This application claims priority to German patent application number DE 20 2010 005 230.0 U1 filed Apr. 16, 2010 and now pending which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
A. Field of Invention
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to wax-melting devices and related methods.
B. Description of the Related Art
Devices for separating beeswax from honeycombs are known in the art but include many shortcomings. One such prior device has a melt container for receiving a plurality of honeycomb frames, each of which comprises a honeycomb panel and two bearing projections at opposite ends, and a suspension device with two spaced bearing elements for the honeycomb frames. The melt container can be closed by an upper cover. Steam is fed into the melt container via an inlet. The melt container and the cover consist of thin sheet metal. The bearing elements are formed at the top at the edge of the side walls of the melt container. The honeycomb frames are suspended in the melt container, where the bearing projections bear on the spaced bearing elements. From a steam generator steam is introduced into the melt container. The honeycomb frames were part of a beehive and contain beeswax and pomace, including cocoons of the larvae, pollen residues, and related impurities and unwanted matter. Due to the steam the wax melts and runs through a sieve of the melt container and over a horizontal base wall further to an outlet opening. The pomace is held back by the sieve.
A disadvantage of existing wax-melting devices, such as the foregoing device, lies in the fact that the size of the honeycomb frames must be adapted to the size of the melt container. Thus it is not possible to use arbitrary honeycomb frames. An additional disadvantage lies in the fact that the wax runs off over the horizontal base. Still another disadvantage lies in the fact that the melting device requires a great deal of energy. The container is formed to be relatively deep so that an unnecessarily large volume must be filled with steam and heated. The energy requirement of the melting device is increased significantly more due to the fact that the melt container loses heat through its thin sheet metal walls. Still another disadvantage lies in the fact that there is a relatively great portion of residual wax in the pomace deposited on the sieve. Some embodiments of the present invention may overcome one or more of the foregoing disadvantages.
Embodiments of the invention include beeswax melting devices and related methods for separating beeswax from honeycombs. A spacing-setting device can be provided in order to determine the spacing of the bearing elements. Using the spacing-setting device it is possible to set different spacings between the two bearing elements. This makes it possible to suspend honeycomb frames of different sizes.
In some embodiments one of the bearing elements is formed as a bearing bar and the spacing-setting device comprises a catch device in which two opposite ends of the bearing bar can engage. In this connection “can engage” includes that the bearing bar can be secured against horizontal displacement.
In some embodiments the bearing bar can engage at different positions so that the wax-melting device can be adapted to frames of different sizes.
In some embodiments the catch device comprises two catch elements with a plurality of catch recesses. The bearing bar can be released by a vertical movement of the catch elements and then can be inserted into other catch recesses. The catch elements as well as the bearing bar can be formed in a particularly simple manner.
In some embodiments side walls of the melt container comprise an insulating layer.
In some embodiments base walls of the melt container comprises an insulating layer.
In some embodiments a cover is provided which comprises an insulating layer.
In some embodiments, due to the insulating layers at the side walls, the base wall and the cover, the energy requirement of the melting device can be sharply reduced and the portion of residual wax which continues to adhere to the pomace can be significantly reduced.
In some embodiments the insulating layer comprises, or the insulating layers comprise, damping foam which is foamed in between two facing metal sheets. Such insulation can be produced in a particularly simple manner and is well protected against external effects.
In some embodiments several supports are provided, each of which comprises a length-adjusting device so that the wax-melting device can be disposed so as to have an inclination. In this connection “so as to have an inclination” includes that a base wall of the melt container is aligned so as to have an inclination with respect to the horizontal.
In some embodiments the wax then flows better through an outlet. In addition, secure seating of the wax-melting device can be provided using the length-adjusting device.
In some embodiments the bearing elements can be aligned so as to be offset in the vertical direction so that the honeycomb frames can be suspended so as to have an inclination. “can be aligned so as to be offset in the vertical direction” includes that the bearing elements are disposed basically at different heights, or can be disposed at different heights, if the melting device is set up on plane ground. Aligning the bearing elements so as to be offset in the vertical direction can be effected by an adjustment of the supports. In connection with this the inclination of the honeycomb frames is suitably more than one degree and less than 15 degrees with respect to the horizontal. The inclination of the honeycomb frames causes a better separation of the pomace from the wax so that the pomace only contains a small portion of residual wax.
Embodiments of the invention are described in more detail in the following specification with the aid of drawings. Other benefits and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which it pertains upon reading and understanding of the following detailed specification.
The invention may take physical form in certain parts and arrangement of parts, embodiments of which will be described in detail in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof and wherein:
The bearing element 15 can be formed as a rectangular tubular bearing bar 15 made of stainless steel and runs horizontally and parallel to the bearing element 22. The opposite ends of the bearing bar 15 each engage in one of the catch recesses of one of the catch elements 14 and are held in the catch recesses. The spacing between the bearing elements 15, 22 can be adapted to honeycomb frames 16 due to the fact that the bearing element 15 (the bearing bar) can engage in different catch recesses. The bearing projections at opposite ends of the honeycomb frame 16 bear on the bearing elements 15, 22. Additional honeycomb frames 16 are not represented in order to conceal as little of the melting device as possible. The position of the steam generator 7 which is hidden by the base wall of the melt container 1 is represented with a dotted line.
If steam from the steam generator 7 is introduced into the melt chamber 21 via the inlet 20, the wax from the honeycomb panels in the honeycomb frames 16 melts. Due to the inclination of the honeycomb frames 16 the wax first runs along a lower frame strip to a lower corner 24 of the honeycomb frame 16 and from there drops onto the sieve device 17. In connection with this the inclination of the honeycomb frames 16 is preferably more than one degree and less than 15 degrees with respect to the horizontal. The pomace is not capable of flow and falls directly onto the sieve device 17. Only a small portion of the pomace which is deposited on the sieve device 17 comes in contact with wax which drops down from the honeycomb frames 16 and can hold it back. Due to the inclination of the base wall of the melt container 1 the wax flows particularly quickly to the outlet 6 and through it further into a collecting container (not represented)
The embodiments have been described, hereinabove. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the above methods and apparatuses may incorporate changes and modifications without departing from the general scope of this invention. It is intended to include all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof.
Having thus described the invention, it is now claimed:
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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DE202010005230 U1 | Apr 2010 | DE | national |