Improvements in Cork Drawers.
Year: 1896

page_text: Improvements in Cork Drawers.
A communication from ALBERT PICK, Merchant of Chicago, Illinois, United
States of America.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 111 Hatton Garden in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention relates to apparatus for drawing corks from bottles and the like,
and contains the necessary mechanism for inserting the screw into the cork,
d'awing the cork and subsequently stripping the cork from the screw-if desired also
the apparatus will also hold the bottle during the operation.
I will first describe the invention in its simplest form in which is a tube or
cylinder with a slide in which is carried the screw adapted to rotate in the slide.
In the cylinder also is a nut through which the screw passes, the nut being capable
under some circumstances of travelling longitudinally in the cylinder, and in
other circumstances is prevented from so travelling. The slide is reciprocated by
means of a suitable handle to which it may be connected by a pivotted link, or
other means, the handle being adapted or not to operate a catch which holds the
nut in its lowest position and projecting into an enlargement of the cylinder
adapted to receive the bottle, the catch will by the insertion of the bottle neck be
removed out of the way of the nut. The operation is as follows:-
The bottle neck is inserted into the enlarged end of the cylinder in doing which
it removes the catch out of the way of the nut which however still remains at
the bottom of the cylinder. The handle is now brought forward or otherwise
operated so as to bring down the screw which passing through the nut rotates and
enters the cork in the bottle. When the screw has been driven into the cork it
is pulled back by means of the handle the nut returning with it so that the screw
does in this backward stroke rotate. Having reached the top of its stroke the
cork is entirely removed from the bottle which is then removed from the instru-
ment and the screw with the cork on it is now again brought to the bottom of the
stroke and since the bottle has been removed the catch will now engage with the
nut and prevent it from returning when the handle is again pushed back. In
consequence of the nut not turning and not being able to travel back in the
cylinder when the handle forces the screw back it rotates in the nut and the
cork pressing against the under-side of the nut is dropped from the screw and
falls out of the machine and the screw being now again in its raised position it
is ready again for a further operation. Thus the complete operation of drawing
the cork from the bottle and stripping it from the screw is completed at two double
reciprocations of the screw.
If desired the catch may be arranged to operate in conjunction with the handle
or a projection thereof so that when the handle is placed fully back with the screw
at the top of its stroke the handle will remove the catch out of the way of the nut.

page_text: Any desired form of handle or means of reciprocating the slide may be adopted
whether the movement imparted to the handle or equivalent is a rotary movement
or a reciprocating movement.
Where it is desired that the bottle should be held by the instrument so as to
relieve the operator this may be effected by providing the catch preferably with
a suitable pad to engage the neck of the bottle; the catch may be spring-
controlled.
In a modified form of the instrument having the bottle holding device I divide
the enlarged portion of the cylinder pivotting one or both portions and providing
a spring or equivalent means to draw them together; the jaws thus formed may
be padded with rubber or other suitable material. The general operation of this
instrument will be the same as that already described, but the spring catch for
holding the nut may be made in a piece with one of the jaws or may be
independent thereof and controlled by its own spring.
Throughout this specification where the employment of springs is mentioned
the same effect may where practicable be obtained by balance weights or equivalent
means.
As there is some difficulty in forming the nut to match the screw it is pre-
ferred to adopt the following method of building it up.
A number of discs or thin pieces of metal are provided, each pierced with.
a hole corresponding to a section of the screw and the necessary number of these
pieces are placed together, preferably inside a cylindrical shell and secure them in
a suitable way-by means of sweating them with soft solder for example.
Another way of preventing them from turning would be to form the pieces of a
shape other than circular and shape the cylinder inside to match, or again a recess
may be formed in each disc into which a projection or feather of the cylinder
would enter or the cylinder may be made of a piece of sheet metal wrapped round
the discs and the ends turned inwardly so as to engage the slots. Or the ends of
the shell may be spun or forced over the discs so as to hold them. However,
various means may be adopted for this purpose.
The handle may be arranged to open the jaws for the reception of the bottle..
Dated this 25th day of September 1896.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.
'A communication from ALBERT PICK, Merchant of Chicago, Illinois, United
States of America.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 111 Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent-Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manne rthe same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention has for its object to provide a cork-extractor which shall at
once be simple in construction, easy of manipulation, and not likely to get out
of order.
I will describe the invention by reference to the accompanying drawings in
which:-
Figure 1 is a central vertical section of one form of my improved cork-extractor.

page_text: Figure 2 is a section of the upper end of the barrel A3 on the line 2-2 of
Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a side elevation of the same device with its parts in a different
position.
Figure 4 is a side elevation, and
Figure 5 a plan of a second form of the cork-extractor, a part of the operating
handle or hand-lever being broken away in Figure 5.
Figure 6 is a central vertical section on the line 66 of Figure 5 showing the
catch mechanism of the apparatus in a different position from that in which it
appears in Figures 4 and 5, the catch being shown entirely in elevation.
Figure 7 is a side elevation, and Figure S a vertical central section of another
form of the cork extractor represented in Figures 4 to 6 inclusive, the catch in
Figure 8 being left in elevation.
Figure 9 is a view of a detail of Figure 7, and
Figures 10 and 11 are respectively a plan and vertical section of a nut
hereinafter particularly described.
Figures 4 to 9 inclusive are drawn to a smaller scale and Figures 10 and 11
to a larger scale than that to which Figures 1, 2 and 3 are drawn.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
In constructing a cork-extractor as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 a suitable
frame is provided having a jaw A¹ and pinching-screw B, to enable it to be
secured to a counter, table or other support, and also having a recess A2 and a
cylindrical passage or barrel A3, the latter of which at its lower end, terminates in
a semi-circular flared end or jaw A lined preferably with indiarubber C.
Within the barrel A³ is provided a hollow cylindrical plunger in whose
lower end is swivelled a cork-screw E having at its upper end a head E', which,
as indicated in Figures 1 and 2 is located within the recess of the plunger D.
The cork-screw E engages with a nut threaded to correspond with the cork-
screw, and situated in, and free to slide in the direction of the axis of the barrel A.³,
this nut being provided with a screw or projection F extending into a slot A
formed in one side of the wall of the harrel A, for the purpose of preventing the
nut from rotating in the barrel and for limitnig its travel therein.
The hand-lever G (shown in dotted lines in Figure 1) is pivotted by its spindle G
in the frame A and is connected to the plunger D by a link G2 of a shape indicated
in Figure 2 and also more clearly in Figure 5, the lower end of which link fits
into a hole or recess in the lever G, the upper end passing through the slot A5
and fitting into a hole, or into diametrically opposite holes, in the plunger D
and passing immediately over the cork-screw head E to keep it in place in the
plunger. By the latter arrangement and the fact of the head E being supported
at its underside by a collar or shoulder 1 on the plunger D, the said plunger
and the cork-screw E are prevented from having any motion independent of each
other in the direction of their common axis, although the cork-screw is free to
rotate independently of the plunger D which is prevented from participating in
this rotary motion by the part of the link G engaging with the slot A. The
employment of the upper end of the link (or an equivalent connection to keep
the corkscrew in place is advantageous as it dispenses with the employment of
separate screws or other fastenings and enables one cork-screw to be readily with-
drawn and replaced by another when necessary without the use of tools upon a
simple removal of the lever G and link G from their place in the machine.
His a lever or arm pivoted by a pin or stud H' in the before mentioned recess A2 and
provided at its free or lower end with a rubber or equivalently-lined jaw consti-
futing the companion of the hefore-described rubber-lined jaw A of the frame A
or barrel A. At the lack of the jaw H2 or arm H is provided a strong spring I
which constantly tends to force the jaw H towards the jaw A that is to say.
into a position such as that in which it is shown in Figure 3. The spring I
is made sufficiently strong to be able to cause the jaws A H to hold a bottle in
proper place in the machine without other assistance. The lever or arm H is

page_text: recessed as at H³ so as to prevent it from coming into contact with the spindle G¹
and it is provided with an antifriction roller H and a spring catch H. The
1oller H* projects through a slot or opening A6 (Figure 3) in one side of the frame,
and into the path of a cam or projection G3 on the lever G, shown in dotted lines
in Figure 1, and the catch H5 which is free to move in the arm H against or under
the influence of the spring He is adapted to pass through an opening A7 in the
wall of the barrel A3 and to engage with a recess F2 in the nut F as indicated
in dotted lines in Figure 3. The catch H is prevented from rotating in the
arm H and the movement therein is limited by means of a screw or equivalent H,
secured in the stem of the catch and engaging with a slot H8 in the arm H, or
this may be effected in any other convenient manner.
When it is desired to extract a cork from a bottle by means of the before-
described device the hand-lever G, which normally occupies a position slightly
forward, or to the left of that in which it is indicated in Figure 1 is pushed
backwards into or about into the position shown in Figure 1, so that through
the cam G and roller H the jaw H2 is moved from its normal position, in which
it is shown in Figure 3, into a position such as that represented in Figure 1, so
as to leave plenty of room for the free insertion of the bottle-neck between the
jaws A H2, which is the next stage of the operation. Or the hand-lever G may
be weighted or may have a retaining latch, or locking device so that when once
put into the position shown in Figure 1 it will maintain, together with the jaw H²,
its position until moved by the operator. After this insertion of the bottle neck
the hand-lever G is pulled forward so that under the influence of the spring J,
the jaw He also is moved forward and the bottle-neck is firmly held between the
two jaws A He the catch H at this juncture being held out of engagement with
the recess F by reason of the jaw He being prevented, by the bottle-neck, from
moving forward sufficiently to admit of this engagement taking place. By the
continued downward movement of the hand-lever the plunger D and cork-screw E
are drawn downwards and the latter by moving through the then stationary nut F
is rotated and thereby caused to screw into the cork, which is held by the bottle-
neck beneath the nut F. The hand-lever is next raised and as the nut F is not
then engaged by the catch H and as the cork is on the cork-screw immediately
beneath the nut F the latter is raised in company with the plunger D and cork-
screw E which then moves upwards without rotation, and no unscrewing of the
cork-screw E from the cork takes place and the cork is withdrawn from the bottle
into the barrel A³. At the completion of this upstroke of the hand-lever G the
cam G3 by contact with the roller H forces the jaw H2 backwards so as to leave the
bottle-neck free to be withdrawn from the jaws A H2. Next, to strip or remove
the cork from the screw E the hand lever G is again operated in the same manner
as that previously described in connection with the penetration and extraction
of the cork, and the cam ( on handle G being moved out of the path of the
roller H and no bottle being present in jaws A and H2 the arm H is caused to
close under the influence of the spring I as shown in Figure 3 and the catch H5
protrudes into the barrel A3, the nut F, plunger D, corkscrew E, and cork being
moved downwards in company during the downstroke of the hand-lever G and
the catch H being pressed backwards by the nut as it passes it, and inward by
the spring H engages with the recess F in the nut F at the termination of this
stroke as shown in Figure 3; and during the ensuing upstroke of the hand-lever
the nut F is prevented (by the catch H5) from ascending with the plunger D
and cork screw E so that the cork-screw E by its engagement with the nut, is
caused to rotate in the direction necessary to unscrew itself out of the cork which
then falls out of the machine. After this operation the apparatus is ready for
use for extracting another cork.
In the cork extractor represented in Figures 4 to 6 inclusive, the plunger D,
cork screw E, nut F, and hand-lever G, are arranged and operated in substantially
the manner previously described with reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3, but in this

page_text: example the means employed for engaging and releasing the nut F differ from
those shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3. In the arrangement illustrated in Figures 4
to 6 (as also in Figures 7, 8 and 9) the catch H is pivoted by a screw or equiva-
lent H to a lug A projecting from one side of the barrel A3 and is held normally
in a closed position as shown in Figure 4 by a spring H coiled around the screw H
and having one end acting against the catch and the other end engaging a notch
or bearing on the lug A", and the catch H is adapted to pass through an opening A
in the wall of the barrel into engagement with a recess F2 in the nut F like the
catch H of Figure 1. This catch is provided with a wing or extension H' which
extends into the path of a cam or projection G³ on the operating handle G;
which projection is adapted to operate on the extension H+ to move the catch as
desired H is a projection integral with the catch H, and extended into the
flared end of the barrel sufficiently far to ensure that the bottle neck so long as it
is in position to have its cork extracted shall engage with the projection H and
keep the catch H outward from engagement with the nut F.
To extract a cork by means of the last described apparatus the hand lever G is
first operated in the direction of the arrow, to cause the cam or projection G³ to
act upon the wing H+ of the catch H³ so as to move it out of engagement with the
nut (Figures 6 and 8). The bottle neck is then inserted, and so long as it is
in position, by its engagement with the projection H of the catch H³ it keeps the
catch H from engaging with the nut. The corkscrew is then driven into the
cork and the cork extracted from the bottle, and ultimately ejected from the
machine, as explained in reference to the apparatus referred to in the earlier part
of this specification.
It is frequently desirable that cork-extractors of the class described should 1,
so constructed that the operating handle should normally hang downward there-
from, and that the movement of the handle causing the cork-screw to penetrate
the cork, should be in an upward direction. Moreover, when a machine so
constructed is attached to say a counter, the operating handle does not occupy
valuable space on the top of the counter, and by a reference to Figures 7, 8 and 9
which illustrate by way of example one form of a machine having a handle
which hangs down, it will be plain that the machine can be attached to a vertical
surface if desired, by the vertical flanges A10 although the frame A could be formed
a in the preceding examples if necessary.
As the construction and operation of the cork-extractor shown in Figures 7, 8
and 9 will be well understood from the previous description appertaining to
Figures 4, 5, and 6, the same lettering being adopted in all the Figures,
explanation of that Figure is not considered necessary.
The cork-extractors shown in Figures 4 to 6 are also provided with flanges A10
by which they may be secured to suitable supports.
It will readily be seen also that a handle G disposed and operating as in
Figure 7 and having a suitable cam or other device to open the jaw H3 of Figure 1
and 2 could be applied to the extractor illustrated in the said Figures 1 and 2 in
substitution for the upwardly-extending handle shown in those views.
In all these cork extractors the shape of the catch H (ne movement of which
is at times controlled by the bottle) the disposition thereof, and of the portion f
the hand lever by which it is operated, may be varied as desired, and obviously,
instead of operating the catch to disengage it from the nut by the direct operation
of the hand-lever, the said catch could be made to disengage by the plunger or
cther moving part actuated by the hand-lever.
The construction of a " power "cork-extractor in which the cork-screw is
rotated by being forced through a non-rotatable nut, and in which the cork-screw
is twice reciprocated to effect the penetration, extraction, and discharge of the
cork, with a downwardly-depending handle, the upward movement of which
effects the penetration of the cork by the cork-screw, is broadly novel and is very
advantageous, and this improvement is applicable to many existing extractors.

page_text: As there is usually some difficulty experienced in forming a spiral channel in
the nut F to match the cork-screw which has to pass through it, it is preferred to
adopt the following method of building it up.
A number of discs, or thin pieces of metal are provided, each pierced with a
hole corresponding to a section of the screw and the necessary number of th se
pieces are placed together, preferably inside a cylindrical shell and secured in a
suitable way by means of sweating them with soft solder for example. Another
way of preventing them from turning would be to form the pieces of a, shape
other than circular and shape the cylinder inside to match; or again a recess inay
be formed in each disc into which a projection or feather of the cylinder would
enter or the cylinder may be made of a piece of metal wrapped round the discs
and the ends turned inwardly so as to engage the slots. Or the ends of the sheii
may be spun or forced over; the discs so as to hold them. However, various means
may be adopted for this purpose.
Figure 10 of the accompanying drawing shows in plan two discs F³ such as are
above referred to, each pierced with a hole F corresponding to a section of the
cork-screw in the plane of the disc; the position in which each disc would be
placed in relation to its neighbours in the completed nut is indicated by the chain
lines which show the angular displacement of the two holes F in relation to
each other. It will readily be seen that a series of such discs, each given a slight
angular displacement in relation to its neighbours, would provide the nut
composed thereof with a spiral channel fitting the spiral of the cork-screw to be
received in it.
Figure 11 shows in central section a nut built up of dises such as are illustrated
in Figure 10, the several discs in this example being retained within a cylindrical
shell F adapted to fit the barrel A3 of the extractors.
In other respects modifications may be made without departing from the
essential features of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said in-
vention, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:-
1. In a cork-extractor in which the cork-screw is rotated by being forced
through a nut and in which the cork-screw is twice reciprocated a downwardly-
depending handle the upward movement of which effects the penetration of the
cork by the cork-screw.
2. In a cork-extractor the combination of a barrel such as A having a slotted
side, a plunger such as D and nut such as F reciprocating therein, an operating
handle such as G, a connection between handle and plunger through the slot,
and a catch such as H adapted to be held out of engagement with the nut by the
bottle and caused to engage the nut and hold it when the bottle is withdrawn.
3. In a cork-extractor à catch such as Hadapted to be moved out of engage-
ment with a nut F by the corkscrew-operating handle or a part controlled thereby
and to be kept out of engagement by the bottle.
4. In a cork-extractor the employment in combination of a cork-screw such
as E, handle such as G, and a connection which serves not only to operatively
couple the handle G and cork-screw E but also to retain the cork-screw in place.
5. In a cork-extractor the combination of a bottle-holding device which is
normally held shut by a spring of a cork-screw-operating handle such as G or a
part controlled therchy, acting during a portion of its movement to open such
device.
6. In a cork-extractor the combination with a bottle-holding device held normally
shut by a spring and adapted to lock at times a nut such as F, of a cork-screw-
operating handle, or a part controlled thereby acting during a portion of its
movement to unlock that nut.
7. A nut composed of perforated layers such as F2 substantially as described.
8. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete cork-

page_text: extractor substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated in Figures I
and 3, or Figures 4, 5 and 6, or Figures 7, and 8, of the accompanying drawings.
95th day of June 1897
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.