A CERTAIN IMPROVEMENT IN CORKSCREWS, WHICH IMPROVEMENT IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO COCKS OR TAPS AND VALVES
Year: 1844

page_text: LOACH'S SPECIFICATION.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
LOACH, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
5 Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Seventh day of May, in the seventh year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said John
Loach, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I,
the said John Loach, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said John Loach, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention
of "A CERTAIN IMPROVEMENT IN CORKSCREWS, WHICH IMPROVEMENT IS ALSO
APPLICABLE TO COCKS OR TAPS AND VALVES;" in which said Letters Patent is
contained a proviso, that I, the said John Loach, shall cause a particular
description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of
Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of
the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being.
thereunto had, doth more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Loach, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and ascer-
tained in and by the following description thereof, reference being had to the
Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that
is to say:-
My Invention consists of, firstly, an improved corkscrew, for drawing
corks from bottles, in which corkscrew the cork is drawn from the bottle by
the action of a screw constructed and applied in the manner herein-after
particularly described; and, secondly, of the application of a screw to the open-
ing and closing of cocks, taps, and valves, as herein-after particularly described,
with reference to a cock or tap.
Figures 1 and 2 represent a vertical section my improved corkscrew;
Figure 1 representing the several parts in the positions they occupy when the
corkscrew is first applied to the cork to be drawn, and Figure 2 represents the
several parts in the positions they occupy when in the act of removing the cork
from the bottle. The same letters denote the same parts in both Figures.
a is a steel screw made in the form represented, that is to say, of a broad sharp
edged thread wound around a slightly tapering and pointed body; this screw is
attached to the cylindrical rod b, and the said rod 6 is attached to the brass
nut c, and the latter to the handle d. 6' is a flange or shoulder on the lower-
end of the cylinder b, the use of which flange is herein-after explained. e is
a hollow cylinder or tube of brass' (commonly called the 'barrel), having a
shoulder e at its lower end, which shoulder is intended to rest on the mouth of
the bottle from which the cork is to be drawn during the act of drawing the
said cork from the said bottle. The hollow cylinder or tube e is surmounted
by a smaller tube f, the internal diameter of which is such that the shoulder b
of the cylindrical rod 6 passes freely upwards and downwards through the said
tube f; the upper part of the tube f is contracted by the shoulder f. 9 is a
plate or diaphragm in the hollow cylinder'e; this plate has an opening at its
centre, through which the shoulder 6' of the cylinder 6 passes freely; h, h, are
two pointed studs attached to the under side of the plate or diaphragm g. The
action of my improved corkscrew is as follows:-When about to be used, the
various parts are put into the position shewn in Figure 1, that is to say, the
parts d, b, a, are raised or withdrawn from the parts f, e, until the shoulder or
flange 6 of the cylinder b, coming in contact with the shoulder of the tube f
arrests their further progress. The shoulder & of the hollow cylinder e
is placed on the mouth of the bottle from which the cork is to be drawn, and
the pointed end of the screw a forced into the cork: The hollow cylinder e is
b

page_text: beld in its place by one hand, while the other is occupied in turning the
handled in a direction proper to "drive home" the screw a, and at the same
time gently pressing the handle & downwards. By these means the screw a is
made to enter the cork, and the said screw a, cylindrical rod b, and handle d,
are brought into the position represented in Figure 2, that is to say, the brass
nut c comes in contact with the upper end of the tube f, and prevents the
further descent of the parts a, b, d. On continuing to turn the handle d, the
screw a, in its passage through the cork, is no longer able to descend, and con-
sequently.the cork is raised by the screw from the neck of the bottle into the
hollow cylinder e. The corkscrew and cork may now be removed from the
mouth of the bottle, and the cork may be detached from the corkscrew in the
following manner:-The hollow cylinder é should be held in one hand, and the
handle d in the other; on raising the handle d' into a position intermediate
between the positions represented in Figures 1 and 2, the top of the cork is
brought in contact with the pointed studs h, h, the handle d must now be
turned in a direction contrary to that in which it was turned in withdrawing
the cork, (that is to say), in the direction proper to withdraw the screw a), the
handle, during. such turning, being gently drawn upwards. The cork is
prevented from turning round by the studs h, h, and the screw a is thus with-
drawn from the cork on pressing down the handle d, so as to make the
parts a, b, d, assume the position shewn in Figure 2. The cork may be removed
from the end of the screw by the hand.
Figures 3 and 4 represent my improved tap or cock; Figure 3 represents
it partly in section, and Figure 4 in elevation. jis the pipe by which the
liquid is conveyed to the chamber ke; in which chamber the plug or "valve /*
works; is the pipe by which the liquid is drawn off; is a plug, shewn'
separately in Figure 5, formed partly of brass and partly of an alloy of equal
parts of lead and tin; other soft alloys may be used for the plug l, but the one
described answers every purpose. The lower part of this plug is made of a
conical figure, so as to fit closely on the conical bed m of the valve chamber k.
Two pins or projections on opposite sides of the plug 1 (one of which is seen
at.) work in grooves in the valve chamber k, and prevent the rotation of the
plug:1; one of the grooves in the valve chamber k is seen at k¹. n is a four-
threaded left-handed screw, which works in a cavity, properly screwed in the
plug or valve 1, see Figure 5. This screw has a broad shoulder o at top,
which shoulder is surmounted by the chamber p, into which chamber the key.q,
Figure 4, fits. When in use the various parts of my improved tap or cock
have the relative positions shewn in dotted lines in Figure 4, that is to say,
the plug or valve 1, Figure 3, occupies the valve chamber k, the pins or pro-

page_text: jections of the former occupying the grooves k¹ of the latter; the shoulder o
of the screw n rests on the shoulder " of the valve chamber k; and the cap r,
Figure 4, when screwed on the valve chamber, presses on the shoulder o of the
screw n, and preserves the proper positions of the various parts. A washer of
leather is placed over the shoulder o, and a second washer of leather is placed
under the said shoulder. q. Figure 4, is the key by which the tap or cock is
opened or closed. The action of my improved tap or cock is as follows:
When the parts have the positions represented in Figure 4, the cock or tap is
closed, the lower conical end of the plug 1, Figure 3, being pressed closely on
he conical bed of the valve chamber k, as shewn in dotted lines in Figure 4,
closes the communication between the pipe j and the pipe a, by which latter
the liquid is drawn off. By introducing the key g, Figure 4, (through an open-
ing made for that purpose in the tap r.) into the chamber p on the screw n;
and turning the said key in a direction proper to drive home the screw n, the
plug is raised, and a communication opened between the pipe j and the pipe x,
through which latter the liquid is drawn off. By turning the key in a direction
contrary to that last described, the plug 7 is depressed so as to press it into close
contact with the conical bed m of the valve chamber k, and the communication.
between the pipe j and the pipe, a is closed. The rotation of the plug is pre-
vented by the pointed studs sliding in the grooves k³ in the valve chamber k.
The alloy of which the plug is in part made is so soft that the pressure
between it and the conical bed m of the valve chamber k produced in closing.
-the tap or cock, causes the said plug to fit accurately on the said conical bed,
and thus prevent leakage. The method of making the valve or plug / is as
follows: That part of the plug which is made of brass is tinned on the outside,
and introduced into a metal mould, .the interior of which has the figure of the
intended plug. The alloy of which the exterior of the plug is made is fused,
and being poured into the mould attaches itself to the tinned brass. When
the plug thus formed has cooled, it is placed in a die of the exact form and
size of the valve chamber k, Figure 3, and is subjected to pressure in the
said die. The pressure causes every part of the plug to fit the die accurately,
and consequently to fit also the valve chamber k, Figure 3, of the tap or cock.:
It will be observed that the plug or valve in my improved tap or cock is raised
by an action similar to that by which my improved corkscrew draws a cork
from a bottle, that is to say, the plug or valve in my improved tap or cock is.
raised by a screw, entering the said plug, the rotation of the plug being
prevented by the studs A, Figure 3, sliding in grooves in the valve chamber k;
and the cork is drawn from a bottle by my improved corkscrew by a screw
entering the said cork, the rotation of the cork being prevented by the friction.

page_text: between it and the mouth of the bottle. In the application of my Invention
to the opening and closing of valves generally, I raise and lower the valve
from its bed or seat by the action of a screw, as herein-before described in
reference to the valve in a tap or cock; this application is so obvious that I
deem a description of it unnecessary.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be carried into effect, I wish it to be understood that I claim the
method of constructing corkscrews herein-before particularly described, by
which method of construction the cork is raised on the thread or worm of a
screw, the said screw being made, first, to enter, and afterwards to raise the
said cork, by an uninterrupted or continuous rotation of the said screw.
And I wish it also to be further understood, that although I have described
the best method of carrying my Invention into effect with which I am
acquainted, I do not limit myself to that method, but claim exclusive right to
the construction of corkscrews in which the cork is raised by the rotation of a
screw in the said cork, whether the said screw be constructed and applied in
the manner herein-before described, or in a different manner.
I claim also the application of a screw to the raising and lowering of plugs
or valves in taps, cocks, and valves generally, the said plugs or valves being
prevented from rotating, while being raised and lowered, in the manner herein-
before described, or in any other convenient manner.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Loach, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fort_form
JOHN (L.B.) .LOACH.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-sixth day of October,
in the year of our Lord 1844, the aforesaid John Loach came before our said
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above
O written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Fourth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-four.