434 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



May 15 



of air, or, in other words, an air-passage 

 between the two. 



The detachable blast-chamber at the rear 

 consists of the usual fire-grate and forward- 

 ly inclined blast-deflector extending oblique- 

 ly upward from the rear of the blast-cham- 

 ber to and attached to the grate, sloping 

 upward and forward of the blast-orifice in 

 which the blast enters from the bellows. 



The detachable blast-chamber caps on or 



BRODBECK'S DOUBLE-BLAST SMOKER. 



over the outer casing, the same as the noz- 

 zle. In practice we first remove the blast- 

 chamber, inserting the fuel, whatever this 

 may be, into the fire-barrel, the composi- 

 tion of which, in whole or part, should be 

 of such nature that it will ignite readily by 

 the application of a match, after which we 

 replace the blast-chamber and proceed to 

 use the bellows as is customary with other 

 smokers. To replenish the fuel we insert 

 it in the nozzle end the same as in the Cor- 

 nell or Bingham. 



The smoker being filled, pres- 

 sure on the bellows forces the air 

 into the orifice of the blast-cham- 

 ber, striking the forwardly in- 

 clined deflector, passingon through 

 the grating into the fire-barrel 

 and the air-space between the lat- 

 ter and outer barrel. The course 

 of this forced draft is shown by 

 the darts on the illustrations. 



The advantage derived from the 

 use of the deflector is the increas- 

 ed force of the draft through the 

 fuel, and the space between the 

 double barrel; it also reflects the 

 heat from the fire, thus modifying 

 the consequent heating of the end 

 of the blast-chamber. The inser- 

 tion of an inner barrel or tube, 

 with the air-space separating it 

 from the outer one and the air, in- 

 gress openings at the ends permit 

 a portion of the blast to pass 

 through and out at the nozzle end 

 without passing through the fuel, 

 thus modifying the hot air, and thus par- 

 taking in part of the cold-air principle. 



This air-passage also prolongs the life of 

 the outer barrel; and in preventing extreme 

 heating it affords better protection to the 

 individual. The burning-out of the inner 

 barrel is not a serious loss, and will not in- 

 capacitate the smoker, as will the destruction 



of the outer one, and the former can be re- 

 placed at small expense. The removable 

 breech and nozzle make it an ideal smoker 

 to clean and to make necessary repairs. 

 The inside fire-barrel is also just as effec- 

 tive in the Corneil as in my own. 

 Los Angeles, Cal. 



[It will be noticed that the smoker shown 

 at the top of the illustration is breech as 

 well as muzzle loading; and from the evi- 

 dence in hand, Mr. Brodbeck was one of the 

 first to use the breech-loading smoker. But 

 he has gone one step further by putting on 

 a special blast arrangement. In effect this 

 makes a combination of hot and cold blast. 

 Part of the air from the bellows is deflected 

 into the space between the outer and inner 

 cylinder. The rest passes through the fire 

 so that we get a double blast. The cold- 

 blast principle does not give the dense smoke 

 of the hot blast. While the smoke is not so 

 subduing as a moderate blast with strong 

 pungent smoke, there are certainly times 

 when a strong blast — that is, strong blow- 

 ing — is an advantage. Mr. Brodbeck se- 

 cures, to a certain extent, the advantages of 

 both hot and cold blast in one smoker. 



I have made some tests myself, and I am 

 not sure that the increased blast fully off- 

 sets the reduction in the density or subdu- 

 ing quality of the smoke. There are some 

 bee-keepers who would prefer the Brodbeck 

 principle, and some who would prefer the 

 hot blast pure and simple. For the purpose 

 of experiment we can furnish the Brodbeck 

 principle in the Jumbo Corneil smoker, as 

 here shown. One can try the Brodbeck 



BRODBECK'S IMPROVEMENT AS APPLIED TO ONE OF 

 root's JUMBO CORNEIL SMOKERS. 



blast arrangement, then he can, if he de- 

 sires, remove the inner cylinder, getting- 

 back to the old hot-blast principle. 



Mr. Brodbeck secures one very important 

 advantage; namely, that outer barrel, on 

 account of its peculiar blast, is kept from, 

 becoming excessively hot. Many would con- 

 sider this a decided improvement. — Ed.] 



