Old Hive Designs

[BoBn]

Thanks to google patents (http://www.google.com/patents), it is easy to search and browse historical patents.
I stumbled across a cylindrical hive with circular comb from 1898:
http://www.google.com/patents?id=b31mAAAAEBAJ&pg=PA1&dq=beehive&source=gbs_selected_pages&cad=2#v=onepage&q=beehive&f=false

And here's a hive from 1877 with a screened bottom board:
http://www.google.com/patents?id=XXZvAAAAEBAJ&pg=PA1&dq=beehive&source=gbs_selected_pages&cad=1#v=onepage&q=beehive&f=false

[mythomane]

Go to Honeymoon Apiaries website -- there is a compendium on there.

[magnet-man]

Done before the days of Google patents.

http://honeymoonapiaries.com/web_beekeeping/default.htm

[BoBn]

Done before the days of Google patents.

Nice!
Thanks.

[Paraplegic Racehorse]

Also, both sites only cover US patents. There are several interesting hive designs, gadgets and other gew-gaw patents in Canada, UK, France, Germany, etc. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find a good search engine for non-US patents. :( If you find one, post it here, because I certainly would love to dig through it.