops of the frames D. This padded frame being
devoid of any special feature is not shown in the drawings. The said projecting
pieces e may be simply nails or screws or preferably small bowed or arched
pieces of wire as represented in the drawings. The frame carries on one of its
faces on the two sides adjacent to the top and at a slight distance therefrom
separators f which are designed to maintain a space between neighbouring frames.

page_text: These separators which may be of any suitable shape may be formed as represented
of a small metal plate bent in the middle and secured at both ends to the frame as
illustrated in Figure 3.
The lower rear wall a' of the hive is furnished near its top and bottom edges
with two rows of separators g placed at a distance from each other slightly greater
than the breadth or thickness of the frame and formed preferably of sunall arched
pieces of wire the breadth of which is determined by the distance which it is
desired to maintain between the frames. The lower front wall a of the hive is
made with a series of shallow grooves à extending to the bottom of the hive and
corresponding with the spaces between the arched separators g. These grooves
serve to guide the frames when they are slidden along the wall a for putting them
in place. As shown in Figure 2 the grooves à do not extend to the front of the
wall a where a plain portion i is preserved flush with the bottom of the said
grooves h. When the frames are put in place one of the screws e on the side d of
the frames rests in the groove near the bottom of the hive while the other rests on
the plain portion i of the wall a the effect being that the frames may be oscillated
or swung sideways, as shown in Figure 2 for inspecting them without necessity for
withdrawing them from the hive. 11 Figure 1 are apertures in the wall a for
passage of the bees and m is a movable partition which serves to keep the swarms
of bees separate when several are housed in one hive.
Space may be economized by substituting for the partition illustrated one
consisting of a frame made slightly larger than the others in order to prevent the
bees from passing over or under it or round its sides and split or made in two halves
which are afterwards nailed or otherwise secured together with a sheet of wire
gauze or a piece of thin board between them. After the two sides or faces of the
partition thus made have been covered with honeycombed wax it is slidden into the
hive in the same way as the frames.
For supporting the hive in the diagonal position any supports may be employed
such for example as X shaped trestles but for the purpose of facilitating transport
of the hives I prefer to employ a support like that illustrated in Figure I which fits
into staples secured on the sides of the hive. For removal of the hive from one
place to another these supports are withdrawn and replaced by bars furnished
with bandles or by long bars or poles like those of a hand barrow.
Although I have represented in the drawings a hive capable of accomodating
several swarms of bees it is obvious that the hive may be constructed for one
swarm only by merely reducing the length of the case while on the other hand,
twenty thirty or a greater number of swarms may be housed in a hive of suitable
length.
The construction of the hive may be further modified by extending the side
parts in the direction of the arrow in Figure 1 and dividing the interior of the
box A into two three or a greater number of superposed compartments by means of
one or several partitions arranged in planes parallel to that of the wall a each of)
which compartments may then be furnished with sliding frames and may also be
divided into separate compartments by vertical partitions.
. 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 I
claim :-
First. A bee-hive provided with movable frames of rectangular section resting.
diagonally on suitable supports and capable of being constructed to accommodate
any number of swarms of bees in which hive the frames which are slidden diagonally
downward are retained in place by separators which admit of the said frames being.
oscillated laterally upon the side resting on the lower rear wall of the hive each
of the frames being capable of being withdrawn from and returned to its place
without disturbing the neighbouring frames.
Secondly. In a lee-hive of rectangular section resting diagonally on supports
means for guiding the frames to their place and there maintaining them while

page_text: permitting them to be laterally oscillated consisting in making in the lower front
wall of the hive a series of shallow grooves extending from the bottom of the hive
to near the front of the said wall in securing near the bottom and near the top of
the lower rear wall of the hive two series of separators arranged in such a manner
as to correspond to the spaces between the said grooves and in fixing on the sides
of the frames screws pins or other projecting pieces as hereinbefore described and
for the purpose specified.
Thirdly. A bee-hive with movable frames of rectangular section resting
diagonally on suitable supports and divided in the direction of its height into
superposed compartments into which the frames are slidden diagonally downward
and retained in place by suitable separators substantially as hereinbefore
described.
Dated this Second day of November 1896.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant..