FRAMES, SELF-SPACIKG. 



207 



FRAMES, SELF-SPACING. 



Danzenbaker, as described under Hives, 

 and shown under Fkames, Manipulating. 

 The end-bars are pivoted at the center, the 

 pins i-esting on hanger cleats secured to the 

 ends of tlie hives. These pins make a very 

 small line of contact, whereas the ordinary 



standing closed-end frame resting on tins 

 secured to the bottom edge at the ends of the 

 hive will crush a good many bees. They 

 have the further advantage that, if there is 



any reduction in the depth of the hi^ e due 

 to shrinkage, the bee-space above and below 

 the frames wDl be affected only half as much 

 as if the frame were standing. 



Many bee-keepers prefer what is known as 

 the " hanging frame." This has many very 

 decided advantages overthe standing frame; 

 and there is no doubt that, for this reason, 

 the loose frame is used so generally : but 

 the hanging frame is also used as a fixed 

 frame. 



I3IPROVED HOFFMAN FRAMES. 



It will be observed that this frame can be 

 used in an ordinary Langstroth hive (see 

 Hive-making): and the end-bars are closed- 

 end only a couple of inches from the top. 

 The rest of the frame, two-thirds of the way 

 down, is naiTowed to H inches. The top- 

 bars of the original Hoffman were made 15 

 inches wide with the middle scored out so as 

 to measure one inch wide. 



After having for a time Hoffman frames 

 with t<:tp-liars widened at the end. and no 



ralibets, we began the use of top-bars 

 with the ends notched (see cut) and resting 

 on the tin rabbets, as shown in IIive-mak- 

 iNG. After several seasons" use of the latter 

 we much piefer them. The lateral feature 

 is more perfect, and there is very much less 

 liability of bee-killing. Indeed, with proper 

 care there need be practically none. 



Another feature of this fiame is the 

 end-spacing staple that abuts against the 

 tin rabbet shown at 6, in the cut. The ends 

 of the top-bars are cut off so as to leave a 



bee-space around them. With the old-style 

 frames the bees can sometimes glue the ends 

 of the top-bars to the rabbet. This has all 

 been done away with in the style shown. 



When the top-bar is long enough to reach 

 and almost come in contact with the ends of 

 the rabbets, the bees "nill chink in bee-glue 

 between the ends of the top-bars and the 

 rabbets. After the ends of all the frames 

 have been thus glued, it is somewhat diffi- 

 cult to remove any one comb, because the 

 fastening of each frame must be loosened 

 before the combs sought can be lifted out : 

 but when the top-bar is .shortened, as at 6 in 

 the illustration, and the staple is used, there 

 is none of this kind of gluing, the only fa.s- 

 tening being that between the upright edges 

 of the end-bars themselves : and this fasten- 

 ing, for the majority of localities, so far 

 from being a disadvantage, is helpful in 

 that it holds the frames together while 

 the hives are being moved, and yet does not 

 hold them so as to prevent easy handling. 



This is by all odds the most extensively 

 used self- spacing frame in the United 

 States. In fact, most of the hive-manufac- 

 turers supply it as a part of the regular 

 equipment of their standard hives. 



For details conceruingits u.se. see Fkames, 

 How TO Manipulate. 



