Improved Pocket Corkscrew.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improved Pocket Corkscrew.
I, ERNST HAMMESFAHR, of No. 7, Foche, Solingen, Germany, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a pocket corkscrew in which the corkscrew proper can in
consequence of a peculiar arrangement, be made considerably larger and stronger
than pocket corkscrews of known construction. In addition, the new pocket
corkscrew admits of being very readily opened and when opened, it is held in a very
secure manner.
For this purpose, the corkscrew proper is not fixed directly to the stem which is
pivotted to the handle, as is the case with existing pocket corkscrews, but is
connected thereto by a special intermediate piece. The corkscrew proper is rotatably
attached to this intermediate piece, and the latter is rotatably attached to the handle,
the hinge joints being so arranged that the motion of the intermediate piece is
effected in a plane of the handle while the motion of the corkscrew proper is effected
in a plane of the intermediate piece.
I will describe a construction of the said pocket corkscrew in which, by way of
example, the handle thereof constitutes a clasp knife, the parts constituting the
corkscrew being pivotted to the back of the handle, the front part of which contains
any desired arrangement of knife blades.
For this purpose, the side cheeks of the knive handle are formed near the middle
of their backs with projecting parts, or lugs, through which passes a transverse pin
on which is pivotted the before mentioned intermediate piece, so that this can
either be turned down into a position lying close against the back of the knife handle
or up into a position at right angles to the latter.
To about the middle of the intermediate piece is pivotted the corkscrew proper,
the pivot being at right angles to the before mentioned pivot pin of the intermediate
piece. The corkscrew proper has a straight stem that extends in both directions
beyond the pivot and terminates at the one end in the screw.
At the point where the stem joins the screw, it is somewhat cranked so as to bring
the screw in line with the intermediate piece. When the corkscrew is closed down
on the knife handle, the intermediate piece lies close against the latter extending
from the pivot pin say to the right hand end of the handle, while the corkscrew
proper extends with its straight stem and tail end over the intermediate piece, also
to the right hand end of the handle, while its screw extends to the left beyond the
intermediate piece and lies close against the left hand end of the knife handle.
When the parts are in this position the corkscrew cannot be turned up from the knife
handle, as the intermediate piece is prevented from rising by the corkscrew proper.
For enabling it to be raised, the corkscrew proper must be first turned round on its
pivot on the intermediate piece through 180°, so as to bring the screw into a
position projecting beyond the right hand end of the knife and with the tail end of
its stem terininating at the pivotted end of the intermediate piece, whereupon this
together with the corkscrew can be formed up on its pivot into the position at right
ngles to the knife handle. In being turned up, the pivot end of the intermediate

page_text: piece is made to slightly depress the springs of the knife blades, which springs, when
the piece is turned up, press against the flat end face of the latter, and thus hold it
securely, like a knife blade joint. Stops are provided on the knife handle, for
insuring the correct position of the corkscrew proper, both when in the closed
position, and when turned round 180°, preparatory to being raised up.
Dated this 24th day of August 1807
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
I, ERNST HAMMESFAHR, of 7, Foche, Solingen, Germany, 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 :-
This invention relates to a pocket cork-screw in which the cork-screw proper can
in consequence of a peculiar arrangement be made considerably larger and stronger
than pocket cork-screws of known construction. In addition the new pocket cork-
screw admits of being very readily opened, whilst there is also the further advantage,
that when opened the cork-screw is held in a very secure manner.
One arrangement in which the new cork-screw is arranged on a pocket knife or is
combined with the same is illustrated in the drawings. Before proceeding to describe
the details of this arrangement, I shall first state with regard to the special features
of the general construction, that in contra-distinction to the older cork-screws, the
cork-screw proper in this case is not mounted directly on the handle of the knife,
but is connected therewith through the medium of a separate intermediate part.
The cork-screw proper is pivotted to the said intermediate part, and the latter is
pivotted to the handle, the hinges or pivots being so arranged that the movement of
the intermediate part takes place in a plane of the handle, and the movement of the
cork-screw proper on the intermediate part takes place in a plane of the latter. In
the arrangement shewn, the two axes of rotation are situated at 90° to each other,
and the cork-screw proper, in passing from the closed position into the open position,
assumes an intermediate position in which it is turned 180° from the closed position,
as will be hereinafter more particularly described.
In Figs. 1 to 5, a is the cork-screw proper which is pivotted at 6 (Figs. 2 to 4) to
the intermediate part c (Figs. 1, 3, 5). This intermediate part is itself pivotted
at d (Figs. 1 and 5) to the handle e which is formed in the case shewn by the shell
of a pocket knife.
In Figs. 1 and 2, the cork screw proper is shewn in its closed position; in Fig. 4
it is shewn in the above mentioned intermediate position; and in Fig. 5 it is shewn
in the open or operative position. Fig. 3 serves to illustrate the path which is
described by the cork screw a in moving from the closed position into the intermediate
position.
On comparing Figures 2 and 4, it will be seen that the cork-screw is turned
in its intermediate position 180° from the closed position, as already above
mentioned.
When the cork-screw has reached this intermediate position, it moves, together
with the intermediate part c, round the pivot d of the latter, and thus the parts
assume the position shewn in Figure 5. This operation is of course reversed in order
to close the the cork-screw.
In the arrangement shown, the handle or shell e is provided approximately at its
middle with the projections e¹. These projections hold the pivot pin d of the

page_text: intermediate part c. Not only the intermediate part c, but also the corresponding
end of the cork screw a, when the latter is in the open position, engages between the
two projections e', whereby obviously all rotation of the cork screw about the pin b is
prevented. Rotation of the parts a and c together about the pin d is prevented by
the springs of the knife blades. These springs are so mounted that in the centre,
that is to say underneath the pivot pin d, they are yielding, whilst they are placed
in tension in the movement or passage of the intermediate part c from the position
of rest into the operative position, and vice versa. This tension of the springs which
is produced during the movement of the part c, acts most efficiently to prevent all
improper movement of the said part c.
For the cork screw a there are further arranged two stops e², e³, of which one is
operative, when the cork-screw is in its position of rest (Figures 1 and 2), whereas
the other stop prevents the cork-screw from turning further on the pivot b
when it is in the position (Figure 4) in which it is to be moved into the upright
position.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. A pocket cork screw wherein the cork-screw proper is pivotally mounted on an
intermediate part which is itself pivotted to the handle, the arrangement being such
that the movement of the intermediate part takes place in a plane of the handle, and
the movement of the cork-screw proper on the intermediate part takes place in a
plane of the latter, substantially as described.
2. A cork screw of the kind referred to in the first claim, in which the two
pivotting axes are placed at an angle of 90° to each other, and the cork-screw proper
in passing from the closed position into the open position, and vice versa, is made to
assume an intermediate position in which it is turned 180° from the closed
position.
Dated this 90th day of Annil 1900
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.