Device for uncapping honeycombs

Abstract

A device for uncapping wax cappings (13) that cover honeycombs (14). Before extracting, the sealed honeycombs (14) have to be uncapped in order to be able to spin the honey out of the honeycombs (14). The cutting system of this device allows, besides full-sized honeycombs (14), also a precise uncapping of undersized honeycombs (14) or shallow and deformed honeycomb structures, which cannot be uncapped using traditional cutting systems. The device includes rotatably mounted perforating elements (11, 12), and supporting elements (5, 6), on which the perforating elements (11, 12) are mounted. Secondly, the supporting elements are pivoted on a base for turning movement. Thirdly, the device has supporting elements equipped with a spring for pressing them against the honeycomb (14) with such a force that enables the piercing elements to go through the wax cappings (13) and into the honeycombs without damaging the other structures of honeycomb frame (2).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD[0001]The aim of this invention is a device for uncapping honeycombs sealed with wax before extracting the honeycomb frame, including a mechanism for feeding the honeycomb frame into the machine.BACKGROUND AND KNOWN TECHNOLOGY[0002]The honeycombs taken from beehives are usually sealed with wax. Before processing the honey, the sealed honeycombs have to be uncapped in order to be able to spin the honey inside the honeycomb out of the honeycomb frames. After uncapping the honeycombs, the frames are moved into the extractor, where honey comes out from the honeycombs because of the centrifugal force and drains into a tank. For uncapping the honeycombs there are nowadays several different uncapping devices that remove the wax cappings of the honeycomb using static or vibrating cutting knives.[0003]In the device for uncapping the honeycombs according to the publication FR2833137A1 the cutting off of the wax cappings is implemented by rigid v-shaped heated cutting knives. Th...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The device described in this patent text is an uncapping device for honeycomb frames. It uses cutting knives to open the honeycomb covers, and then a perforating element to allow the honey to flow out of the frame. Compared to other methods, this device reduces the amount of honey that needs to be thrown away, and is more efficient in extracting the honey from the frame. Using this device also reduces physical exhaustion for the workers and improves the speed of the processing of honey.

Problems solved by technology

This appurtenance is in that case unimportant, because a notable part of honeycomb frames are asymmetric or undersized and require manual uncapping afterwards.

During a bad summer and the spring and autumn harvest bees produce undersized honeycombs, which cannot be uncapped with straight cutting knives.

The rubbing mechanism of this device is not sufficient on the surface of the honeycomb, so the interior of the honeycombs remains intact and partially covered with wax.

This method leads to the worst possible result and moreover, it is an arduous, slow and expensive way to destroy the beeswax by repeatedly overheating it.

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