New or Improved Self-hiving Appliance for Use in connection with Bee Hives.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd June, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 9th Feb., 1895-Accepted, 13th Apr., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
New or Improved Self-hiving Appliance for Use in connection with
Bee Hives.
I, GEORGE WILLIAM HOLE, of Patcham, Brighton, in the County of Sussex,
Grocer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Hitherto it has been necessary when a swarm of bees leaves a hive, to follow
them until the queen bee alights and the whole of the swarm has collected round
her when the swarm may be shaken into an inverted box or hive or otherwise
captured.
Now the object of my invention is an appliance wherewith the queen bee may be
conducted from the hive a swarm is leaving, into a second hive prepared for its
reception the whole being so arranged as to prevent as far as possible the queen bee
returning or escaping from this second hive."
For the purposes of my invention I provide a platform or table of wood or other
suitable material and upon this, over a central opening therein, I place the hive
intended for the reception of the swarm and the usual entrance to which is covered
with queen excluder zinc.
+
Extending from the opening in the platform or table, which table is provided
with suitable legs for supporting it in position, is a curved passage of any suitable
size and shape and constructed partly of queen excluder zinc and partly of wood or
other suitable material. The lower end of this passage is intended to fit over the
entrance to the hive occupied by the bees so that these can only leave said hive
through the perforated portion of the passage.
Near the lower end of this passage a narrow opening is formed through which
the bees may enter the passage, from a projecting ledge on which they alight, by
displacing one of a row of plates so hinged that they open only in the direction to
admit of the entrance of the bees.
A similar row of hinged plates are provided at the upper end of the passage and
are arranged that they can only be displaced by bees travelling through the passage
into the hive of the platform or table.
It will thus be seen that when the queen bee leaves the hive over the entrance to
which the lower end of the passage is placed she can only escape through said
passage into the second hive on the platform or table, and when she has entered
this she cannot again pass into the passage by reason of the row of hinged plates
near the upper end thereof nor escape from said hive owing to the ordinary
entrance thereto being covered with queen excluder zinc.
Dated this 2nd day of June 1894.
66
CASTLE SMITH,
Invention" Office, 54, Fleet Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: New or Improved Self-hiving Appliance for Use in connection with.
Bee Hives.
I, GEORGE WILLIAM HOLE, of Patcham, Brighton, in the County of Sussex,.
Grocer, 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:-
Hitherto it has been necessary when a swarm of bees leaves a hive, to follow
them until the queen bee alights and the whole of the swarm has collected round
her when the swarm may be shaken into an inverted box or hive or otherwise
captured.
Now the object of my invention is an appliance wherewith the queen bee
may be conducted from the hive a swarm is leaving, into a second hive or receptacle
prepared for its reception the whole being so arranged as to prevent as far as
possible the queen bee returning or escaping from this second hive or receptacle.
For the purposes of my invention I provide a platform or table of wood or
other suitable material and upon this I place the hive intended for the reception
of the swarm and the usual entrance to which is covered with queen excluder
zinc.
Extending from the opening in the platform or table, which table is provided
with suitable legs for supporting it in position, is a curved passage of any
suitable size and shape and constructed partly of queen excluder zinc and
partly of wood or other suitable material. The lower end of this passage is
intended to fit over or into the entrance to the hive occupied by the bees, so
that these can only leave said hive through the perforated portion of the
passage.
Near the lower end of this passage a narrow opening is formed through which
the bees may enter the passage, from a projecting ledge on which they alight, by
displacing one of a row of plates so hinged that they open only in the direction to
admit of the entrance of the bees.
A similar row of hinged plates are provided near the upper end of the passage
and are arranged that they can only be displaced by bees travelling through the
passage into the hive on the platform or table.
It will thus be seen that when the queen bee leaves the hive, over the entrance
to which the lower end of the passage is placed, she can only escape through said
passage into the second hive on the platform or table and when she has entered
this she cannot again pass into the passage by reason of the row of hinged plates
near the upper end thereof nor escape from said hive owing to the ordinary entrance
thereto being covered with queen excluder zinc.
And in order that this invention may be more fully understood and carried into
practice I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying
drawings of which Fig. 1 is a front elevation partly in section, and Fig. 2 a side
sectional elevation on line - Fig. 1 of a self-hiving appliance constructed
according to my invention.
This device consists of a passage A. constructed partly of queen excluder zinc a
and partly of wood, metal or other suitable material b.
The lower end of this passage is shaped so that it will fit into or over the
entrance to the hive in connection with which the appliance is to be used, whilst its
upper end is connected to and opens through a table or tray B the bottom of which
is constructed of queen excluder zinc.
On this tray the hive or other receptacle C in which the swarm is to be
temporarily or permanently hived is placed and the whole supported on legs D or
their equivalents.

page_text: Near the lower end of the passage A an opening is made through which the bees
as they return may pass from an alighting board E into the passage and so into
the hive by raising one of a row of hinged flaps C so arranged that they can only
be raised from the outside.
At the upper end of the passage a second row c² of such flaps are provided
and these are so arranged that they can only be raised by bees travelling
upwards.
With such an arrangement the queen bee, upon leaving the hive over the
entrance to which the lower end of the passage is fitted, passes up said passage
into the hive or receptacle C placed upon the tray B and from this she cannot
return by reason of the flaps c¹ or escape as the entrance to said hive is covered
with excluder zinc, the bees may however enter and leave both hives without
hindrance.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
(1.) A self-hiving appliance for bees consisting of a passage A provided with
hinged flaps c c a tray B and hive, or its equivalent C constructed and arranged
substantially as described.
(2.) In self-hiving appliances for bees hinged flaps governing openings therein
and arranged so that they open inwardly substantially as and for the purpose
described.
(3.) In self-hiving appliances for bees hinged flaps arranged to prevent the
return of the queen bee after having passed them substantially as described.
0.3 1
100%
CASTLE SMITH,
"Invention" Office, 54, Fleet Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.