Improvements in Apparatus for Drawing Corks from Bottles and the like.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 11th June, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 12th Apr., 1897-Accepted, 15th May, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Drawing Corks from Bottles and
the like.
I, JOHN CHARLES CRAMPIN READ, of Royston Park Pinner in the County
of Middlesex, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as
follows:-
My invention has for its object to provide a simple and efficient apparatus for
drawing corks from bottles or the like which apparatus is economical in first cost,.
necessitates but little fitting, is very compact, convenient to operate, and is not
liable to get out of order. An apparatus constructed according to this invention
consists of a casing capable of being mounted or secured to a table or other support
by a screw clamp or other means, the said casing having an opening at its lower
part at which the cork to be drawn is presented. In this opening is a nut which
can slide in the casing but is normally held in position by means of a catch. It is
prevented from rotating by a groove and feather or equivalent arrangement or by
forming it and the opening in which it slides of non-circular shape. A corkscrew
engages with the said nut the rear end of the said serew being secured (so that it
can rotate) to a plate which can be moved up and down in guides in the casing.
Over or upon this plate is fitted to slide another plate which can be operated by
any suitable device but preferably by means of a handle which is cast with parts
on which it can be turned in bearings in the casing and also with an eccentric or
cam which engages between upper and lower ribs or projections provided on the
last mentioned plate and give motion through a system of levers to the plate which
carries the corkscrew. These levers are so arranged and connected to the sliding
plates that by a comparatively slight movement (say of a revolution) the sliding
plates are depressed by the said cam or eccentric and the nut being held stationary
by the catch aforesaid the corkscrew as it descends rotates in the nut and enters
the cork of the bottle, or the like held beneath it. By a further slight movement
of the handle a cam or eccentric acts upon the catch to release it from the nut so
that by the continued operation of the handle to the extent of say of a revolution
the screw and the nut together and with them the cork are raised the cork being
thus withdrawn from the bottle or the like. By reversing the movement of the
bandle the nut and screw with the cork thereon are moved downwards in the casing
and the aforesaid catch engages again with the nut so as to hold it down and then
by the still continued action of the handle the screw alone is caused to move
upwards and as the nut is now held stationary the screw is rotated and so is
removed from the cork and the apparatus is then ready for another operation.
In apparatus of this kind as hitherto constructed it has been found that the cork-
screw after having been inserted in the cork and the handle is being turned in the
direction to raise the cork-screw the said cork-screw has been liable to turn in the
cork and rise without raising the cork with it. In order to prevent this I provide
in the nut in which the cork-screw works a plate arranged to slide transversely in
guides in one end of the said nut. This plate is provided with a hole through
which the cork-screw can freely pass except when the said cork-screw is in its
lowest position in which position the plate is moved under the action of a spring
so as to cause the plate to engage with a collar or shoulder on the corkscrew and
so prevent the said cork-screw from turning in the nut and cork, while being

page_text: raised, thus ensuring the cork being raised with the cork-screw. When the cork-
screw with the cork thereon and the nut are again lowered the catch which engages
with the nut to prevent it from rising, acts on the end of sliding plate in the nut so
as to release it from the collar or shoulder on the cork-screw which cork-screw is
then free to turn when next raised and so release the cork.
Dated this 11th day of June 1896.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
Improvements in Apparatus for Drawing Corks from Bottles and
the like.
I, JOHN CHARLES CRAMPIN READ, of Royston Park, Pinner, in the County
of Middlesex Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention has for its object to provide a simple and efficient apparatus for
drawing corks from bottles or the like, which apparatus is economical in first cost,
necessitates but little fitting, is very compact, convenient to operate, and is not
liable to get out of order. An apparatus constructed according to this invention
consists of a casing capable of being mounted or secured to a table or other support
by a screw clamp or other means the said casing having an opening at its lower
part at which the cork to be drawn is presented. In this opening is a nut which
can slide in the casing but is normally held in position by means of a catch. It is
prevented from rotating by a groove and feather or equivalent arrangement or by
forming it and the opening in which it slides of non-circular shape. A corkscrew
engages with the said nut, the rear end of the said screw being secured (so that it
can rotate) to a plate which can be moved up and down in guides in the casing.
Over or upon this plate is fitted to slide another plate which can be operated by
any suitable device but preferably by means of a handle which may be cast with
parts on which it can be turned in bearings in the casing and also with an eccentric,
cam, or lever, which engages between upper and lower ribs or projections provided
on the last mentioned plate, and give motion through a system of levers to the
plate which carries the corkscrew. These levers are so arranged and connected to
the sliding plates that by a comparatively slight movement.(say of a revolution)
the sliding plates are depressed by the said cam, eccentric, or lever, and the nut
being held stationary by the catch aforesaid the corkscrew as it descends rotates
in the nut and enters the cork of the bottle, or the like held beneath it. By a
further slight movement of the handle a cam or eccentric acts upon the catch to
release it from the nut so that by the continued operation of the handle to the
extent of say of a revolution the screw and the nut together and with them the
cork are raised the cork being thus withdrawn from the bottle or the like.
reversing the movement of the handle the nut and screw with the cork thereon are
moved downwards in the casing and the aforesaid catch engages again with the nut
so as to hold it down and then by the still continued action of the handle the screw
alone is caused to move upwards and as the nut is now held stationary the screw is
rotated and so is removed from the cork and the apparatus is then ready for another
operation. In apparatus of this kind as hitherto constructed it has been found that
the corkscrew after having been inserted in the cork and the handle is being
turned in the direction to raise the corkscrew the said corkscrew has been liable to
By

page_text: turn in the cork and rise without raising the cork with it. In order to prevent.
this I provide in the nut in which the corkscrew works a plate arranged to slide
transversely in guides in one end of the said nut. This plate is provided with a hole
through which the corkscrew can freely pass except when the said corkscrew is in its
lowest position in which position the plate is moved so as to cause it to engage with
a collar or shoulder on the corkscrew and so prevent the said corkscrew from
turning in the nut and cork while being raised, thus ensuring the cork being raised
with the corkscrew. When the corkscrew with the cork thereon and the nut are
again lowered the catch which engages with the nut to prevent it from rising, acts.
on the end of the sliding plate in the nut so as to release it from the collar or
shoulder on the corkscrew which corkscrew is then free to turn when next raised
and so release the cork.
And in order that my invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the
accompanying drawings the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts
in all the figures.
Figure 1 represents in elevation with one cheek or side of the easing removed
a cork drawing apparatus constructed according to my invention, the parts being.
shewn in their normal position.
Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 shewing the parts in the position they
occupy when the corkscrew is inserted in the cork.
Figure 3 shews the position of the parts when the cork is drawn from the bottle
into the apparatus.
Figure 4 is a section along the line 1-2, Figure 2 looking towards the interior
of the apparatus, and
Figure 5 is a section on the line 3-4 Figure 2.
The casing A of the apparatus is made in parts connected together by screws 80-1
as to be readily separated to gain access to the interior and provided with a screw
clamp B by means of which the apparatus can be attached to a counter or other
support. In this casing is a tubular passage C in which is fitted to slide a nut D
provided with a projection d which enters a slot in the tubular passage and prevents
the said nut from turning therein. In this nut is an internal screw thread in which
the corkscrew E works." The corkscrew is connected so as to be free to turn in a
plate or piece F which can be moved up and down in the tubular passage C..
To this plate or piece F is connected, by a link or lever, G, another plate H
pivoted at g to the lever G and having an opening & therein the upper and lower-
edges of which opening constitute ribs or bearing surfaces for an anti-friction.
pulley or wheel carried on a lever, cam, or eccentric I formed in one with, or
connected to the operating handle K of the apparatus, the said lever, cam, or
eccentric I being mounted in bearings in the cheeks or sides of the casing A.
On one of the journals of the lever, cam, or eccentric I is an eccentric or cam i
which works in an opening n in the upper end of a lever N pivoted at n' to the
casing A, the lower end of which lever has a lug or projection n' normally engaging
the projection d on the nut D to prevent the said nut from rising in the tubular
passage C. Fitted to slide transversely in guides in the upper end of the nut D
is a plate M having therein an opening m sufficiently large to admit of the passage
therethrough of the corkscrew E. A smaller opening communicates with the
opening m the sides of which opening m', when the plate is moved into one position,
engage a neck or shoulder e on the corkscrew so as to prevent the said corkscrew
from turning in the nut D while the cork is being drawn from the bottle. To draw
the cork from a bottle, the parts of the apparatus being in the position shewn in
Figure 1, the neck of the bottle is placed in the lower end of the tubular passage C
and the handle K is then turned in the direction of the arrow into the position
shewn in Figure 2, whereby, through the lever I, plate H and link or lever G, the
plate or piece F is forced down the tubular passage C and the corkscrew E caused
to turn in the nut D and out through the bottom thereof into the cork in the neck
of the bottle, the eccentric or cam i on the journal of the lever I causing the lever N

page_text: to rock on its pivot n¹ so as to disengage the lug n² on the lower end of the lever,
from the projection d on the nut D and at the same time move the plate M in its
guides so as to cause the sides of the opening m¹ in the plate to engage the shoulder
or neck e of the nut E and so prevent the corkscrew from turning in the nut.
Then by a further movement of the handle into the position shewn in Figure 3,
the nut, together with the corkscrew and the cork thereon, will have been raised in
the tubular passage C, by the levers I and G, and the plate F, and the cork be
drawn from the bottle. It will thus be seen that by giving to the handle a move-
ment of about one-half of a revolution in the direction of the arrow in Figure 1,
the cork is drawn from the bottle. To remove the cork from the corkscrew the
handle is rotated in the reverse direction to that indicated by the arrow in Figure 1,
by which reverse movement the nut and corkscrew, together with the cork, are
first forced by the arrangement of levers herein before described down the tubular
passage C into the position shewn in Figure 2, then by continuing the movement of
the handle in the same direction the lever N is caused by the eccentric or can i to
rock on its pivot so that the projection n' on the lower end of the lever will engage
the projection d on the nut and at the same time move the plate M in its guides so
as to release the corkscrew and admit of it rotating in the nut, so that by the
continued movement of the handle in the same direction into the position shewn in
Figure 1, the corkscrew, by its rotation, is withdrawn from the cork which then
falls from the apparatus, and the apparatus is then ready for the next operation.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what 1
claim is :-
1. In apparatus for drawing corks from bottles and the like wherein a recipro-
cating slide carries a rotatable corkscrew passing through a non-rotatable nut
capable of moving with the corkscrew, the combination of a detent adapted to
engage with the nut to prevent it from moving longitudinally with the corkscrew
while the said corkscrew is being inserted in, and withdrawn from the cork, and to
release the nut so that it can follow the motion of the corkscrew for withdrawing
the cork; and a plate fitted to slide transversely in the nut so as to engage the
corkscrew to prevent it from turning in the cork while it is being withdrawn,
substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the apparatus for
drawing corks from bottles or the like, substantially as herein before described and
illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 12th day of April 1897
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.