Hi all
I wonder if anyone has any reports of the fabulous flow hive. I recently found this reference to previous attempts at

Hives and combs for automatic honey extraction

Several inventors have designed combs that do not require opening the hive
in order to harvest the honey -- a "fatiguing and dangerous" operation. We
list them below without comment -- since they do not appear to be available on
the market, nor are there any independent reports of their practicability.

Except for the final three, numbers refer to U.S. Patents.

Avant, L. W. 890,397 (1908) uses hollow comb and partial vacuum
Babcock, G. W. 1,188,386 (1916), 1,407,244 (1922) continuously moving separators keep bees building "sticks" for comb honey sections
Sugano, G. 2,631,307 (1953) rotating knives uncap circular combs in the hive
Krause, I. J. 3,303,519 (1967) honey removed before combs are capped
Garriga, J. B. 2,223,561 (1940) comb spread apart to permit honey to drain out of the rear of cells
Mari, J. R. 2,779,037 (1957) knives cut a small hole in the rear of cells

Aesop GBC 44 : 15-16 (1916) an agitator in the hive
Cases, J. R. Brit. Pat. 592,090 (1947) combs softened by warming until honey flows out
Settman, T. Bee Wid 5 : 38 (1923) self-emptying comb

Johansson, T. S. K., & Johansson, M. P. (1971). Substitutes for beeswax in comb and comb foundation. Bee World, 52(4), 146-156.

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