my inventionconsists, first, in improving the construction and arrangement of the movable combframes of bee-hives so as (a) to increase greatly the ease and safety of all necessary manipulations with such t'ramss, (b) to enable the apiarian to obtain from movable-frame hives the largest yield of surplus honeyin the most convenient, beautiful, and salable receptacles and (0) to enable the timid and inexperienced to remove the spare honey from such hives with the least danger to themselves; second, in providing hives having bars or slats with increased facilities for the storage of surplus honey; third, in furnishing increased facilities for enlarging or contracting at will the size of movableframe hive; fourth, in so arranging the entrances to hives as to give the bees greater protection against the bee moth and its larvre and against robbing bees.
Movable comb fra-mcs.l he movable frames which I have inventedare so constructed and arranged in the hive or'case as to remedy what I regard as great defects in previous inventions.
ais the top of a frame, I; the bottom, and c c the sides.
Each of these stripsis about one inch wide and of sutlicient thickness to give, when they are fastened together, a proper stiffness to the frame.
the sides 0 care kept away from d, thefront and rear walls of the case, and the bottom I) from c, the bottom ofthe case, about three-eighths of an inch, or far enough to give a free bee passage, so that the beeswill not cement with propolis these parts of the frame to the case, and so that no lurking-places inaccessible to them will be left for the bee-moth or its larvae. If the spacesbetween the frames and the case are much greater than three-eighths of an inch,
Fig. 3is a sectional view showing more clearly the space 9 between the sides of the frame and the case, also. a space, h, between the projecting top of the frame and the back. of the rabbet, which prevents the bees from cementing this top to the back of the rabbet, and allows a motion of the frame from front to rear, or vice versa, to break the cement which fastens the frame to the rabbets on which it rests, without the necessity of a lateral motion, which, when used for this purpose, might crush the combs or the bees.
a small strip, 70which may be placed over the tops of the frames when th. tare confined between blocks again, and are med in combination with the shallow air-space, (see 1', Fig. 13,). the object of which air space is subsequently described.
Such a stripwill prevent the bees from cementing 1116 tops of the frames in such amanner as to inofDebeauvoy (see edition of 1851) are used,
pieces of worker-combmay be fastened in the frames, as guides to the bees.
the spaces left between the tops of my frames coutributelikewise to the same end.
receptacleshaving suitable apertures
a honey-boardmay be placed on the frames having suitable apertures for admitting the bees through the openings between the tops of the frames into any kind of receptacles placed upon this board, (see Bevan, pages 86, 87, 94;) or any of the methods in previous use may be employed by which surplus-honey receptacles were used in combination with hives having slats or bars. I have, however, invented a much better way of securing the surplus honey, which I shall now describe.
the honey-boardhaving apertures or openings of any size or shape most convenient for admitting the bees to these receptacles.
the apertures or bee-passages in the honey-boardmay be made without being liable to be closed by the bees, as they so frequently are in hives which have not this shallow airspace. It will be seen that the bees can pass into this shallow chamber from between all the ranges of comb, and from the front and rear walls, 0?, of the hive, and the sides 0 0, Figs.
Movable partition or dividerTo be able to adjust the size of the hive to the wants of large or small colonies, I use a movable partition or divider, which also enables me to unite more safely different colonies, and to perform other important manipulations.
Fig. 4shows the shape which I prefer to give to this divider, which may be made of wood or any suitable materiil. The top I is made to project so as to rest upon the rabbets, and should fit up close against j, the honey-board or cover over the frames, while the sides at m and bottom a should also fit close against the case, thus enabling the apiarian to divide the hive into separate compartments.
Fig. 4shows the shape which I prefer to give to this divider, which may be made of wood or any suitable materiil.
the top Iis made to project so as to rest upon the rabbets, and should fit up close against j, the honey-board or cover over the frames, while the sides at m and bottom a should also fit close against the
a divideris shown insertedbetween two frames and having a top, I, tooshort to rest upon the rabbets.
Small holes 0 0, Fig. 4may be made in the divider and covered with wire-cloth or any suitable material which will allow colonies put into difierent compartments to have the same odor, whenthey may be more safely united.
the beesfind-ingtheir communication with the main hivecl osed, will in a few moments gorge themselves with honey, (in which state they are not disposed to act on the offensive,) and when allowed to fly will peaceably return to their hive. A little smoke blown upon them will produce the same effect, and the receptacles may then be removed without any slide.
This shallow chamberanswers other highlyimportant purposes: (a) It prevents the bees from cementing the cover or honeyboard to the tops of the frames or bars, thus enabling it to be more easily removed when access is wanted to the combs; (b) it enables the cover to be put over the frames or bars with much less danger of crushing bees than if it rested directly on their tops; (0) it permits the bees,
Figs. 1 and 3that when they are a dead-air successionbetween the combs and the the combination of a divider with movable cover, thus moieefl'ectually guardingthe bees frames inserted in a case is not new, I dis-" against extremes ot'heat and cold; (f) it enatinctly point out as my invention the ctmbles us to give the bees better protection bination of movable frames having their tops against dampness in their hives, as by leaving wholly or partially separated from each other,
Fig. 1shows these blocks placed upon a projecting alighting-board. On their under sides cavities may be made forholding small pieces of old comb, the refuse from the bottom board, or any material in which the moth will lay her eggs. 1] p are entrances for the moth to pass to these cavities, and are made too small.
the shallow chamberin combination with the top bars of the laterally-movable frames, or their equivalents, and with the.perforated honey-board, upon which to place surplushoney receptacles, substantially as and for the arranged as to increase or diminish at will the purposes set forth. size of the bee-entrance, substantially in the 5.
