Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 7th July, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 7th May, 1891-Accepted, 13th June, 1891
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I, WILLIAM DE NORMANVILLE of Leamington, in the County of Warwick,
Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
The object of my invention is to effect improvements in the construction of
"lever corkscrews."
The main difficulty in drawing a cork consists in first starting it into motion, con-
siderable force is frequently necessary for this purpose, but when once started, the
extraction is easily performed. In the ordinary lever corkscrew which has only
one fulcrum with a leverage of approximately 2 to 1, the power is often insufficient
to start a tightly fixed cork, but is ample to remove the cork when once started.
In the case of two
In my improved cork-screw, I provide two or more fulcrums.
fulcrums the one nearest the screw gives a leverage of say 6 to 1 and the second a
less powerful leverage of say 2 to 1. The former comes into play first, enabling
the cork to be readily started and the extraction is then completed from the
second fulcrum. The levers may be of the same form as in the ordinary "lever
corkscrew."
A convenient method of arranging the said two fulcrums is as follows:-A
short link is pivoted in each side of the upper lever, the other ends of these links
being pivoted to the upper ends of two plates riveted to the lower lever. Between
the said plates is placed a pin or a roller which forms the fulcrum, for the 6 to 1, or
more powerful, leverage. Two links are pivoted to the lower lever behind the
said plates and the upper lever has a pin fixed in it, the ends of the said pin working
in slots in the upper parts of the said links. These slots allow the upper lever
sufficient movement on the first fulcrum to start the cork and raise it a short
distance and the aforesaid pin then coming in contact with the bottoms of the slots
becomes the fulcrum of the less powerful or 2 to 1 lever and the extraction is
completed thereon.
The two fulcrums, giving different powers, may be provided in any other suitable
manner. For instance, the side plates riveted to the lower lever may contain a
front pair and a back pair of suitably shaped slots, in which work respectively a
front and a back pin (i.e. fulcrums) fixed in the upper lever, the front pin resting on
the bottom of its pair of slots during the earlier portion of the stroke, and the back
pin resting in the bottom of its slot during the later portion.
Or the fulcrum may be a continuously shifting one, being at first nearer to
the corkscrew and shifting to a more distant point gradually during the stroke.
In this case I preferably make the under-side of the upper lever of a convex
or curved form, and the upper side of the under lever either straight or convex,
the upper lever resting continuously upon the lower and being guided by a pin
working in suitably curved slots in the side plates, or I may provide both levers
with teeth fitting one into the other so as to prevent one sliding on the other.
Plates riveted upon the lower lever having a suitably formed slot, within which
works a pin, as aforesaid, upon the upper lever, are also provided, but in
this case their office is merely to guide the movement of one lever upon the
other.
I sometimes provide a light spring so disposed upon the lever apparatus as to
normally maintain it in the position required at the commencement of the process of
drawing the cork.
A further disadvantage of the ordinary lever corkscrew consists in the frequent
breakages of the necks of bottles attendant on its use. I overcome this defect in
my improved corkscrew by pivoting the cap which fits over the bottle mouth to the

page_text: end of the lower lever so that it beds evenly on the said mouth in all ordinary
positions of the said lever. In place of the hook usually formed on the end of the
upper lever to engage with a hole in the handle of the corkscrew, I form a spherical
cup on the end of the said lever provided with a central slot, to embrace a spherical
boss on the corkscrew. This enables the screw to be entered well down into the
cork by being turned after the lever has been placed in position thus securing the
benefit of the full stroke of the lever on the first fulcrum.
Dated this 7th day of July 1890.
AMBROSE MYALL,
21, Cockspur Street, Charing Cross, Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Corkscrews.
I WILLIAM DE NORMANVILLE, of Leamington, in the County of Warwick,
Civil 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 :-
The object of my invention is to effect improvements in the construction of
"lever corkscrews.'
The main difficulty in drawing a cork consists in first starting it into motion,
considerable force is frequently necessary for this purpose, but when once started
the extraction is easily performed.
In the ordinary lever corkscrew, which has only one fulcrum, with a leverage of
approximately 2 to 1, the power is often insufficient to start a tightly fixed cork,
but is ample to remove the cork when once started.
In my improved corkscrew, I provide two or more fulcrums. In the case of two
fulcrums, the one nearest the screw gives a leverage of say 6 to 1, and the second
a less powerful leverage of say 2 to 1. The former comes into place first enabling
the cork to be readily started, and the extraction is then completed from the
second fulcrum. The levers may be of the same form as in the ordinary "lever
corkscrew."
A convenient method of arranging the said two fulcrums, is shewn in Figs. 1
and 2 of the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 being a side elevation of the lever apparatus and Fig. 2 an elevation of
the corkscrew.
A is the corkscrew, B the lower lever and C the upper lever, all substantially of
usual wellknown pattern, as used in ordinary lever corkscrews.
A short link D is pivoted on each side of the upper lever C, the other ends of
these links being pivoted to the upper ends of two plates E, riveted one on each
side of the lower lever B. Between the said plates E is placed a pin F, which
forms the fulcrum for the 6 to 1, or more powerful leverage."
If desired the pin F may be furnished with a roller, as indicated by the dotted
lines, to diminish friction. Two links H are pivoted to the lower lever B, one on
each side, behind the plates E and the upper lever C has a pin J fixed in it, the
ends of the said pin working in slots K in the upper parts of the links H. These
slots allow the upper lever sufficient movement on the first fulcrum F to start the
cork and raise it a short distance and the pin J then coming in contact with the
bottom of the slots K, becomes the fulcrum of the less powerful, or 2 to 1 leverage
and the extraction is completed thereon.
The two fulcrums giving different powers may be provided in any other
suitable manner, as for instance in the way shewn in the partial side elevation
in Fig. 3. In this case two plates E are riveted to the lower lever B, one on
. each side and these plates are provided with a front pair of slots I and a back
pair of slots K' of suitable shape, in which work respectively a front pin F1

page_text: and a back pin J1 (i.e. fulcrums) both pins being fixed in the upper lever. The
front pin Frests in the bottom of the slots L during the earlier portion of
the stroke and the back pin J¹ in the bottom of the slots K' during the latter
portion.
As a further modification the fulcrnm may be a continuously shifting one, being
at first nearer to the corkscrew and shifting to a more distant point gradually
during the stroke. Such an arrangement is shewn in elevation in Fig. 4.
In this case I make the part C', of the under edge of the upper lever C, of a
convex or curved form, and the part B¹ of the upper edge of the under lever, also
convex or curved. The upper lever rests continuously upon the lower lever and is
guided by a pin a working in suitably shaped slots 6 in the side plates E, fixed to the
lower lever.
It is not necessary that both the edges C¹ and B₁ should be convex as shewn, as
the desired result may be attained by making one convex and the other straight, if
preferred. These edges may be provided with teeth to engage with each other in
order to prevent any sliding action, and in this case the slots b, in which the pin
works, are so shaped as to keep the toothed edges always in contact.
a
I sometimes provide a light spring, such as c Fig. 4, so arranged as to normally
maintain the levers in the position required at the commencement of the process of
drawing the cork. This spring can be applied to any of the forms of my improved
corkscrew.
A further disadvantage of the ordinary lever corkscrew, consists in the
frequent breakages of the necks of bottles attendant on its use. The part of
the lower lever resting upon the bottle mouth being generally shaped and con-
structed as shewn at M, in Fig. 3. In my improved corkscrew, I sometimes
overcome this defect by making the cap M¹, which fits over the bottle mouth,
as a separate piece and pivoting it to the end of the lower lever, as shewn in
Fig. 1, so that it beds evenly on the said mouth in all ordinary positions of the
said lever.
In place of the hook N, Figs. 1 and 3, usually formed on the end of the
upper lever to engage with a hole P, Fig. 2, in the corkscrew, I sometimes
employ the arrangement shewn in Figs. 5, 6, and 7. In this case a spherical
cup Q is formed on the end of the upper lever, provided with a central slot R
to embrace a spherical boss S on the corkscrew. This has the advantage of
enabling the screw to be entered well down into the cork, by being turned
after the lever has been placed in position, thus securing the benefit of the
full stroke of the lever on the first fulcrum.
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 I
claim is :-
1. In a lever corkscrew, the combination of two or more fulcrums, giving
increasing leverage, so that the cork is started by the most powerful leverage and
the extraction completed by the less, or least powerful leverage.
2. In a lever corkscrew, having two levers B and C, connected by links DD,
plates E E, and links H H, a pin F, with or without a roller, in the plates E E,
forming the fulcrum of a powerful leverage for starting the cork, and a pin J
working in slots K in the links H H, forming the fulcrum of a less powerful
leverage for completing the extraction, substantially as set forth, with reference to
Figs. 1 and 2.
3. In a lever corkscrew, having two levers B and C, plates E E, fixed on the
lever B and provided with slots L and K', a pin F fixed in the lever C, working
in the slots and forming the fulcrum of a powerful leverage for starting the cork,
and a pin J' also fixed in the lever C, working in the slots K and forming the
fulcrum of a less powerful leverage for completing the extraction, substantially as
set forth, with reference to Fig. 3.
4. In a lever corkscrew, a continuously shifting fulcrum, formed of convex

page_text: surfaces CB¹, on each lever, or a convex surface on one lever and a straight
surface on the other, such surfaces being plain or provided with teeth, and the
levers being retained in position by a pin a working in slots 6 in side plates E,
substantially as set forth, with reference to Fig. 4.
5. In a lever corkscrew, a cap M¹ to fit over the bottle mouth, formed as a
separate piece and pivoted to the lower lever B, substantially as and for the purpose
set forth, with reference to Fig. 1.
6. In a lever corkscrew, a spring c to normally maintain the levers in the position
required at the commencement of the process of drawing the cork, substantially as
set forth, with reference to Fig. 4.
7. In a lever corkscrew, a spherical cup Q with slot R, on the end of the upper
lever, and a spherical boss S on the corkscrew, substantially as and for the purpose
set forth, with reference to Figs. 5, 6, and 7.
Dated this 7th day of May 1891.
AMBROSE MYALL,
21, Cockspur Street, London, S.W., Agent for the Applicant.