li)09 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



463 



EXTRACTING HONEY WITHOUT OPEN- 

 ING HIVES. 



A Proposed Plan for Sucking Honey Out 

 of Combs by Means of a Vacuum Pump. 



BY L. W. AVANT. 



rSoniethinjT over a year aero Mr. Avant wrote us. 

 statint; that he had a new method for the extraction of 

 honey out of the eombs without openintr the hive or in 

 any wise disturbing the bees. Of course, we were in- 

 terested; and the result was, after some little corres- 

 pondence, he revealed the general plan, but which 

 plan at the time he was not ready to Kive to the pub- 

 lie. Since that time he has made formal application 

 for patents covering all the basic principles of it, and 

 has now consented to place it before our readers. 



By way of further explanation we may say that the 

 invention involves the use of special stationary combs 

 havine hollow core boxes, or, perhaps we had better 

 say, a hollow midrib. In the sample super sent for 

 our inspection the comb was built out to and in con- 

 tact with the ends of the super. Ordinary comb made 

 up from foundation, or as made by the bees, has a 

 midrib that supports the cell-walls on either side. If 

 the reader can imagine this midrib split on a vertical 

 line, running clear down through the comb, so that 

 each cell retains one-half of the midrib, and if he can 



FIG. L- 



-AV ANT'S VACUUM HONEV-EXTRACTOR WITH SUCTION-BOX 

 THAT PASSES INTO THE CENTER OF EACH COMB. 



see in his mind's eye these two halves separated about 

 'ii of an inch, he will get an idea of the construction 

 of this special comb. As it is not possible to divide an 

 ordinary comb on this plan, Mr. Avant makes a hollow 

 midrib of metal having perforations five to the inch. 

 Each one of these perforations is so placed that it shall 

 be the bottom of every one of the cells of comb. To 

 get the bees to build this right, foundation is placed 

 over this perforated metal so that the base of every 

 cell shall be just over one of these holes in the hollow 

 box or core. These are closed, while the bees are 

 drawing out the comb, by a wooden or metal core. 

 When the comb is drawn out and filled with honey the 

 core is removed, when the suction box is inserted 

 through a slot in the end of the hive. This sucks the 

 honey out, we might say, backward through the before- 

 mentioned perforations at the base of each one of the 

 cells. The suction then carries it on into the pump, 

 whence it delivers it to any receptacle desired. The 

 reader must clearly understand that the honey comes 

 out of the combs by the exact reverse of the manner in 

 which it comes out of combs extracted in the regular 

 way. 



Right here the question will arise, "What is done 

 with the cappings? " Mr. Avant has been encounter- 

 ing some difficulties, apparently, because it was al- 

 most impossible to make the suction strong enough so 

 that the cappings will cave in, as it were, thus permit- 



ling the honey to pass, by suction, out of the base of 

 the cells. It is, indeed, remarkable that he has been 

 able to " uncap" to some extent, in proof of which he 

 sent samples of a comb that he had extracted, with 

 iMPpings that had caved in; but owing, possibly, to the 

 r;i(t that the extraction was only partially complete by 

 rcMson of insufficient power being generated to perfo- 

 rate or cave in all the cappings, Mr. Avant, of late, 

 seems to have been working on a slightly different 

 p an of extracting srcen honey, or nectar, and feed- 

 ing it back on the plan that he describes in the sub- 

 joined article. If the honey is extracted while it is 

 thin, and before it is capped over, the resistance will be 

 more easily overcome. — ED. J 



When we read of unsatisfactory markets, 

 the fight against adulteration, and the man- 

 ufacture of cheap syrups, etc., it seems per- 

 tinent to ask ourselves the question, "Is it 

 possible for us as bee-keepers to improve 

 our methods and equipments so as to produce 

 honey more cheaply?" That our industry is 

 burdened with a multiplicity of equipments 

 I think no one will deny after considering 

 the appliances that the modern bee-keeper 

 must use. To what extent my pneumatic ex- 

 tractor and some plans that may be employ- 

 ed with it may tend to 

 relieve the present con- 

 ditions I submit to the 

 candied judgment of a 

 fair and impartial pub- 

 lic. 



By my process the 

 honey can be taken di- 

 rect from the hives in a 

 marketable condition 

 and automatically 

 weighed in the can in 

 which it is to be sold. 

 This is accomplished 

 without opening the 

 hive or uncapping or 

 removing a frame. In 

 fact, neither honey nor 

 bees are seen in the 

 operation. 



The process is alto- 

 gether through the pe- 

 culiar construction of 

 the frame, which is 

 simply a hollow box 

 or irame of the same 

 dimensions as the Lang- 

 stroth, that we are enabled to take the honey 

 by suction. 



The frame consists essentially of two per- 

 forated metal sheets forming the sides of the 

 box-frame. The bees build their comb on 

 the outside of this box, with a perforation at 

 the bottom of each cell, through which the 

 honey is drawn to the interior of the frame, 

 and, through suitable piping, to the honey- 

 can. These perforations are closed and 

 opened by means of unperforated sheets se- 

 cured in juxtaposition to the inner surfaces 

 of perforated sneets when first given to bees, 

 or withdrawn when extracting. The removal 

 of these sheets for opening tlie perforations 

 at the bottom of the cells, and the applica- 

 tion of suction, is accomplished through a 

 slot provided for each frame in the back end 

 of the hive. 



Fig. 1 shows the extractor in position to 

 operate, with the suction-box beginning to 



