812 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



July 1 





not as close as are usually made 

 upon a door-bell, and it requires 

 a good strong current to over- 

 come these imperfect connec- 

 tions and ring the bell. It 

 won't answer to depend upon a 

 bell that does not al-vays ring 

 — better not have any bell at 

 all. Connect the battery and 

 the bell by means of the insu- 

 lated wire that comes with the 

 bell, then cut one of the wires 

 in two, scrape off the covering 

 for a distance of two or three 

 inches from each end, wind 

 one end around the brass beam 

 of the scales, near the back end, 

 then support the other end just 

 slightly above the other end of 

 the beam, when the latter is 

 depressed. Put your can on the 

 scales, set them to the desired 

 weight, turn on the honey and 

 go about your business, pro- 

 vided the business is not out of 

 sound of the bell. As soon 

 as the requisite amount of hon- 

 ey has run in, the beam will rise and touch the 

 end of the wire above it, thus completing the cir- 

 cuit and ringing the bell. The scales may be 

 set a pound or two short, and then set at the cor- 

 rect weight after the alarm has been given, and 

 the filling completed.* 



AUTOMATIC SCALES THAT CLOSE THE GATE 

 WHEN THE CAN IS FULL. 



There is just one objection to the electric alarm 

 just described, and that is, something may hap- 



i«i* 



'^'*- 



CHEESE-CLOTH STRAINER ON TOP OF A TUB. 



This tub is set under the honey-gate of the honey-extractor, and the cans are filled 

 from the honey-gate in the side of the tub. Extracting, straining, and canning are all 

 in operation at the same time 



pen unexpectedly, making the electrical connec- 

 tions imperfect. A bit of wax once got upon the 

 beam of the scales, just under the spot where it 

 ought to have touched the wire above when it 

 raised, and great were the consequences. Thanks 

 to the inventive genius of Mr. E. E. Coveyou, of 

 Petoskey, Michigan, even this point has been 

 overcome. He has perfected and used successful- 

 ly what he calls his Perfection duplicating scales, 

 which not only give an alarm when the can is 

 filled, but actually close the gate in a positive, 

 certain manner Let me de- 

 scribe it: 



First, there are two plat- 

 forms suspended at the ends 

 of a beam hung upon a piv- 

 ot at the middle. This part 

 of the machine is an almost 

 exact duplicate of the 

 druggist's balancing scales. 

 Upon one of the platforms 

 is placed a 60-pound can 

 full of honey, or its equiv- 

 alent in weight. Upon the 

 other platform is placed the 

 can to be filled. When the 

 can becomes full it balances 

 the can upon the other end, 

 and thus it settles do~cvn. As 

 it goes down it draws down 

 a small brass rod connected 

 with that end of the bal- 

 ance. The upper part of 

 the rod is not straight, but 

 bends out from the standard 

 of wood to which the vari- 

 ous parts are fastened. Just 

 in front of the bent part of 

 the rod is one end of an 

 "elbow" of iron or steel; 

 and, as the rod is drawn 



THE ELECTRIC DOOR-BELL ALARM TO INDICATE WHEN THE CAN IS 

 NEARLY FULL. 



The plan of wiring up the battery, bell, and scales is here clearly shown. The contact 

 at D is made when the beam lifts, connecting the electric current. 



*This plan is also clearly shown 

 by the engraving accompanying Mr_ 

 Townsend's article, p. 761, June 15. 



