1883 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



615 



of fdn. As the latter has never been used by 

 us (for we consider the Parker fdn. fastener 

 a much better way), friend Forncrook has 

 nothin>; left to commence a suit on. except 

 the notch to srive an entrance to the bees. 

 This notch Fiddes used in 1873, as I have 

 shown you on page -507. In a personal talk 

 with Mr. Forncrook he admits all that I have 

 given above, and defends himself by saying 

 that both Gilbert and Hntchins got their 

 patents on a box for holding fruit or cither 

 purposes, but did not at the time contem- 

 plate a honey-box. By referring to page oOS 

 of the August Juvenile, you will see that 

 'the Gilbert box was used as a honey-box, and 

 the A. B, J. so reported it in 1S79, and Gil- 

 bert expressly says in his patent, as yon will 

 note above, " Or for any use where light 

 strong boxes are needed." That you may 

 know exactly what Mr. Forncrook has pat- 

 ented, we give below a full copy of his claims, 

 and drawings of his section. 



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. 



JAMES FORNCROOK, OF WATERTOWNT, WIS. 

 Sectional Honey-Frame. 



Specification forming pnrt of Tjottf-s Patent No 



24:<,674, dated June 38, 1881. 



Application Filed May 18, 1879. 



To all wlwm it may conc'm : 



Be it known, that T James Forni^rook. of Watortown. in the 

 county of Jefferson and State of AViseonsin. have invi'ntecf eei- 

 tain new and useful imijroveinents in Sectional HonevKianies: 

 and I do hereby declare the followina: to be a full, clear, and 

 exact description of the invention, such as will enable others 

 skilled in the art to which it appertains to make nndusetlu' 

 same, reference being had to the acomijanviufr drawings, and 

 to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of 

 this specification. 



This invention relates to an improvement in' Sectional Hon- 

 ey-Frames, the object being to so construct them that they 

 shall be strongrer. and in a more portable form, than the 

 frames now used for such purposes; and the invention con- 

 sists, essentially, in forminp tlie fr.ame from a sinerle blank or 

 piece ol material having all the necessary grooves and recess- 

 es required to form a complete frame cut in it. the ends of the 

 blank being notched or dentated, and antrulai- urooves cut 

 across it at those points which are to form the corners. These 

 blanks, after being thus prepared, may be pai-kcil solidly in 

 boxes or otherwise for transportation, and when required for 

 use are bent into the square form, and their ends united at 

 one of the corners by means of the interlocking notclies or 

 teeth, thus forming a complete frame readv for use. 



In the drawings. Fig. 1 is a plan of one of the blanks, show- 

 ing the various recesses and grooves with which it is supplied. 

 Fig. 2 is an edge view of the blank, and shows the form and 

 depth of the angular arrooves which form the corners of the 

 frame. Fig. S shows the blank bent into a square form with 

 the ends unit<'d. making a complete frame ready for Jise. Fig. 

 i shows a modification of the groove, or miter. C. I''ig. 2. 



The blanks for these frames are preferably formed from 

 some light, tasteless, and coraparativel.v tough wood, which 

 ■will bend at the corners wHthout steaming or boiling. s>uh as 

 basswood or whitewood. the material being produced bv cut- 

 ting it from the login the form of a. thick veneer, or by saw- 

 ing it into thin stuff and then planing both surfaces. The 

 blanks A are then cut from this material, of the proper width 

 aiul length, the ends dentated, as shown at A A. by means of a 

 series of circular saws placed together upon an arbor or other 

 suitable tool, so that thev will interlock when brought togeth- 

 er. The recesses B B are then formed in its edges at s>ich 

 points in its length as will bring them at the top and bottom 

 of the frames when set up in the hive. These recesses form 

 openings, which allow space for the passage of the bees be- 

 tween the frames, and for the ventilation of this part of the 

 hive. Three triangular grooves, c c c, are then cut across the 

 Islank at such points in its length as will divide it into four 



nearly equal parts, each of which forms one side of the frame 

 after the blank is bent into a quadrangular shape. These tri- 

 angular grooves are ciit nearly through the blank, sufficient 

 wood only beiner left to hold the parts firmly together. 



As the sides of the crroove c are inclined towaril each other 

 at a right angle, it follows that, when the blank is bent into 

 the form of a frame, these grooves make perfectly fitting mi- 

 ter-ioints at three of its corners, the fourth corner being that 

 at which the ends of the blank are united to each other by 

 menus of the interlocking teeth formed thereon. 



Tn one of the spaces between two of the grooves C. and pref- 

 eraldy that which will form tlie top of the frame when placed 

 in the hive, is foi incd n loMgit\ulinal groove, D. for the guide- 

 strip, which makes a sccuri- iioint of attachment for the comb 

 when the bees begin to liuihl in the frames set side by side in 

 the hive with the parts of the frame containing the recesses 

 B B at ton. 



Tliese frames meet .a want long felt by bee-keepers, as those 

 in common use aie cither dovetailed or nailed together at the 

 corners: and. if set up at the manufactory, form a large bulk 

 for transnortation. and arc very liable to breakage in han- 

 dling; but if sold to the user in pieces to be ptit together ny 

 him. the numerous joints to be made cause loss of time, and 

 produce a very fragile article when finished, which loses its 

 rectangular sliape with the slightest rough usage, as the 

 joints at the corners lack the necessary strength and rigidity 

 to hold them in shaiie. 



Mv frame will be found to possess none of the above-named 

 defects, as it is intended for transportation in solid packages 

 before being set up; and when set un. possesses great strength 

 and rigidity, preserving its form without difn<-nlty during all 

 the rough handling to which such frames are frequently sub- 

 jected. 



Having thus described my invention. I claim as new, and de- 

 sire to secure bv Letters Patent, the following: 



As anew article of m;inufacture. a blank for honey-frames 

 formed of a single piece of wood having transverse angular 

 grooves r, longitudinal groove n, and recesses B, all arranged 

 in the manner shown and described. 



In testimony that I claim the foregoine, I have hereunto set 

 mv hand and seal this 6th day of May, 1879, 



JAMES FORNCROOK, [L.s.] 



Wnesses; {^.^^^^^k 



Keyes. 



In regard to the matter of getting a patent 

 for a particular ])urpose on something that 

 has been ah-eadv patented for another pur- 

 pose, I submit the following from our old 

 friend L. L. Langstroth, who has been for 

 many years fully conversant with patents 

 and patent law : 



1. In the above patent, the longitudinal groove d 

 is made a part of the combination, claimed as a new 

 article of manufacture. The claim being what is 

 called a combination patent, the patent is not in- 

 fringed where the combination is not used. As Mr. 

 Root makes no use of the groove, he does not in- 

 fringe upon Forncrook's patent. 



2. All the parts in Forncrook's patent have been 

 known and widely used, more than two years before 

 he applied for a patent on their combination. 

 Grooves for guide-strips have been used by Root ajd 

 others more than ten years. The making of a box 

 out of a single strip, as Forncrook makes his honey- 

 frame, is also an old invention, the same having 

 been in public use years ago. 



Can Mr. Forncrook, combining the groove, iispd 

 long before he used it, with a box made long ago for 

 another purpose, claim that he has invented any 

 thing which our laws recognize as the proper subject 

 of a patent? I will quote onlv a few decisions by 

 Judges of the U. S. Supreme Court, which clearly 

 show that he has not: 



3. The application of an old thing to a new use, 

 without any other invention, is not a patentable 

 contrivance.— ^/nes v. Howard, 1 Sumn., 187, Story, 

 J.; Mass., 1833. 



This is a decision of Cbief-Justice Story, one of the 

 hiahest authorities. 



The application of an "Id thing to a new purp.ise 

 is not patentable. A purpose is not patentable; but 

 the machinery only, if new. by which it is to be ac- 

 complished. In other words, the thing itself which 

 is patented must be new, and not the mere applica- 

 tion of it to a new purpose or object— Bean v. SmaH- 

 ivond, 3 Story, 411, Story. J.; Mass., 1843. 



It is not a new invention, if all the parts of a com- 

 bination had been applied to a different object be- 

 fore, and they were now applied to a new object.— 

 Henry v. Henry, Law Jour., 155, Wo )dbury, J . ; Mass., 

 1845. L, L. Langstroth, 



Oxford, 0., Sept., 1883. 



