IMPROVED MEANS FOR WITH- DRAWING CORKS OR BUNGS FROM BOTTLES, CASKS, AND OTHER VESSELS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick William Russell, of Upper Thames Street, in
the City of London, for an Invention of "IMPROVED MEANS FOR WITH-
DRAWING CORKS OR BUNGS FROM BOTTLES, CASKS, AND OTHER VESSELS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick William Russell
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th February 1881.
FREDERICK WILLIAM RUSSELL, of Upper Thames Street, in the City of London.
"IMPROVED MEANS FOR WITHDRAWING CORKS OR BUNGS FROM BOTTLES, CASKS,
AND OTHER VESSELS."
My Invention relates to improved means of instantly withdrawing corks or
bungs from bottles, jars, casks, and such like vessels, the said means being combined
with the cork or bung so as to be always in readiness for the withdrawal of the
same. Another great advantage of this Invention being that the bottles retain
their ordinary appearance, and can be sealed and capsuled as usual without the
capsule being interfered with or spoilt in appearance.
My Invention consists in a cord, wire, or tape, inserted in place in the act of
corking, and passing across, beneath, or through the cork or bung, and between it
and the sides of the mouth or bung hole of the bottle, jar, cask, or other vessel, at
two or more opposite sides of the cork or bung, a bight or loop of the cord, tape, or
wire, being allowed to project for the purpose of being seized in order to lift the
cork or bung out. I may use a cord, string, tape, wire, or catgut, but I prefer
twine of the kind known as "seaming twine" and "roping twine," as it is strong
and does not cut into the cork.
The string or twine may be arranged in various ways which I will describe as
applied to a wide mouthed bottle. According to one the string is tied by its two
ends round the bottle neck and the doubled string is carried up to and laid across
the mouth, and the cork or bung is then driven in so as to carry down the string
with it. The doubled string thus passes down at one side between the cork and
the bottle mouth, across the under face of the cork, and up at the other side, whence
projects the doubled end or loop which is to be seized and pulled upon in order to
remove the cork.

page_text: According to another arrangement the string is attached by both ends to the
bottle neck, or by one end to the bottle neck and by the other to the cork. The
middle portion of the string is crossed upon itself at right angles or thereabouts
and laid over the bottle mouth and the cork driven in, the middle part or bight
of the string being left projecting at one side to form a loop to pull upon as
before.
According to another arrangement the two ends of the string are attached at
opposite points to the bottle neck (or rather to a part of the string which encircles
it), and the string is twisted on itself so as to engage the part of the string coming
from one side with the part coming from the opposite side of the bottle mouth - and
deflect both at or about a right angle, the bottle mouth thus being crossed by the
string in two directions at or about right angles to one another, the point of
intersection of the two parts of the string being at or about the middle, and a hight
or loop being left projecting as before.
According to another arrangement one end of the string is attached to the
bottle neck and the string is passed diametrically through the body of the cork or
bung at about the middle of its length or thickness, the other end being attached
to the cork and a sufficient loop left projecting as before.

page_text: "
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Frederick William Russell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
8th August 1881.
FREDERICK WILLIAM RUSSELL, of Upper Thames Street, in the City of London.
IMPROVED MEANS FOR WITHDRAWING CORKS OR BUNGS FROM BOTTLES,. CASKS,
AND OTHER VESSELS."
My Invention relates to improved means of instantly withdrawing or extracting
corks or bungs from bottles, jars, casks, and such like vessels, the said means being
combined with the cork or bung so as to be always in readiness for the withdrawal
of the same without the necessity of employing a corkscrew or equivalent device.
Another great advantage of my Invention is that the corks are not damaged in the
act of withdrawal, and are consequently adapted to be again used. Moreover the
bottles retain their ordinary appearance, and can be sealed and capsuled as usual
without the capsule being interfered with or spoilt in appearance.
My Invention consists in the employment of a cord, wire, or tape inserted in
place in the act of corking, and passing either across, beneath, or through the cork
or bung, or around the same, and between it and the sides of the mouth or bung-
hole of the bottle, jar, cask, or other vessel at two or more opposite sides of the
cork or bung, a bight or loop of the cord, tape, or wire being allowed to project
for the purpose of being seized in order to lift out or withdraw the cork or
bung.
I may use a cord, string, tape, wire, or catgut, but when used for vessels con-
taining liquids I have found after much experiment that to avoid cutting into the
cork, and leakage, it is absolutely necessary to employ a cord made of flax, which
possesses the necessary strength with pliability, lics flat when in place, and does
not cut the cork.
The cord may be applied in various ways, and in order that the Invention may
be more readily understood I will describe it with reference to the accompanying
Drawings, which illustrate different methods of carrying out the Invention."
Figure 1 shows a side elevation, longitudinal section, and top view of the upper
portion of the neck of a bottle, in which an endless piece of cord a encircles the
bottle neck beneath the flange or rim at b, is twisted or tied into a slip at c, and
the doubled cord carried up to and laid across the mouth, and the cork or bung d
then driven in so as to carry down the cord with it. The doubled cord thus
passes down at one side between the cork and the bottle neck, across the under
face of the cork, and up at the other side, where the doubled or looped end a¹
projects in readiness to be seized and pulled in order to remove the cork. Two
separate pieces of cord may be employed instead of a single piece, the portion
that runs around beneath the rim being in this case passed through the doubled
portion.
In Figure 2, which is also a section and top view, the cord a encircles the bottle
neck at b, and is attached to the cork at c. The middle portion of the cord is
crossed upon itself at right angles or thereabouts, and laid over the mouth of the
bottle, and the cork & driven in, the middle part or bight a¹ of the cord being
left projecting at one side to form the loop to pull on, as before. In the plan this
is clearly seen where the cord is crossed preparatory to driving the cork din.
Figure 3 shows a similar arrangement to the last. In this case the cord encircles
the neck of the bottle beneath the rim, and is led from opposite points and twisted
on itself, so that one part of the cord coming from one side engages with the part
coming from the opposite side of the bottle mouth, and both are deflected at or
about a right angle, the bottle mouth thus being crossed by the cord in two

page_text: directions at or about right angles to one another, the point of intersection of the
two parts of the cord being at or about the middle, and a bight or loop a¹ being
left projecting as before, but centrally instead of at one side.
According to the arrangement shown in Figure 4 the cord encircles the bottle
neck, and the doubled cord is passed diametrically through the body of the cork or
bung at about the middle of its length or thickness, a sufficient loop a' being left
projecting as before.
In Figure 5 the cord encircles the neck, passes up over the edge of the bottle,
and across to the other side beneath the cork, and is doubled back and twisted on
itself, leaving a loop at f; thence it passes up at the opposite side over the top of
the cork, and through the loop, leaving an end g, which is pulled on for with-
drawing the cork. In this arrangement the cork is retained after removal, this
being of advantage when the bottle contains a liquid or material that would soil if
the cork were allowed to drop off.
In Figure 6 two endless pieces of cord are inserted, one within the other, to
form a noose or slip at h (see Figure 6a), which encircles the cork or bung on which
it is tightened by pulling on the two bights a¹, a¹. These bights when the cork is
driven in the bottle project therefrom at opposite sides, and may be doubled down
flat, and waxed or capsuled, so that the bottle will retain its ordinary appearance,
and yet be provided with the means of extracting the cork, which are not
visible.
Figure 7 shows a similar arrangement, in which one endless piece of cord is
simply twisted once on itself, and formed into a loop at (see Figure 7), in which
the cork & is inserted. The bight is then pulled tight (see Figure 7b), causing the
loop to close firmly on the cork. The bight when the cork is inserted is led up
between the cork and the bottle, and projects at top.
In all the arrangements the bight for withdrawing the cork may be laid flat, and
the bottle waxed or capsuled as usual.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of performning the
same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention to be protected by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1st. The improved means for withdrawing or extracting corks or bungs from
bottles, jars, casks, and such like vessels, consisting in the employment of a cord,
wire, or tape, applied substantially as herein described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawings.
2nd. The employment for the purpose of extracting or withdrawing corks of a
flax cord applied to corks, substantially in the manner shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick William Russell, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Sixth day of August, A.D. 1881.
17
TICOTT T