AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF CORKSCREW
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Coney, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Corkscrew and Steel Toy Manufacturer, for the Invention
of "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF CORKSCREW."
Sealed the 31st October 1854, and dated the 18th August 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Coney at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 18th August
1854.
I, JOHN CONEY, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Corkscrew and
Steel Toy Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF CORKSCREW" to be as follows:-'.
This Invention relates to a novel construction of corkscrew, which will
greatly facilitate the operation of drawing corks from bottles. The handle is
attached to a hollow screw, which works in a female screw formed in the top
of the corkscrew frame; at its lower end this hollow screw receives the stem
of the screw which is intended to pierce and take hold of the cork. The two
screws are connected together loosely by a pin projecting inwards from the
hollow screw into a recess turned in the stem of the piercing screw, and thus
the upper or hollow screw is permitted to rotate without turning the lower.

page_text: screw. The stem of the lower screw is connected to a cross head, which slides
up and down with it (in guides) to steady its movements, and the lower end
of the upper or hollow screw is notched, to receive projections carried by the
stem of the lower screw. By this means, the hollow screw when running
down will drive round the lower screw, and cause it to enter the cork; but
when the rotation of the hollow screw is reversed, the lower screw will remain
quiescent in the cork; but by reason of the pin and recess connection, before
mentioned, it will rise, and draw with it the cork from the neck of the
bottle.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Coney in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
17th February 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
CONEY, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Corkscrew and Steel Toy
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Coney, Her special license that I, the said John Coney, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Coney, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF
CORKSCREW," upon the condition, amongst others, that I, the said John Coney,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and scal, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Coney, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement,

page_text: reference being had to the Drawing bereunto annexed, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates to a novel construction of double-acting corkscrew,
which will greatly facilitate the operation of drawing corks from bottles, and by
reason of its simplicity may be manufactured at a comparatively small cost, and
will not be liable to get out of order.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 represents, in partial sectional
elevation, my improved construction of corkscrew as applied to a bottle; and
Fig. 2 shews it in partial section, the view being taken at right angles to that
of Fig. 1. a is the handle of the corkscrew, attached to a hollow stem b, which
is formed into a quick screw, and at its lower end receives the stem of the
helix screw c, which is intended to pierce and take hold of-the cork. The
screw stem works through a tapped neck d, with which the cross bar of the
frame e is provided. The helix screw and the screw, stem b are connected
together loosely by means of a pin f, which projects inwards from the hollow
screw stem into a recess, formed by turning down the stem of the piercing
screw c at that part for a given distance. This loose connection between the
two screws b and c permits of the upper one rotating without turning the
lower screw. The stem of the screw c is secured to a cross head 7 by a pin
projecting from the cross head into an annular recess formed in the stem.
This cross head slides up and down with the helix screw c in' guides, formed by
the side rods of the frame e, and thereby steadies the movements of that screw.
Rivetted to the lower end of the side rods of the frame is a conical collar,
which fits on to the neck of the bottle, and forms the abutment for the cork-
screw frame. The lower end of the screw stem b is notched, to receive projec-
tions (see the detached view, Fig. 3,) formed on the stem of the helix screw.
By this means, the screw stem b when running down will drive round the lower
screw, and cause it to enter the cork to the required depth; but when the
rotation of the screw stem 6 is reversed, the helix screw will remain quiescent
in the cork, by reason of the play allowed to the pin f in its recess, which
arrangement permits of the screw stem 6 making an independent vertical
movement, sufficient to disengage the projections h from their notches; but
when this disengagement of the projection has taken place, the pin f will (as
the screw stem b is raised by turning the handle a) rise and draw with it the
cork from the neck of the bottle.
Having now set forth the nature and object of my Invention of "An
Improved Construction of Corkscrew," and explained the manner of carrying
the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part

page_text: recited Letters Patent I claim the mode of connecting the screw stem and
helix screw together, and of imparting. the requisite rotary and vertical motions
to the latter as described, for the purpose of piercing the cork, and of after-
wards drawing it out from the neck of the bottle.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Coney, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the Sixteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
JOHN CONEY, Jun.,
53, Newhall Hill,
Birmingham.
JOHN CONEY. (L.B.)