IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR WITHDRAWING CORKS FROM BOTTLES
Year: 1860

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by James Johnston at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 22nd December.
1860.
I, JAMES JOHNSTON, of Number 1, Pond Street, Hampstead, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR WITHDRAWING CORKS FROM BOTTLES," to
be as follows:-
Corkscrews are frequently constructed in such manner that the handle and'
the corkscrew itself are firmly fixed together, so as practically to form one
piece, and then when the corkscrew has been screwed down into a cork in the
neck of a bottle, the same is forcibly drawn out by taking hold of the handle
with the hand and drawing it up. Now, my improvements consist in certain'
apparatus for drawing such corkscrews with the corks on them from out of the'
necks of bottles, the handles of the corkscrews being of a peculiar form in
order to allow of the apparatus taking a proper hold of them. Such apparatus
is constructed with a screw arranged to work through a nut fixed in the upper
part of a cylinder or framework, or bridge of metal, arranged to fit on to the
neck of the bottle, but having slits or grooves to allow of the corkscrew
passing up inside it, there being a hook or other connection on a swivel at the
lower end of the screw to take hold of the handle of the corkscrew for the
purpose of withdrawing it from the neck of the bottle; such apparatus is con-
structed with a large nut or screw collar with handles to it, working on a
screw thread outside the cylinder or framework, which is provided with slits

page_text: for the handle of the corkscrew to project through on each side, so that the
said nut on being screwed up, the cylinder will lift the corkscrew; or such
apparatus is constructed with an axis or barrel of small diameter, having a
handle on its end, and mounted on a cylinder or framework, or on two
standards of metal arranged to fit on to the neck of the bottle, such axis or
barrel having a strap, band, rope, or chain attached to it, so that on turning
the axis by means of the handle, such strap may be wound up with con-
siderable force with great ease, and the strap having a hook or other suitable
attachment at its end capable of taking hold of the corkscrew, the same may
be withdrawn from the neck of the bottle; or such apparatus is constructed
with an axis, in the middle of which is fixed a pinion, and on the end a
handle, so that on turning the axis by means of the handle the pinion may
forcibly draw up any rack that may be in gear with it, and the corkscrew is in
this case provided with a rack formed on the side of its handle, so that the
pinion above mentioned being applied to the rack whilst its axis is supported
on the upper part of a cylinder or framework arranged to fit on to the neck of
the bottle, so that on applying such apparatus to the corkscrew which has
been already screwed into the cork by hand, and turning the axis and pinion
by means of the handle, the corkscrew will-be-forcibly lifted by_the_consecutive
action of the teeth of the pinion on the rack. Or such apparatus is con-
structed with two pinions and with two, racks on the corkscrew. Or such
apparatus is constructed with an axis and pinion, and handle or handles
mounted on the upper part of the corkscrew itself, and the rack for it to work
into is fixed inside the cylinder or framework fitting on to the neck of the
bottle, so that on turning the handle or handles, the, corkscrew is, made to
rise up out of the neck of the bottle; or such apparatus is; constructed in the
same manner, but with two pinions, axes, and handles, there being two, racks
for them to work into. By the use of such apparatus I am enabled to draw a
cork of any length with great ease, and without turning it round.