EXTRACTOR. 



18G 



KXTK ACTOR. 



inside tlie "chime." Tliore is still another plan of 

 snpporting the barrel that has the advantage of 

 furiii hing handles with which to lift the barrel, and 

 that is to nail two slats of wood to the sides of the 

 barrel, abont four inches from the lower end. Tlie 

 slats are nailed to opposite sides of tlie barrel, a* 

 right angles to the staves, and are long enough so 

 that the ends rest upon the upper edge of the tub- 

 The only objection to this plan is that the ends pro- 

 ject out slightly beyond the edges of the tub, and 

 are just a little in the way. 



CAPPING-MELTERS. 



The uncapping arrangements so far de- 

 scribed have been merely receptacles for 

 holding the cappings and allowing the hon- 

 ey to drain oitt, the cappings themselves be- 

 ing rendered into wax at some later time. 

 During the last year or two in California and 

 other parts of the country considerable in- 

 terest has been shown in devices that would 

 melt the cappings as they dropped from the 

 honey-knife and at the same time separate 

 the w^ax and honey. 



One of the most practical forms of these 

 capping-melters is that shown herewith. As 

 will he seen it consist s simply of a can with 

 in a can, the space between being filled with 

 water kept hot by means of a gasoline or 

 blue-flame kerosene-burner underneath. At 

 the bottom of the inner can is a tube extend- 

 ing out through the water-jacket to a te 

 on the outside, and around this exit, on one 

 side of the inner can, semicircular screens 

 are arranged to prevent the uumelted cap- 

 pings from passing out of the gate — a coarse 

 one to catch the heavier particles and a fine 

 one to stop smaller par- 

 ticles not caught by 

 the other. There is 

 room for one or more 

 uncapping-knives to 

 hang down into the hot 

 water between the two 

 cans, as shown, so that 

 if one desires to use the 

 hot knife he may do so 

 with no extra attach- 

 ment for heating. 

 When in actual use a 

 cross-arm with a nail- 

 point as shown or a 

 large wooden box may 

 be set over the top of 

 the can with flaring 

 bottom through which 

 the cappings drop into 

 the can beneath. This box provides a some- 

 what more convenient place to w^ork and 

 gives more room besides, and is to be pre- 

 ferred to the cross-arm. 



Manner of Using a Cap- 

 pitig melter over a 

 Small Gasoline- 

 stove. 



PJxperience has shown that the gate at the 

 bottom of the melter should be left open all 

 the time so that the honey may pass out as 

 quickly as possible. In this way the danger 

 of overheating it is greatly lessened ; in fact, 

 if the work is ])roperly done, there need be 

 no overheating of the honey, the tempera- 

 ture of the honey ordinarily running from 

 the gate being such that the finger is not 

 burned if held in the stream for ten or fifteen 

 seconds. 



Many have believed that such an apparatus 

 in an extracting room w^ould be objection- 

 able on account of the heat, but it has been 



CAPPING-MELTKR, A DKVICE FOB SEPARAT- 

 ING THE HONEY FUOM THE CAPPINGS 

 AS FAST AS THEY DROP FROM 

 THE KNIFE. 



shown that the heat is so largely used in 

 warming the honey and melting the wax 

 that but little radiates out into the room. 



The stream of honey and wax from the 

 melter may be run directly into a pail or 

 can ; and as soon as this one can is full it 

 may be set aside and an empty one put in 

 its place. In a few hours' time the layer of 

 wax on top of the honey will have hardened 

 enough so that it may be lifted off and the 

 honey poured through the regular strainer 

 together with that from the extractor. Or, 

 the receiving can may be provided with a 

 gate at the bottom so that the honey may be 

 drawn off at intervals as fast as the can be- 

 comes full. In this way the layer of wax 

 remains permanently in the can until the 

 next day, when it is lifted out before begin- 

 ning work. 



