Improvements in Apparatus for Drawing Corks from Bottles and for Opening Internally Stoppered Bottles.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Jan., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 1st Oct., 1892-Accepted, 5th Nov., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Drawing Corks from Bottles and for
Opening Internally Stoppered Bottles.
I, GEORGE HENRY KENDALL of Firth Street Brass Works, Huddersfield
Yorkshire, Brass Founder and Finisher, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to a new method of extracting or drawing corks
from bottles; also applicable for pushing the stopper into internally closed bottles.
In constructing a cork drawing apparatus according to my invention I employ a
corkscrew attached to a crossbar connected to two vertical rods. These vertical
rods are attached to a piston rod which is operated by the pressure of water within
a cylinder. A suitably arranged valve is employed in connection with this
hydraulic cylinder, operated by the foot or otherwise of the attendant, which
valve admits water for the purpose of operating the piston which causes the vertical
rods to descend carrying with them the corkscrew which is made to pierce and
enter the cork of a bottle placed underneath it, after which the valve is operated in
the reverse direction causing the piston to return in doing which the screw ascends
and removes the cork from the bottle. The same action which pushes the screw
into the cork would remove the stopper from an internally stopped bottle.
The bottle from which the cork has to be withdrawn is placed upon an adjustable
stand or platform placed vertically under the screw. The platform is provided with
a central spindle which enters the top end of the hydraulic cylinder and it can be
raised and lowered to suit bottles of different heights.
By the employment of hydraulic power to withdraw corks from bottles, no
exertion is required on the part of the operative as is the case with the present
construction of cork drawing machines as by my invention the screw is forced down
and drawn upwards by the action of the water in the cylinder.
Dated this 1st day of January 1892.
TASKER & CROSSLEY,
Halifax, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Drawing Corks from Bottles and for
Opening Internally Stoppered Bottles.
I, GEORGE HENRY KENDALL, of Firth Street Brass Works, Huddersfield,
Yorkshire, Brass Founder and Finisher, 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 has reference to a new method of extracting or drawing corks
from bottles, also applicable for pushing in the stoppers of internally stoppered
bottles, and consists of a corkscrew connected to a piston rod which is operated by
the pressure of water within a cylinder and a suitably arranged valve in connection
with the hydraulic cylinder. The said valve is operated by foot or otherwise of
the attendant and first admits water to the cylinder above the piston which causes
the piston and rod to descend, carrying with them the corkscrew, which, at a
suitable point, is forced through a nut and then pierces and forces its way through
the cork of the bottle placed underneath it, the reverse movement of the valve
causing the piston and rod to return and withdraw the cork from the bottle and
subsequently strip it off the corkscrew. The same action and parts but with a

page_text: stoppered bottle.
ILL He stopper of an internany
Such being the nature and object of my invention, the same will be more fully
understood by reference to the following description and annexed sheet of drawings
forming a part of this Specification in which :-
Fig. 1 is a sectional side elevation of a machine for drawing corks out of bottles
by hydraulic power as constructed for actuation by hand lever.
Fig. 2 is elevation of the reverse side shewing means for limiting the movement
of the valve in both directions.
Fig. 3 is sectional side elevation of a hydraulic cork drawing machine as con-
structed for actuation by foot treadle, and
Fig. 4 is a detail of part of the machine adapted for opening internally stoppered
bottles.
.Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout.
Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, letter a denotes a casting or shell provided with a
cylinder b, preferably arranged at an angle to the base plate c which rests on and is
screwed or bolted to the counter or platform employed for supporting the machine.
Capable of working within the cylinder is a piston d secured to a piston rod e
which carries at its lower end a corkscrew secured in a recess in the end of the
said piston rod by a screwed plug or nut 9 which prevents lateral movement of
the corkscrew, and for the purpose of enabling the said screw to rotate freely,
the head y' thereof is double cone shaped and engages with corresponding opposing
surfaces formed at the end of the recess in the piston rod and in the end of a tube
or bush placed on the corkscrew below the head thereof, and which is held in place
by flanged collar or washer g³ forced against a shoulder in the recess by nut g.
h is a valve chamber formed in the casing or shell a having two port holes h³, h²,
communicating respectively with the top and bottom of the cylinder b and an inlet
port and outlet or exhaust port / communicating with inlet pipe k¹ and exhaust
pipe respectively. Within this chamber is a valve m which, when in its normal
position as shewn in full line, exposes the port to the inlet port k and allows the
pressure of water to be on the underside of the piston d whilst the port ¹ is closed
to the inlet but open to the exhaust port, but when the attendant turns the handle m
secured on the valve spindle, a quarter of a revolution or to the horizontal position
as indicated by dotted line in Fig. 2, the valve m assumes the position shewn in
dotted lines thereby closing the lower port h³ to the inlet and opening it to the
exhaust port and closing the upper port h¹ to the exhaust and opening or exposing
it to the inlet k so that the pressure of water passes through the port to the top
of the cylinder and forces down the piston, the water under which Hows out through
the port and escapes by way of the exhaust pipe l¹.
It will thus be obvious that whichever port, or is closed to the inlet is at
the same time opened to the exhaust and vice versa, and that by moving the valve
round a quarter of a revolution and back again the pressure of water is first
admitted to the cylinder above the piston and the water under the piston exhausted,
then admitted below the piston and the water above exhausted thereby giving a
complete down and up stroke to the piston rod. The piston rod is adapted to
slide within a sleeve n capable of moving freely within certain limits up and down
in the nozzle or barrel a' screwed to the casing a and provided with a bell
mouth a lined with leather or other material to receive the neck of a bottle. The
said sleeve n has secured at the bottom thereof a nut n' having a thread formed
therethrough corresponding to the thread of the corkscrew such sleeve, when
the piston rod descends, being pushed downward by the corkscrew until it abuts
against the shoulder p in the barrel a' which prevents its further movement in
that direction and therefore causes the corkscrew f to be forced through the nut n'
by the continued down stroke of the piston rod. This gives a rotary motion to
the corkscrew and as the end thereof emerges from the nut it pierces the cork
in the bottle held immediately underneath and is propelled through the same as
shewn in Fig. 3.
r

page_text: The return or up stroke of the piston rod now draws the cork out of the bottle
into the chamber a at which point the sleeve n, having been carried upward by
the screw f, engages with the shoulder pl and is held thereby during the remainder
of the up stroke of the piston rod, whose continued movement draws the corkscrewƒ
through the nut n' and thus causes it to be rotated and to unscrew itself from the
cork which falls through the opening at onto the floor or into a receptacle placed
to receive the corks.
The whole of the operations just described are performed by pulling the handle m¹
from the vertical to the horizontal position and back again, no exertion on the part
of the attendant being necessary, and to prevent the valve being turned round too
far in either direction, a stop piece projecting from the casing a is employed
adapted to engage with the ends of a recess formed in the washers secured on the
valve spindle, as shewn in Fig. 2.
In Fig. 3 the same construction of machine is shewn to that described with
reference to Fig. 1 with the exception that the valve is modified somewhat, and is
adapted to be raised and lowered in the valve chamber by the action of the foot
instead of being turned around.
The valve m works in a valve chamber h in which are three port holes, h¹ com-
municating with the top of the cylinder b, communicating with the bottom of the
cylinder and communicating with the exhaust pipe . The water under pressure
enters at the pipe k' and when the valve m is drawn downwards by pressure of the
foot on a treadle connected to the valve spindle m³ by rod m³ as shewn in Fig. 3,
said water passes through the water passage m in valve m to the port hole h¹ and
enters the cylinder at the top so as to force down the piston.
On removing the foot from the treadle, the spiral spring n which has been com-
pressed between the collar on the valve spindle and the bottom of the chamber v,
immediately forces upward the valve m to the position shewn in dotted lines
thereby closing the port hole h' and opening the port and allowing the water to
pass to the underside of the piston and to force it to the top of the cylinder. A
recess to is formed in the side of the valve m which forms a passage between the
port hole which is closed to the inlet and the exhaust / so that the used water can
escape from the cylinder.
Although I have shewn and described the valve adapted to work vertically as
being actuated by the foot, such said valve may be actuated by a hand lever, and
the valve shewn in Fig. 1 may also be actuated by a foot treadle instead of by a
hand lever.
In Fig. 4 the corkscrew is substituted by a stud or plunger f' attached to or
formed at the bottom of the piston rod for forcing in the corks of internally
stoppered bottles.
By the employment of hydraulic power to withdraw corks from bottles, no
exertion is required on the part of the attendant as is the case with the present
construction of cork drawing machines, the whole of the force necessary being
obtained by the pressure of water admitted to the cylinder.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention,
and in what manner the same is to be carried into effect, I declare that what I
claim is :-
Firstly. The apparatus comprising a cork drawing machine operated by hydraulic
pressure, substantially as set forth.
Secondly. The combination with a hydraulic cylinder, piston and piston rod
working therein and a corkscrew connected with said piston rod, of valves shewn in
Figs. 1 and 3 for admitting and shutting off the supply of water to the top or
bottom of the cylinder and for opening the exhaust thereto, substantially as shewn
and described.
Thirdly. In a hydraulic cork drawing machine, the combination, with a cork
screw connected with the piston rod and capable of rotating, of a nut n' for rotating
said screw when forced therethrough, substantially as described,

page_text: Fourthly. The general arrangement and construction of apparatus operated by.
bydraulic pressure for drawing corks out of bottles, and for opening internally
stoppered bottles substantially as herein shewn and described.
Dated this 30th day of September 1892.
TASKER & CROSSLEY,
Halifax, Agents.