IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CORKSCREWS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Twigg, of Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, Manufacturer, and Hyde Bateman, of Barnes, in the
County of Surrey, Architect, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CORKSCREWS."
Sealed the 5th September 1868, and dated the 20th March 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Twigg and
Hyde Bateman at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition on the 20th March 1868.
We, GEORGE TWIGG, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Manufacturer, and HYDE BATEMAN, of Barnes, in the County of
Surrey, Architect, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CORKSCREWS," to be as follows,
that is to say:-
In the first place, our improvements consist in forming the worm
and screw of corkscrews the one right and the other left handed, in
combination with a loose wormed handle part; this arrangement
allows of the penetration of the cork by the worm in the usual
manner, the loose handle remaining rigid until the cork is required

page_text: to be withdrawn which will be effected by the turning of the handle
upon the screw in the opposite direction; or the cork may be with-
drawn by forming a fixed handle upon the right and left handed
worm and screw already specified. And upon the screw we provide
a loose crab piece which is free in one direction, but for the
withdrawal of the cork it engages into a clutch upon the barrel.
Our improvements further refer to those descriptions of corkscrews
having a barrel and two screws, one working within the other, and
they consist in substituting for the inner screw a plain piston rod
provided with a suitable stud or studs near the handle, which when
the cork is penetrated and requires withdrawing, bear against a
suitable catch or catches formed in the head of the driving screw, so
producing a reverse action of such screw, or the same result may be
obtained by worming the upper portion of the plain piston rod and
the upper internal portion of the driving screw.
Our Invention also relates to the construction of the loose handles
employed upon corkscrews having a right handed worm and screw.
We form in the handle part a spiral or other suitable spring and bevil
or cut away portions of the thread of the upper end of the screw and
cut counterparts or recesses in the worm of the loose handle, the
action of the spring being to throw the two parts out of gear whilst
the cork is being penetrated, the continuing revolution of the screw
and consequent pressure upon the barrel contracts the spring, allowing
the handle and the end of the screw to fall into gear, the handle
working down upon the worm of the screw, thus withdrawing the
cork.
Our improvements also refer to the formation of flexible barrels for
corkscrews, as for instance, a spiral spring secured to a top and
bottom part, the handle and worm passing through the barrel; whilst
the cork is being penetrated such flexible barrel becomes contracted:
until its resilient force will withdraw the cork; we also furnish the
ordinary barrels with such spiral or similar springs contained within
them, having either an expanding or contracting action and surrounding
the worm, or a similar spring action may be gained by employing
bow springs similar to coach springs placed within or across the
diameter of the barrel.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said George Twigg and Hyde Bateman in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 17th September 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, GEORGE
TWIGG, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer,
and HYDE BATEMAN, of Barnes, in the County of Surrey, Architect,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said George Twigg and Hyde Bateman,
Her special license that we, the said George Twigg and Hyde Bateman,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the
said George Twigg and Hyde Bateman, our 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF CORKSCREWS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
George Twigg and Hyde Bateman, by an instrument in writing under
our hands and seals, 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 we, the said George Twigg and Hyde
Bateman, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being
had to the Drawings hereunto annexed and to the letters and figures
marked thereon, that is to say:-
In the first place, our improvements consist in forming the worm
and screw of corkscrews the one right and the other left-handed, in
combination with a loose wormed handle part.

page_text: Figures 1 and 2 represent in elevation and section a corkscrew so
constructed. (a) is the worm and (b) the screw, the one being right
and the other left handed. (c) is a loose wormed handle portion;
this arrangement permits of the penetration of the cork by the
screw (b) in the usual manner, the loose handle part (c) remaining
rigid at such time by reason of its being at the highest part of the
worm (a), and when the cork requires to be withdrawn the loose
handle part is turned upon the worm (a) in the opposite direction to
which the worm has been worked, and when the loose handle impinges
against the shoulder (d) of the barrel (e) its continuing motion will
work up the worm (a) and screw (6), consequently withdrawing the
cork. Or, the cork may be withdrawn by forming a fixed handle
upon the right and left-handed worm and screw, and upon the worm
is a loose crab piece for engaging into a clutch upon the barrel.
This arrangement is shewn in Figures 3 and 4. (f) is the handle,
in this instance secured rigidly upon the worm (a); (g) is the wormed
loose crab piece free to work up and down the screw or worm in one
direction; (h) is a recess or clutch cut in the shoulder or top of the
barrel. (e), Figure 3 shews the corkscrew ready for use, Figure 4
representing it as having penetrated and partially withdrawn a cork,
the latter process being effected by means of the crab (g) locking
into the clutch (h) and forcing upwards the worm (a) and screw (b).
Our improvements further refer to those descriptions of corkscrews
having a barrel and screws working within each other; we substitute
for the usual inner screw a plain piston rod provided with a stud or
studs near the handle, which bear against a suitable catch or catches
formed in the head of the driving screw for withdrawing the cork.
Figures 5 and 6 illustrate this method in section and elevation
respectively. (i) is a plain piston rod working freely up and down
within the main screw (/) having the penetrating screw (b) secured
to it, thus the cork is penetrated in the ordinary manner without
reference to the other portions of the corkscrew, and when the cork
is to be withdrawn the studs or catches (7) secured to the piston
rod (i) are brought to bear against or within suitable recesses or
catches () formed in the rim or top piece of the main screw (k)
the continuing revolution of the piston rod together with such
impingement or lock of the parts driving out and upwards the
screw (k), and thus withdrawing the cork. Or, as shewn at Figure 6',

page_text: the same result may be obtained by worming the upper portion of
the piston rod (i) as at (m), and the upper internal portion of the
driving screw (k).
Our Invention also relates to the construction of the loose handles
employed upon corkscrews having a right-handed worm and screw.
Referring to Figures 7 and 8 which illustrate this part of our
Invention, we form in the handle part (n) a spiral or other suitable
spring (o), which is fastened into a recess formed to receive it, and
we bevil or cut away portions of the thread of the upper end of the
screw (a) as at (p) and cut counterparts or recesses in the worm of
the handle (n), the action of the spring being to throw the parts out
of gear whilst the handle requires to be rigid during the penetration of
the cork, the continuing revolution of the screw and consequent pressure
upon the top of the barrel (e) contracts the spring, slightly lifting
the handle so that the threads of the screw and worm may fall into
gear when the handle will work down upon the screw or the screw
will work upwards through the handle (n), thus withdrawing the
cork. The slight upward jerk or lift of the handle for the purpose
of gearing the screw and worm may also readily be given by a
slight upward pull of the handle by the operator.
Figure 9 shews a similar arrangement of parts, but with a loose
cap piece (r) upon the top of the screw (a) in which is contained a
suitable spring, helical or otherwise, and capable of contraction to
free or gear the parts; (¹) shews the cut away or bevilled portions
of the worm (a).
Figure 10 shews in transverse section and top view the handle, in
which will readily be seen the counterparts or recesses (8) already
alluded to.
Our improvements also refer to the formation of spring barrels for
corkscrews, as for instance, Figure 11 shews a spiral spring (t) secured
to a top and bottom part (u, u¹), the handle and worm, Figure 12,
being formed separate, and passing through the spring barrel, whilst
the cork is being penetrated such spring barrel becomes contracted
until its resilient force will exert a power sufficient to withdraw the
cork.
We also furnish the ordinary barrels of corkscrews with such spiral
or similar springs contained within them, having either an expanding

page_text: or contracting action and surrounding the worm; or a similar spring
action may be gained by employing bow springs after the manner of
coach springs placed within or across the diameter of the barrel.
Having thus described the nature and object of our said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be carried into effect, we
claim without limiting ourselves to the precise details of the parts
herein described and illustrated the several improvements in the
manufacture of corkscrews as herein more fully set forth and
specified.
In witness whereof, we, the said George Twigg and Hyde Bateman,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Fifteenth day of
September, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-eight.