GB2023395A

GB2023395A - Improvements in beehives

Info

Publication number: GB2023395A
Application number: GB7827312A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Green A E A
Current assignee: Green A E A
Priority date: 1978-06-19
Filing date: 1978-06-19
Publication date: 1980-01-03
Also published as: GB2023395B

Abstract

In a beehive the upper and lower surfaces of the sections 19 in which the honeycombs are formed are normally exposed to contamination with beeswax. According to the invention the surfaces are each protected by a removable panel 17 which is apertured at 18 to correspond with apertures 22 between the sections which permit bees to gain access to the interiors of the sections. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in beehives This invention relates to beehives and particularly to preventing outer surfaces of the sections, that is the square wooden frames in which bees build their honeycombs, from becoming fouled with beeswax.

In a conventional hive the sections are held in section holders, which are square wooden frames normally having an external dimension of 181/8" (46 cm) and which are received, one above the other in an upper portion of the hive. The sections are arranged on their sides in the section holder in four rows, each row having the form of a hollow tunnel, the two outer rows being supported each by a bead projecting from the lower edge of the adjacent side of the section and the two inner rows being supported by a central slat running parallel to the beads.

To enable the bees to have access to the sections when arranged in the rows, a medial marginal portion is cut away from each lateral edge of each of the four constituent side walls, so that each neighbouring pair of sections forming a tunnel presents four sausageshaped apertures, one on each face of the tunnel.

When the sections are in the holder the vertical outer faces of each section are flat against a vertical face of another section or a side wail of the holder and therefore protected against the deposit of wax.

However the horizontal under-face of each section is exposed, as is the top face, unless the holder is the top one of the hive in which case the upper faces will probably be covered by a board. It is usual to remove the wax deposits from the exposed faces of the sections by sandpapering which is a time-consuming taskwhich is tedious forthe amateur and uneconomic for the professional.

According to the present invention there is provided a protective panel for positioning against an exposed surface of a wall of a tunnel formed from a number of sections (as herein defined) in order to prevent the deposition of wax thereon, the wall having apertures formed by relieved lateral edge portions of the section walls to allow bees to enterthe sections, and the panel being provided with corresponding apertures. Clearly the apertures in the panel should not extend beyond the boundaries of the corresponding apertures between the section walls but they may have a smaller area: it is preferred however that the apertures between the sections and those in the panel should be in register.

A panel for use with the most common form of conventional hive will have an array of sausageshaped apertures, each 3" (7.6 cm) long and W" (1.27 cm) wide and spaced at 2" (5.1 cm) centres. When it is to be used with a conventional section holder the panel may be so dimensioned so as simply to rest on the beads and central slat but it may be detachably or permanently secured to the base of the holder by any convenient means such as by being slid into groves formed in the walls of the section holder or by screws.

The panel may be formed of, for example, hardboard, plywood or plastics material.

A similar panel is placed over the upper faces of the sections in each holder but when the holder is the uppermost of the hive and the bees do not have to gain access to a superior holder, the panel may be unapertured.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, the single figure of which is a perspective view from above, with parts broken away and removed, showing a section holder incorporating a panel according to the present invention.

The drawing shows a conventional section holder 10 having four side walls 11, 12, 13 and 14, the opposite pair of walls 11 and 13 each having a bead, only one of which, the bead 15 is visible in the drawing, running along the lower inner edge thereof and the opposite pair of walls 12 and 14 being connected by a central slat 16. The beads 15 and slat 16 support a square plywood protective base panel 17 having a lateral dimension of lug/8" (41.6 cm) and four rows of sausage-shaped slots 18 cut therein, the slots being 3" (7.6 cm) long and " (1.27 cm) wide. Above each row of slots there rests a row of sections 19; each section 19 is formed of four side panels 20, each of an external side length of 4'/4" (10.8 cm).

Both lateral edges of the panels 20 are relieved as at 21, so that each pair of adjacent sections 19 in a row defines on each side a sausageshaped aperture 22.

Each of the apertures 22 formed by those panels 20 which are resting on the base panel 17 is in register with a slot 18, thus enabling the bees to gain access to the interior of the sections 22 there to build their honeycombs.

The outer faces of the bottom panels 20 are thus protected against the deposition of wax by the bees: the outer faces of the upper panels 20 are protected by a protective cover panel 17' laid thereover and which is identical to the base panel 17. By virtue of the slots 22' therein the bees may gain access to sections in superior section holders.

1. A protective panel or sheet for use in a beehive and for positioning against an exposed surface of a wall of a tunnel formed from a number of sections or frames provided for the reception of honeycombs in order to prevent the deposition of wax thereon, the wall having apertures formed by relieved lateral edge portions of the section walls to allow bees to enter the sections, and the panel being provided with corresponding apertures.

2. A panel as claimed in Claim 1, in which the apertures in the panel are in register with the corresponding apertures defined by the section walls.

3. A panel as claimed in Claim 1 or 2 and having an array of sausage-shaped apertures.

4. A panel as claimed in any preceding claim and formed of hardboard, plywood or plastics material.

5. A panel as claimed in Claim 1 and substantially as herein described.

6. A protective panel for use in a beehive and substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

7. Asection-holderfora beehive comprising a side wall member or members and a base formed of panels as claimed in any preceding claim.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Improvements in beehives This invention relates to beehives and particularly to preventing outer surfaces of the sections, that is the square wooden frames in which bees build their honeycombs, from becoming fouled with beeswax. In a conventional hive the sections are held in section holders, which are square wooden frames normally having an external dimension of 181/8" (46 cm) and which are received, one above the other in an upper portion of the hive. The sections are arranged on their sides in the section holder in four rows, each row having the form of a hollow tunnel, the two outer rows being supported each by a bead projecting from the lower edge of the adjacent side of the section and the two inner rows being supported by a central slat running parallel to the beads. To enable the bees to have access to the sections when arranged in the rows, a medial marginal portion is cut away from each lateral edge of each of the four constituent side walls, so that each neighbouring pair of sections forming a tunnel presents four sausageshaped apertures, one on each face of the tunnel. When the sections are in the holder the vertical outer faces of each section are flat against a vertical face of another section or a side wail of the holder and therefore protected against the deposit of wax. However the horizontal under-face of each section is exposed, as is the top face, unless the holder is the top one of the hive in which case the upper faces will probably be covered by a board. It is usual to remove the wax deposits from the exposed faces of the sections by sandpapering which is a time-consuming taskwhich is tedious forthe amateur and uneconomic for the professional. According to the present invention there is provided a protective panel for positioning against an exposed surface of a wall of a tunnel formed from a number of sections (as herein defined) in order to prevent the deposition of wax thereon, the wall having apertures formed by relieved lateral edge portions of the section walls to allow bees to enterthe sections, and the panel being provided with corresponding apertures. Clearly the apertures in the panel should not extend beyond the boundaries of the corresponding apertures between the section walls but they may have a smaller area: it is preferred however that the apertures between the sections and those in the panel should be in register. A panel for use with the most common form of conventional hive will have an array of sausageshaped apertures, each 3" (7.6 cm) long and W" (1.27 cm) wide and spaced at 2" (5.1 cm) centres. When it is to be used with a conventional section holder the panel may be so dimensioned so as simply to rest on the beads and central slat but it may be detachably or permanently secured to the base of the holder by any convenient means such as by being slid into groves formed in the walls of the section holder or by screws. The panel may be formed of, for example, hardboard, plywood or plastics material. A similar panel is placed over the upper faces of the sections in each holder but when the holder is the uppermost of the hive and the bees do not have to gain access to a superior holder, the panel may be unapertured. An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, the single figure of which is a perspective view from above, with parts broken away and removed, showing a section holder incorporating a panel according to the present invention. The drawing shows a conventional section holder 10 having four side walls 11, 12, 13 and 14, the opposite pair of walls 11 and 13 each having a bead, only one of which, the bead 15 is visible in the drawing, running along the lower inner edge thereof and the opposite pair of walls 12 and 14 being connected by a central slat 16. The beads 15 and slat 16 support a square plywood protective base panel 17 having a lateral dimension of lug/8" (41.6 cm) and four rows of sausage-shaped slots 18 cut therein, the slots being 3" (7.6 cm) long and " (1.27 cm) wide. Above each row of slots there rests a row of sections 19; each section 19 is formed of four side panels 20, each of an external side length of 4'/4" (10.8 cm). Both lateral edges of the panels 20 are relieved as at 21, so that each pair of adjacent sections 19 in a row defines on each side a sausageshaped aperture 22. Each of the apertures 22 formed by those panels 20 which are resting on the base panel 17 is in register with a slot 18, thus enabling the bees to gain access to the interior of the sections 22 there to build their honeycombs. The outer faces of the bottom panels 20 are thus protected against the deposition of wax by the bees: the outer faces of the upper panels 20 are protected by a protective cover panel 17' laid thereover and which is identical to the base panel 17. By virtue of the slots 22' therein the bees may gain access to sections in superior section holders. CLAIMS

5. A panel as claimed in Claim 1 and substantially as herein described.

8. A section-holder as claimed in Claim 7 and additionally comprising a lid or cover.

9. A section-holder as claimed in Claim 8, in which the lid or cover is formed by a panel as defined in any one of Claims 1 to 6.

10. A section for placing in a beehiveforthe reception of honeycombs, the section having a surface, which is exposed in use, protected from the deposition of wax by a removable covering.

11. An assembly of sections as claimed in Claim 10, the exposed surfaces of the sections being protected by a covering having the form of a removable panel or sheet.

12. An assembly as claimed in Claim 11, in which a series of apertures are defined in said exposed surface by the edge portions of neighbouring sections and the panel or sheet is correspondingly apertured.

13. An assembly as claimed in Claim 12, in which the panel or sheet has an array of sausage-shaped apertures.

14. An assembly as claimed in Claim 11,12 or 13, in which the sections are supported by the panel or sheet.

15. An assembly as claimed in any one of Claims 11 to 14, in which the sections are overlaid by a further panel or sheet.

16. An assembly as claimed in Claim 15, in which said further panel is as defined in Claim 12 or 13.

17. The features as herein disclosed, or their equivalents, in any novel selection.