342 
EXTRACTORS 
volved, and the honey ran out thru a hole 
in the center of the bottom. The same force 
that threw the honey from the combs, how¬ 
ever, held it to the sides of the can, and 
none would run out until the machine was 
stopped. In 1869 A. I. Root constructed 
what he called the Novice honey-extractor. 
This was so great an improvement over all 
that had preceded that it found a ready 
sale at once. Only the inside framework 
for holding the combs revolved. The crank 
was geared so that one revolution made 
three revolutions of the combs. 
REVERSIBLE EXTRACTOR. 
When the honey from one side of the 
r omb was extracted in the Novice machine 
the comb had to be lifted out and turned 
around in order to throw the honey out of 
Two-frame Reversible Honey-extractor. 
the other side. About the time that A. I. 
Root was experimenting along this line 
Thomas William Cowan, editor of the Brit¬ 
ish Bee Journal, constructed what was then 
known and is still called the Cowan rever¬ 
sible extractor. Several “baskets” holding 
the combs and hung on binges like a door, 
could be swung from side to side, and 
either side of the comb could be next to the 
outside. The first side could be extracted, 
and then the pocket, or basket, swung 
around so that the honey could be thrown 
from the other side without taking out the 
comb and reversing it. 
THE ROOT MULTIPLE REVERSING 
EXTRACTOR. 
In using the Cowan extractor when one 
desires to reverse, it is necessary to stop 
the machine, and with the hand catch bold 
of the pockets and swing them around to 
the other position. The multiple reversing 
extractor, as its name indicates, reverses 
the pockets simultaneously when the brake 
is applied. The lever acts as a brake until 
the extractor has been reduced in speed to 
a certain point when the hub of the reel is 
held stationary by the brake, and the reel, 
which continues to turn, accomplishes the 
reversing of the pockets by means of the 
reversing levers located on the top of the 
reel. This action is always positive and 
reliable. The strain of reversing is borne 
entirely by the brake, thus relieving the 
driving mechanism of all stress. 
CENTRAL PIVOT REVERSING EXTRACTOR. 
All reversible honey-extractors on the 
market make use of one of two principles 
for changing the sides of the combs. The 
first one has been used for the last 20 years, 
and it has given very good satisfaction; 
but it has its limitations. The other one, 
perhaps, just as old, but newer in its ap¬ 
plication, is attracting a large amount of 
favorable comment. In the older type the 
baskets or pockets are hinged on the sides, 
after the principle of a common door. The 
reversing is accomplished by swinging the 
pockets on their hinges from one side clear 
over to the other. This principle necessi¬ 
tates the stopping of the machine, or near¬ 
ly stopping it, before the reversing can be 
accomplished. Even at slow speed the 
centrifugal force tends to throw the bas- 
