History 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 i- 180 of an inch 

 thick. This is pressed between metal plates so accurately 

 formed that the wax receives rhomboidal impressions which 

 are a Jac 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. Wagner secured 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. T. Root commenced in his energetic, 

 enthusiastic way, and soon brought the roller machine 

 (Fig. 120) and foundation into general use. These machines 



20 



