Improvements in Corkscrews.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Jan., 1894-Accepted, 17th Feb.,
1894
Improvements in Corkscrews.
We, JOHN THOMAS MURRAY of 84, High Street, Sheerness-on-Sea, Ironmonger
and JOHN JOSEPH STALKER of 96, Invicta Road, Sheerness-on-Sea, Kent,
Engineer 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 :-
In accordance with this invention we produce a lever or direct pull cork screw
which is very simple of manipulation, solid and strong in construction, and which
will be found of very great advantage and utility in drawing corks from bottles
and the like. It is inexpensive in manufacture, not liable to get out of order or
require repair, and is practically unbreakable.
According to this my invention we have a metal cylindrical cap fitting upon the
neck of the bottle and in this cap travels a plunger or piston to the lower end of
which I affix a screw for insertion into the cork. In the length of the cap afore-
said we have two slots opposite to each other and so as to work within these slots,
we form upon the plunger or piston two rows of teeth into which take correspondingly
toothed quadrant ends of levers suitably fulcrummed upon the metal cap before
mentioned.
And in order that this my invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect we will now proceed to describe same with reference to the accompanying
sheet of drawings in which
Fig. 1 represents in elevation a lever or direct pull corkscrew constructed in
accordance with this invention and in position ready for insertion into the cork.
Fig. 2. shews the same with the levers drawn down and the cork extracted and
Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the cork-screw.
Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the cap a shewing vertical slot 6 before
referred to and
Fig. 5 is a cross sectional plan through line A. B. Fig. 1.
Similar letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the figures.
a is the cylindrical metal cap formed slightly larger in diameter at its base a¹ to
permit of the same fitting upon the neck of the bottle from which the cork is to be
withdrawn.
In this cap a are two vertical slots and fulcrummed as at cc we have two
levers dd the inner ends d'd' which we form of a quadrant or a semicircular shape
and upon the edge of same from teeth ee.
In the cylindrical metal cap a works the piston or plunger f. to which at its
lower end is attached the screw g for insertion into the cork. Upon opposite sides
of this plunger f we form teeth to correspond with those upon the ends of the
levers d. d. When the cork-screw is required for use the levers d d are turned
upwards as shewn in Fig. 1. Stops or projections d' are made upon the levers
which will take into the vertical slots 6 and serve to stiffen the device and lessen
the strain upon the bearings of the levers. When the levers are in the position
here shewn the cork screw g is down, then by grasping the levers in the hand and
turning the apparatus the screw is driven into the cork until the base al of the
cap a fits upon the neck of the bottle. The bottle is then stood upon the table or
counter and the levers dd are brought down into the position shewn in Fig. 2.
when the teeth d' upon the ends of said levers taking into the teeth h upon the
plunger will draw the plunger to the top of the cap and with it the screw g an l
thereby extract the cork.

page_text: To take the impact of the plunger f when forced upwards by the lowering of
the levers d d we affix a spring such as i Fig. 3. to the inside of the top of the
metal cap a and thus provide a buffer as it were for said plunger to work against
avoiding sudden jars or jerks upon the apparatus.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is.
1. The lever or direct pull cork-screw substantially as hereinbefore described and
shewn.
2. In cork-screws the levers d d fulcrummed upon the cap a and having the
toothed ends did engaging with toothed racks h. formed, upon the travelling
plunger carrying cork-screw g. substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore
described and shewn in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 4th day of January 1894.
HUGHES, ELI & HUGHES,
76, Chancery Lane, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.