US148914A - Improvement in bee-hives - Google Patents

Description

G. W. ARMSTRONG 8f. C.'F. GILLET.

Bee-Hives.

Patented March 24, 41874.

Inventor.

C; af,

it/torneys. Y

GEORGE W. ARMSTRONG AND CHARLES F. GILLET, OF SPRINGFIELD, ILL.

IMPROVEMENT IN BEEHIVES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 148,9l4, dated March 24, 1874; application filed October 16, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE W. ARM- STRONG and CHAs. F. GILLET, of Springfield, in the county of Sangamon and in the State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bee-Hives; and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof7 reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this specification.

The nature of our invention consists in the construction and arrangement of a bee-hive, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which our invention appertains to make and use the same, we will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, referring` to the annexed drawing, in which- Figure l is a longitudinal vertical section of our bee-hive. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the top of the brood-chamber, and Fig. 3 is a section through the same.

A represents a square box-hive, supported upon four legs, B B, and provided with an inclined bottom, O, which projects downward, and forms the alighting-board D. Over this alighting-board is a sliding board, E, held in place by means of two springs, G. The sliding board E may be moved up and down at will, to regulate the size of the bee-entrance a, or entirely close the same, as desired. The hive is provided with a double top, consisting of two boards, H and J. lhe board H is fastened permanently on the hive A, and the board J is pivoted in the center on top of the board H. The stationary board H is, on one side of the center, provided with an elongated slot, d, and the pivoted lboard J is provided with two similar slots, b and b', one on each side of the center, so arranged that, by turning the board J, either one of the slots may be brought over and correspond with the slot d, and thus form a passage from the main hive or brood-chamber through the top. In place of elongated slots, circular holes may be made and answer the same purpose. The board J is on one side provided with a handle, I, by means of which it is readily turned as desired. On the board J are placed .two

honey-boxes, L and L', which are open at the bottom, and provided on one side with a beepassage, c, and the two boxes are covered with a cap, O, as shown. By placing the board J in the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3, so that the slot b is over the slot d in the stationary board H, and then placing the honey-box L over these holes, and the box L' in such a position that there is no communication between the two boxes, the bees can gain access only to the box L, and will begin to deposit honey in the same. Vhen the box L is partly iilled, the box L is reversed, so as to open the passage between the two, and the board J, with the boxes upon it, is turned one-half around, which brings the empty box over the passage d, and compels the bees to pass through the empty box Ll to reach the one partly filled, by which means they will become acquainted with the empty box, and begin to deposit honey in the same as soon as or before the box L is lled. After this box L is filled, which can be seen through the glass plate in the end, it can be removed, and another put in its place and be subjected to the same movements as before.

It is well known that bees do not commence to deposit honey in a box until they have become familiar with the same, which often requires considerable time. Therefore, by causing the bees to pass through an empty box to the one in which they have been accustomed to deposit honey, they will become acquainted or familiar with this empty box, even before the other is entirely filled, and hence considerable time is saved and more honey is obtained in the same length of time than would otherwise be the case.

The bees may be forced down into the main hive, and the board J turned one-quarter around, thereby shutting them off entirely from the boxes, and enabling the bee-keeper to take the honey with very little or no trouble and danger.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The extended inclined bottom O, forming the alighting-board D, in combination with the sliding board E and springs G G, substantialiy as and for the purposes herein set forth.

2. The stationary top H, provided With the apertured7 in combination With the revolving top J, provided with the apertures b and b, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

In testimony that We claim the foregoing we have hereunto set our hands this 18th day vof September, 1873.

G. W. ARMSTRONG. C. F. GILLET.

fitnesses C. L. EVERT, SETH B. BROCK.

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