flistory of Foundation Machines. 305 
first made by Herr Mehring, in 1857. These sheets are 
four or five times as thick as the partition at the center of 
natural comb, which is very thin, only 1-180 of an inch 
thick. This is pressed between metal plates so accurately 
formed that the wax receives rhomboidal impressions which 
are a fac simile of the basal wall or partition between the 
opposite cells of natural comb. The thickness of this sheet 
is no objection, as it is found that the bees thin it down to 
the natural thickness, and use the shavings to form the 
walls. As we have seen, the bees form comb in the same 
way, when they make their own foundation. 
AMERICAN FOUNDATION. 
Mr. Waguer seciired a patent on foundation in 1861, but 
as the article was already in use in Germany, the patent 
was, as we understand, of no legal value, and certainly, as 
it did nothing to bring this desirable article into use, it had 
no virtual value. Mr. Wagner was also the first to suggest 
the idea of rollers. In Langstroth’s work, edition of 1859, 
p- 373, occurs the following, in reference to printing or 
stamping combs: “ Mr. Wagner suggests forming these 
outlines with a simple instrument somewhat like a wheel 
cake cutter. When a large number are to be made, a 
machine might easily be constructed which would stamp 
them with great rapidity.” In 1866, the King Brothers, of 
New York, in accordance with the above suggestion, made 
the first machine with rollers, the product of which they 
tried to get patented but failed. These stamped rollers were 
less than two inches long. This machine was useless, and 
failed to bring foundation into general use. 
In 1874, Mr. Frederick Weiss, a poor German, invented 
the machine which brought the foundation into general 
use. This was the machine on which was made the beau- 
tiful and practical foundation sent out by “John Long,” in 
-1874 and 1875, and which proved to the American apiarists 
that foundation machines, and foundation, were to be a 
success. 
In 1876, Mr. A. I. Root commenced in his energetic, 
enthusiastic way, and soon brought the roller machine 
(Fig. 120) and foundation into general use. These machines 
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