ous Flexible Material to Corks and Bungs.
Year: 1885

page_text: analogous Flexible Material to Corks and Bungs.
I FREDERICK WILLIAM RUSSELL, of Hexham Villa, New Barnet, in the County
of Herts, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR ATTACHING CORD, WIRE, OR ANALOGOUS
FLEXIBLE MATERIAL TO CORKS AND BUNGS" to be as follows:-
Whereas in the Specifications filed with my application for, and in pursuance of,
certain Letters Patent granted to me for "Improved means for withdrawing corks
or bungs from bottles, casks, and other vessels," dated 8th February 1881, No 541,
I have described certain arrangements for instantly withdrawing corks or bungs
from bottles, jars, casks, and such like vessels; such arrangements consisting of
cord or other suitable material attached to the corks &c as therein particularly
described.
In carrying out such invention, I found the necessity existed for some simple
and expeditious means of attaching such cord &c. to corks and bungs in order to
render such invention commercially successful, and the present invention consists
of such an apparatus.
Attached to a table, bench, or other convenient temporary or permanent fixture
(herein after called the "bench ") I fit three bent prongs or hooks in line with each
other; one of such hooks being moveable to a greater or less distance from the
others, to suit various lengths of corks. The points are bent downwards, and
facing the operator. On each side of these prongs, and a few inches therefrom, are
two horizontal spiral springs contained in tubes fixed to the bench.
A frame forming three sides of a rectangle, usually made of iron rod, is also
fitted to the bench. The two side rods of this frame enter the spring tubes, and
are thereby pressed towards the operator. The remaining side of this frame is
fitted with a horizontal hook, which projects towards the bench. From this hook,
or from any other convenient part of the frame, a cord is carried under the bench
where it passes round a pulley, and then descends to a treadle, to which it is fixed.
By means of the treadle and cord the operator is enabled to draw the frame
towards the bench, and, by the reverse movement of letting go the treadle, the
springs drive the frame back towards the operator.

page_text: It will be obvious that this action may be reversed, as the springs may be in
tension instead of compression; also that the reciprocating motion may be obtained
by pedals and levers, either with or without springs to aid such motion.
The prongs fitted to the bench are used to hold the cork or bung, and the book
attached to the frame is used for the cord, to impart sufficient tension thereto, and
to sink the cord flush into self-made grooves in the cork, to which it then adheres
with sufficient tenacity for all practical purposes.
The various bites and loops of the cord are sufficiently described in my said
Specifications, No. 54181, and therefore need not be repeated herein. The cord is
placed upon the cork by hand: the cork is then rapidly placed under the prongs
whereby it is firmly held: the treadle is pressed with the foot while the cord is
passed on to the hook the foot is thereupon lifted, and the springs drive the frame
and make the cord taut. The cork is then ready for use, with the cord attached
thereto.

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Attaching Cord, Wire, or.
analogous Flexible Material to Corks and Bungs.
I FREDERICK WILLIAM RUSSELL of Hexham Villa, New Barnet in the County
of Herts, Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR ATTACHING CORD, WIRE, OR ANALOGOUS FLEXIBLE
MATERIAL TO CORKS & BUNGS and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
Whereas in the specifications filed with my application for and in pursuance of
certain Letters Patent granted to me for "Improved means for withdrawing corks
or bungs from bottles, casks, and other vessels," dated 8th February 1881, Nº 541,
I have described certain arrangements for instantly withdrawing corks or bungs
from bottles; jars, casks, and such like vessels; such arrangements consisting of
cord or other suitable material attached to the corks & as therein particularly
described.
In carrying out such invention, I found the necessity existed for some simple and
expeditious means of attaching such cord &c to corks and bungs in order to render
such invention commercially successful, and the present invention consists of such
an apparatus.
Attached to a table, bench, or other convenient temporary or permanent fixture
(herein after called the "bench ") I fit three bent prongs or hooks in line with each
other; one of such hooks being moveable to a greater or less distance from the
others to suit various lengths of corks. The points are bent downwards, and facing
the operator. On each side of these prongs, and a few inches therefrom, are two
horizontal spiral springs contained in tubes fixed to the bench.
A frame, forming three sides of a rectangle, usually made of iron rod, is also
fitted to the bench. The two side rods of this frame enter the spring tubes, and
are thereby pressed towards the operator. The remaining side of this frame is
fitted with a horizontal hook, which projects towards the bench. From this hook,
or from any other convenient part of the frame, a cord is carried under the bench
where it passes round a pulley, and descends to a treadle, to which it is fixed. By
means of the treadle and cord the operator is enabled to draw the frame towards
the bench, and, by the reverse movement of letting go the treadle, the springs drive
the frame back towards the operator.
It will be obvious that this action may be reversed as the springs may be in
tension instead of compression; also that the reciprocating motion may be obtained
by pedals and levers, either with or without springs to aid such motion.
The prongs fitted to the bench are used to hold the cork or bung, and the hook
attached to the frame is used for the cord, to impart sufficient tension thereto, and
to sink the cord flush into self made grooves in the cork, to which it then adheres
with sufficient tenacity for all practical purposes.

page_text: The various bites and loops of the cord are sufficiently described in my said
specifications, No 541, and therefore need not be repeated herein. The cord is
placed upon the cork by hand: the cork is then rapidly placed under the prongs
whereby it is firmly held: the treadle is pressed with the foot while the cord is
passed on to the hook the foot is thereupon lifted, and the springs drive the franie
and make the cord taunt. The cork is then ready for use, with the cord attached
thereto.
And in order that my said invention may be particularly described & ascer-
tained reference is hereby made to the accompanying Drawings in which similar
letters of reference indicate corresponding parts Fig. 1 is a perspective view of
the bench or table and seat combined, which I construct in wood, iron or other
suitable materials. The table A has three bent prongs or hooks of iron a a & a¹
fixed to the front facing the operator by screws, or a slotted iron plate c Fig. 3,
which plate is shewn in plan at Fig. 4, the hook a¹ is moveable and acts as a gauge,
as shewn in Fig 3, and is fixed and unfixed by means of a thumb screw D; the
slot cand gauge a¹ in Fig. 3, is shewn in section for greater clearness in Fig. 2.
In Fig. 5 the back of the frame is shewn supporting the bench, where two pulley
wheels G around and over which cords pass in opposite directions, descending to
the treadle H which engage with the horizontal slides K. (see Fig. 6) where they
are fixed through a hole in the plate of the slides K, which is shewn in section in
Fig. 6, as well as the case K' which is internally slotted to receive the slides; the
stop L prevents the slides K from travelling beyond a regulated distance; a rod M
is fixed to one end of the slides K, and a piston N is screwed on to the other,
which enters the tubes O. The rods M, when the treadle H (Fig. 5) is pressed by
the foot of the operator, drive the springs back some distance up the tubes O, at
the same time causing the slides K (Fig. 6) to enter the case K₁. The springs O
may be placed in the tube, as described, or they may be placed outside the tube
and press against suitable projections or flanges, thereby operating upon the
frame P.
The frame forming three sides of a rectangle P, as shewn in Fig. 6, is used for
drawing upon the slides K, and is fixed to the same by corresponding eyes to
match, at the extreme ends, which engage with the eyes at the base of the slides K,
and are connected by thumb screws Q. The centre of the frame P, is fitted with a
hook P¹, arranged to expand by being split and opened out by a screw pin P², to
engage the loop of the cord to correspond with the gauge E. Figs. 2 and 3, according
to the diameter of the cork or bung to be encircled with the cord and to be attached
thereto as herein before described This book projects towards the bench or table A
and is regulated by a screw which passes from the handle P³, and works through
the box, and keeps the book P¹, which works on a swivel in a direct line, I provide
a pin on each side of P which passes through a hole in the collar P, and is attached
by a screw to the sides of the hook P¹, and works backwards and forwards by the
twisting of the handle P3 at will.
In Fig. 6 is shewn a section of a cylinder R which has at its extreme end a
tube S containing a spring; this cylinder or tube has a rod T running through its
entire length projecting at the back as shewn. The spiral spring through which
the rod passes presses against a link or staple X to compress the spring: at the front
end of the rod T facing the operator are two curved prongs T¹, with swivel
chucks T fixed. These prongs are intended to encircle the cork, and the chucks
to revolve with the cork in the act of turning, which is effected by the tension of
the frame P shewn in Fig. 6 connected to the ring U by cords passing round a
pulley wheel W (Fig. 6) through the spring tube O, and engaging the pist n N ;
by which action the prongs T¹ are to a certain extent drawn into the tube R, and
are thereby caused to close upon the cork, which being the reverse action to the
pressure on the loop of the cork engaged in the hook P, causes the spring in the
hox S to allow the tube R to descend to the regulated distance in the link X, which
is screwed to the bottom of the table or bench A, when by releasing the tension of

page_text: the handle P³ (Fig. 6) the springs in the tubes O force the slides K forward, and
the prongs which work on a hinge T3 shewn in Fig. 6 are pressed forward by the
spring V and thereby open and release the cork.
The arrangement shewn in Fig. 6, may be reversed, as shewn in Fig. 7, by the
tube working on the rod, and having a balf hoop, or hook turned over at its point
as shewn at Y.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. In apparatus for the purpose aforesaid the use of three prongs or hooks a a
& a placed arranged & operating substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated in Fig's. 2. 3 & 4 of the drawings.
2. In apparatus for the purpose aforesaid the arrangement and use of the slides
and springs, bar screw action & hook severally operating substantially as herein
before described & shewn in Fig. 6 of the drawings.
3. In apparatus for the purpose aforesaid the arrangement of the Tube, Spring,
Rod and prongs severally operating substantially as described and shewn in Fig's. 6
& 7 of the drawings.
4. The general combination & arrangement of the several & respective parts,
together forming my invention of improvements in apparatus for attaching, cord,
wire, or analogous flexible material to corks and bungs, substantially as herein
before described & shewn on the drawings.