IMPROVEMENTS IN CORKSCREWS, AND IN MACHINERY OR APPA- RATUS FOR MAKING THE SAME
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edwin Powley Alexander, of 14, Southampton Buildings,
in the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CORKSCREWS, AND IN MACHINERY OR APPA-
RATUS FOR MAKING THE SAME." A communication from abroad by William
Rockwell Clough, of Newark, New Jersey, in the United States of America.
Sealed the 7th March 1879, and dated the 2nd October 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edwin Powley Alexander at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd October 1878.
"
EDWIN POWLEY ALEXANDER, of 14, Southampton Buildings, in the County of
Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent. IMPROVEMENTS IN CORK-
SCREWS, AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MAKING THE SAME." A com-
munication from abroad by William Rockwell Clough, of Newark, New Jersey, in
the United States of America.
This Invention relates to corkscrews and to machines used in their manufacture.
It consists in forming them in all their parts of one single or of several metallic
wires by means of a series of continued operations. The wire, cut to a length and
pointed, is placed in a slide, then directed automatically on a mandril carried by a
vibrating lever, the lower edge of the mandril being hollowed out in order to
embrace the form of the wire. This mandril descends and bears strongly on the
wire, leaving the ends of equal or unequal lengths, the one forming the handle and
the stem, and the other the screw. Immediately a pair of pincers worked by cams
advance, and in shutting roll up the two ends of the wire around the mandril in
order to make the handle. After this operation the pincers retire, and a cylinder
of a particular shape, with a projection on its face and a groove all along, advances
and seizes by its projection the wire opposite to the point, rolls it up into a volute, and
forms the stem. At the same time that this operation is taking place the extremity
of the pointed wire, being taken in the groove around a threaded mandril, remains
immovable during the rotation of the mandril. By its movement the wire is com
.

page_text: pelled to follow all the turns of the spiral grooves in the mandril in order to form
the corkscrew, properly so called. The cylinder then retires quickly, and the
mandril begins to turn the opposite way of the thread in order to unscrew itself
completely from the corkscrew, which is caused to disengage itself from the machine
and fall into any convenient receptacle.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Edwin Powley Alexander in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
8th March 1879.
EDWIN POWLEY ALEXANDER, of 14, Southampton Buildings, in the County of
Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN CORKSCREWS,
AND IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MAKING THE SAME." A communication
from abroad by William Rockwell Clough, of Newark, New Jersey, in the United
States of America.
The said Invention relates to a peculiar construction, arrangement, and com-
bination of machinery, apparatus, or means for making corkscrews from pointed
rods of wire by means of a series of operations.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully & completely understood, I
shall now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall
refer to the Figures on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, the same letters of
reference indicating corresponding parts in all the corresponding Figures.
Fig. 1 of the Drawings represents a side elevation of an automatic arrangement
of apparatus for making corkscrews; Fig. 2 is a corresponding plan of the top of
same.
The said machine consists of a main base A, upon which rest the various supports
for the several working parts. C₁ is the driving or first motion shaft carrying the
fixed and loose driving pullies B, B, and actuating through the pinion D, which is
fixed on the extremity of the said shaft C¹ the wheel E, such wheel E being toothed
upon its entire circumference, and fixed to and actuating the cam shaft J. F and F¹
mounted on the said shaft J are two wheels, one portion of the circumference of
each of which is left without teeth, whilst the other portion is provided with a suf-
ficient number of teeth to impart to the double pinion G (mounted on the spindle T),
say, four revolutions for each revolution of each of the wheels F & F¹.
G¹ is an
intermediate pinion turning on stud centre, and gearing into the double pinion G, &
deriving its motion from the wheel F. In this way the necessary reversing motion
of the double pinion G, as herein-after explained, is obtained. At the side of the
wheel F¹, and, if desired, united with it by means of the bolts H, is situate the
wheel I, which, like the wheels F, FI, has an interrupted toothed circumference, &
is also fixed as well as the wheels F & F' to the cam shaft J. There is a sufficient
number of teeth on this wheel I, to impart, say, four revolutions to the pinion L for

page_text: each revolution of the wheel I, which pinion L is mounted on the extremity of the
outer sleeve S', herein-after more fully described.
The extremity of the cam shaft J is furnished with a mitre wheel 1 gearing into
a similar wheel 2 fixed on the extremity of the right angle cam shaft K. On these
two shafts J & K are fixed the various cams for imparting the reciprocal motions to
the different parts of the machine, as herein-after described.
The sleeve S slides longitudinally in or telescopes the outer sleeve S', but
rotates with the said outer sleeve S₁ when driven by the wheel I acting upon the
pinion L. T is a spindle passing centrally through the entire length of the sleeve S,
outer sleeve S¹, double pinion G, & into the regulator nut T'. This nut is fixed in
the standard T¹; it is formed with an internal thread, into which engages a corre-
sponding thread formed on the end of the spindle T. This spindle is formed with
a keway, in which a key inside the pinion G slides, so that the spindle T may
revolve with the pinion G, whilst being at the same time free to slide longitudinally
therein. This spindle T is rotated backwards and forwards independently of the
sleeve S and outer sleeve S¹ by means of the wheels F and F acting upon the reversing
pinion G¹ and double pinion G. The outer sleeve S¹ is mounted so as to turn freely
in the bearing S". The sleeve S is free to move longitudinally inside the outer
sleeve S¹ independently of the rotary motion of such sleeve, but is connected.to.the
outer sleeve Si by a key and keyway.
The metallic wire from which the corkscrew is to be made, previously prepared
as to its dimensions and pointed, is put into a feed trough M, in which works a
slide N actuated by a lever O (Fig. 1) driven by a cam Q (Fig. 2) fixed upon the
cam shaft J.
This slide N serves to conduct the wire in front of the formers P
(Fig. 2), as indicated by the detail, Fig. 4. The slide N is moved inwards by means
of a spring, and carried out by means of the cam Q acting upon the end of the
upright lever Q' (Figs. 1 & 2). This lever Q¹ works on a fixed centre at Q¹¹, and is
connected at its lower end by a horizontal link or connecting rod O¹ (shewn in per-
spective in Fig. 1) with the lower end of the upright lever O, which is centred
at O. The mandril R attached to the end of the lever R' is formed with a shoulder
at its lower end, and is lowered in front of the wire, as shown in the detail, Fig. 3,
by the movement of the said lever R' (actuated by means of the cam X¹), thereby
bringing its shoulder upon or over the wire. The said wire is now folded or bent
round the mandril R under its shoulder by the formers P actuated by the cam X,
Figs. 1 and 2, as shown in the detail, Fig. 4. The formers P, which are hinged
together, are connected by links p to a slide p¹, which slide is acted upon by the
cam X and spring P¹. r (Fig. 2) is a surface or anvil on which the wire lies and the
mandril R descends, & to which the formers P are pivotted. Counter-formers P¹,
actuated by the projections or side cams X", augment the intensity of the pressure
of the formers P.
This
The ring or handle of the corkscrew having been formed round the mandril R,
the said mandril is caused to make a further slight descent by means of a corre-
sponding swell or projection on the cam X¹ (see Fig. 1). This has the effect of
pinching or holding the ring or handle more firmly down upon the anvil r.
operation finished, the sleeve S advances by means of the side cam Y and lever V
until its end comes in contact and engages with the metallic wire, which has now
crossed, as shown in Fig. 4. This sleeve now commences to rotate by the action of
the wheel I & pinion L, as previously described, & by means of a pin or projection
on its end (as shown in the enlarged detail views, Fig. 4a) catches the blunt prong
of, the wire, &. in rotating rolls this portion of the wire upon itself & round the
neck of the corkscrew, forming a shoulder or button. At the same time, & in the
same movement, by means of a slot in the end of the sleeve S the pointed prong of
the wire is conducted around the spirally grooved spindle T (which has also moved
up into position & been locked, as herein-after described), thus forming the complete.'
corkscrew, as shown in Fig. 6. The formers. P, acted upon by the call-back
spring P, retake their original position at the moment the metallic wire has been.
crossed & caught by the sleeve.

page_text: When the corkscrew has been formed as shown in Fig. 6, the mandril R is lifted
up out of the ring by means of the weight & cord R. The sleeve S and the
spindle T now retire, as herein-after described, freeing the corkscrew, as shown in
Fig. 7, which falls down by its own weight or is thrown down by means of the
"knock-off" lever Z actuated by the cam z. All these movements combined are
obtained by the aid of cams for the reciprocal & of gearing for the rotating movements.
Thus the sleeve S is rotated by the wheel I and the pinion L fastened upon the outer
sleeve S¹. The spindle T moves freely within the sleeve S, and revolves with the
double pinion G, and is actuated by the wheels F & F'. By means of the inter-
mediate pinion G' the wheel F (which engages with this intermediate pinion G¹ at
the moment when the wheel F¹ becomes disengaged from the double pinion G)
rotates the double pinion G outwardly. The rear end of the spindle T being spirally
cut, and moving within a regulator nut T¹, is by this outward rotating movement of
the double pinion G thrown forward to the proper point to receive the pointed prong
of the wire which forms the worm, & is then locked by means of the break 4 and
break wheel G". The wheel F¹ subsequently engages with the double pinion G,
rotating it inwards, & by means of the regulator nut T' carries the spindle T back-
ward, freeing it from the worm of the corkscrew when it is finished, as shown in
Fig. 7.
The pinion L is held in its place & kept from rotating when not engaged with
the wheel I by means of the break 3 on the hollow rocking sleeve 5 falling into a
notch in the disc or break wheel L¹, & actuated by the cam U in conjunction with
the rocking sleeve 5, pendant lever 6, & connecting rod 7. This break 3 is dis-.
engaged from the disc or break wheel L' by means of the spring 8 at the moment
when the wheel I engages with the pinion L. The double pinion G is also kept in
its place & freed by means of the break 4 acting in conjunction with the disc G¹¹,
rocking spindle 9, pendant lever 10, connecting rod 11, spring 12, & cam U', in a
similar manner to the pinion L. The spindle T passing through (and by means of a
key & keyway) revolving with the double pinion G is, in conjunction with the
regulator nut T¹, & by the action of the break 4, locked in position. The lever V
is actuated by the side cam Y on the cam shaft J, and serves to throw the sleeve S
forward through the guide or support s, said lever V being brought back by the
spring V1.
The blunt prong of the wire may if desired be cut to stop short at the neck of
the corkscrew, as shown in Fig. 19, instead of crossing. In this case the sharp
prong only of the wire would be caught and manipulated by the sleeve S and
spindle T, producing a construction as shown in Fig. 20.
In the forms of corkscrews shown in Figs. 12 & 20 the ring may be made very
small, into which ring may be introduced other rings or handles, as shown in
Figs. 21 & 22.
Other forms of rings or handes may be constructed by changing the form of
mandril R, as, for instance, an oblong or a half-round ring, as found desirable.
Having now described in detail the various functions of my machine working
automatically, as shown in Figs. 1 & 2 of the Drawings, I will now proceed to point
out the most important & essential tools and parts of the said machine apart from the
cam gearing & springs which actuate them." These tools consist of the mandril R
acting in conjunction with the formers P & P¹ & the slotted sleeve S, provided
with the projection or its equivalent on its end, to form the flange or button, & the
spindle T to form the worm at the same time and in the same operation. These tools
I propose, when found desirable, to apply separately and independently from all
automatic movement, & when desired to work them by hand or otherwise.
So far I believe I have shown the most rapid & economical method of operating
the said, tools or parts so as to construct the forms of corkscrews shown in Figs. 12
& 20.
Now in constructing the design shown in Figs. 15, 16, 17. & 18. I believe it is

page_text: perform these operations by hand. In this case I will take Fig. 17 for an example.
In making this I take a pointed rod of wire of proper length & thickness, pre-
viously bent by any well-known means into a loop or handle, having two free ends
to form the twisted stem, the button, and the worm. To do this I hold the loop or
handle securely in a vice or clamp, & employ a spindle, Fig. 23, mounted in bearings
in juxtaposition to the clamp, & capable of rotation by hand. The end of this
spindle, which is formed with two diametrically opposed inclined slots, notches, or
equivalent devices for catching the two free ends of the wire, is brought up to the
clamp & engaged with the said free ends of the wire. On rotating the spindle the
two free ends of the wire will be twisted together, & as the twist proceeds the
spindle is forced to recede in the same ratio in its bearings. When the shank is
sufficiently long the rotation is stopped, & the wire disengaged from the parts. I
now have a handle, shank, & two projecting prongs, & I secure the said partly made
corkscrew in a suitable clamp, so arranged as to firmly hold & support both the
handle & shank whilst the button & worm are being made. To accomplish this I
employ the herein-before described sleeve S, outer sleeve S¹, & spindle T. The outer
sleeve S¹ is mounted so as to rotate in bearings, & is provided with a gear wheel.
A countershaft with a corresponding gear wheel is so arranged as to transmit its
motion to the outer sleeve S', & is rotated by hand. The spindle T is provided
with a crank handle, & is so combined with the sleeve S as to carry the said sleeve
backwards & forwards longitudinally in the outer sleeve S¹, but is free to rotate in
& independently of such sleeve S. Now as the handle & shank of the corkscrew
are held secure, the spindle T & sleeve S are pushed forward through 'the outer
sleeve S¹ until their ends are in contact, with the two prongs or free ends projecting
from the shank of the partially formed corkscrew. The actuating handle on the
spindle T is locked by any suitable catch in order to prevent the sleeve S from
receding, & also to prevent the spindle T from receding or rotating. The counter-
shaft is then set in motion, & causes the sleeve S to rotate. This sleeve, with the
projection or equivalent on its end, & with the longitudinal slot in its side, catches
the two free ends of the wire, forming one into a worm, & the other into a flange
or button, as herein-before shown in & described with reference to the automatic
machine (Figs. 1 and 2). The handle, shank, worm, and flange being complete the
handle on the end of the spindle T is unlocked or released; & a reverse rotating
motion imparted to the said spindle, which causes it & the sleeve S to recede & free
themselves from the worm of the corkscrew. The clamp is then opened & the
finished screw is released.
In constructing the corkscrew, Fig. 16, the same operations are repeated, but in
this case the button is omitted, and the sleeve S is provided with two longitudinal
slots at its operating end, into which the two free ends of the wire are drawn &
wound spirally around the spindle T, which in this case is provided with a double
spiral groove to receive both the free ends of the wire.
Figs. 15 & 18 are constructed in the same manner as Fig. 17, with the exception
that the button is omitted.
Having now described & particularly ascertained the nature of the said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect, I would
observe in conclusion that I do not claim as forming any part of the said Invention
any particular form or construction of corkscrews separately and apart from the
machinery, apparatus, or means which I have described for the manufacture of said
articles, but what I consider to be novel & original, and therefore claim as the Inven
tion secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The peculiar construction, arrangement, & combination of machinery,
apparatus, or means for making corkscrews when arranged to operate together,
substantially in the manner & for the purpose herein-before described, and illustrated
by my Drawings.
Secondly. The application and use to and in the manufacture of corkscrews of the
inner sleeve S, with the projection and slot or equivalent device on its operating

page_text: end, for seizing the wire, in combination with the spirally-grooved spindle T,
operating together substantially in the manner & for the purpose herein-before
described, & illustrated by my Drawings.
Thirdly. The application and use to and in the manufacture of corkscrews of the
inner sleeve S, with the projection and slot or other equivalent device on its operating
end for seizing the wire, in combination with the spirally-grooved spindle T and outer
sleeve S', operating together substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein-
before described, and illustrated by my Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edwin Powley Alexander, have hereunto set
my hand & seal, this Eighteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.
Witness,
F. J. RAPSON,
Clerk to the said E. P. Alexander.
EDWIN P. ALEXANDER. (L.S.)