Topsy Turvey or what? questions for the design committee

[Hombre]

I read this description in at honey-bees-etc and suddenly a good idea seemed not too clever. A case of a good idea spoiled perhaps by it's execution perhaps.

Parallel extractor: Frames loaded flat with bottom bars toward centre, very efficient. Takes deep and shallow frames.

What does the team think?

 

[JamezF]

I can't see what possible benefits it might have over a standard radial extractor.

James

 

[Midland Beek]

You mean the Sweinty World Extractor?

 

[Hombre]

It might be, but was in the listings at honey-bees-etc.co.uk

The basic idea is good and visibly it takes four frames flat and looks as if it might be rotated to spin them in the vertical aspect. The picture depicts a 45 degree angle of rotation to the vertical. If it was an 8 or 12 frame model, then I would be really impressed, but the point of my comment is that the lugs are to the centre and so instead of throwing the honey efficiently out of the cells, some of the honey is being pressed into the bottom of the cells, surely? Lugs to the periphery would be logical for efficient emptying of the cells. Flat radial you might call it.

If we could get a 12 or 18 inch deep barrel (well more dome turret shaped) with the diameter to accommodate BSN supers, Langstroth Jumbos and 14x12s then I'm sure that it could be a winner, taking up a lot less footprint than a radial, with performance of a radial and the convenience of a radial. The price of course . . . Just like the parallels that the big processing plants have, but smaller of course.

The one advertised surely has it wrong though. Either that or it's a bit of a design gaff.

Ask yourself James, why do the big honey packers in Europe not use standard radial machines?

 

[Hombre]

A baby one of these - from 1 minute 04 seconds into the video.
Credit me with a little imagination, please.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VY5lQd0Zap8

Also from the same site.
214. Steam generator for heated knives or wax melter £292.20
or from Screwfix for between £30 and £50 for steaming off wallpaper to boot.

 

[Skyhook]

the point of my comment is that the lugs are to the centre and so instead of throwing the honey efficiently out of the cells, some of the honey is being pressed into the bottom of the cells, surely? Lugs to the periphery would be logical for efficient emptying of the cells. Flat radial you might call it.

I think it says bottom bars towards the centre.

 

[Hombre]

@Skyhook, you are perfectly correct and I am decidedly wrong. For some reason better known to myself I don't seem to think of the bottom bars as being a reference.

A bit of a mind block I think. Oooops.

I must admit that I like the format, it should be very good, but oh the price. Running like a bicycle wheel it should be very effective, but I suppose that there is a lot more strain on the central shaft running horizontally rather than vertically.

 

[RoofTops]

It sounds like the same idea as the Swienty World extractor as already mentioned, with a few designs differences. The Swienty extractor has two main advantages - it can take frames more or less of any size and extract them radially and it will also do top bar "frames".

The idea of spinning frames along the plane of the frame is widely used in very large extractors (as per video). Extractors of 200 frames+ are built like this. The method is well established and well proven.

 

[oliver90owner]

I am decidedly wrong

Hombre,

You were decidely right in the OP, but at nearer three in the morning, you were likely ready for some shut-eye?

Fewer blown frames with that arrangement, radial loaded bearings would not be a problem (make them as big as needed) and would likely be external no special seal (or lubrication) needed at the actual bearings, only on the shaft at the entry point - which again would be clear of any hydrostatic pressure).

However the fabrication cost seems to be considerable and large units are required for cost effectiveness. Tiny units may well suffer from out-of-balance problems more than our present designs, especially for those of us that reduce the number of frames in a box. In fact, self spacing frames appear to be a 'must' for the extractor.

A good design for larger operations is my take on it, but faaar tooo expensive for the average hobbyist, relatively immovable, so cannot be suspended (out of the way) from the roof for 11 1/2 months of the year. I just don't think it would work well when scaled down to the barest minimum.

Regards, RAB