At 04:49 PM 26/03/97 EST, you wrote:
>Basically the hive super had metal clips of some type that secured
>the suppers together and hive inspections a done by tipping the whole hive
>over. Apparently no lifting, one just spreads the supers and rights the
>one being inspected, then tips the supoer back, and does the next one. I
>assume the clips are reset and the whole hive us tipped back up.
 
Here in Sydney I have not heard of this method before.  It was probably just
that beekeeper's way of reducing the work.
 
I presume from your description that the after the beekeeper tipped the
whole hive over, he then inspected each box in turn starting with the brood
box at the bottom.  As each box is inspected it would be put down in its
proper place on top of the bottom borad or lower box.
 
The clips you refer to are probably the type used be several beekeepers
here.  They are used to keep hives together during transort etc.  It is
hinged on a nail/screw just below the top of the lower box, wraps over a
similar nail/screw in the upper box and then catches on another nail/screw
in the lower box.  Porvided you get the nails in the right place it works
very well.
 
  |                 |
  |        -        |
  |       /o\       |
  |------/---\------|
  |  \o /     \o/   |
  |   -        -    |
  |                 |
 
A lot of beekeepers don't like to use these clips.  They don't like the
extra work getting all the nails/crews in just the right place on each box.
They perfer to use em-locks.
Regards
 
Chris Allen