Improvements in Cork Screws.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 25th May, 1898-Accepted, 25th June, 1898
Improvements in Cork Screws.
I, ROBERT ALEXANDER KLOCK, of Aylmer, in the Province of Quebec and.
Dominion of Canada, 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:
My invention which will be hereinafter fully set forth and claimed relates to
cork screws.
The object of my invention is a cork screw having a vent to provide for the
escape of an excess of gas in the bottle when drawing a cork and to avoid the
partial spilling of the liquid and the wetting of the hands.
Fig. 1 is a view of my improved cork screw, made with a straight stem.
Fig. 2 shows a partial vertical section of the same through the centre, on an
enlarged scale, showing the tubular nature of the stem.
Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the same, on line 3-3, Figs. 1 and 2, on the
same scale as Fig. 2, showing the lateral lower aperture of the tubular passage
in the stem.
Fig. 4 shows a modification of Fig. 1, showing a tubular spiral or screw.
Fig. 5 shows another modification in which the tubular character of the stem
extends to its upper end.
A is the straight stem of a cork screw, upon the principal lower part of which
the flat screw thread, a, is formed in the usual way, leaving the upper portion as a
straight neck to be provided with a handle. It is provided with a flange or
shoulder, B, at the upper end of the screw thread, to limit the depth to which
it may enter the cork, and with a point, b, at the lower end of the stem and thread,
to facilitate its entrance in the cork. Said stem A is made hollow, or tubular
having a passage, 2, extending from a little distance above the flange or shoulder B
down to a little distance above the lower end or point b. Said passage 2 has
lateral openings or apertures, (Fig. 2) one at the upper end, 3, and 'one at the
lower end, 4. The latter (Fig. 3) is made with its outer lips, 5 and 6, well rounded,
so as to avoid sharp edges, which might cut in or scrape off the cork and thus fill
up the aperture. The lip 5, especially, being the rear one in the rotary passage
of the stem through the cork, is well flattened off.
Another flange or disk, C, (Figs. 1 & 2) may, if desired, be secured upon the
upper end of the stem (or neck) 'a little distance above the lateral opening 3, to
prevent the escaping gas blowing by any mischance upwards; this, however, is
not a necessity. The stem may be provided with any suitable handle, such as H,
secured in any suitable manner, or may form the lower end of the well known
double screw cork screw.
Instead of a straight stem, as shown in Fig. 1, the spiral screw thread itself
may be formed with an internal passage. This is shown in Fig. 4, in which A¹
is the spiral screw stem, having a tubular passage 21 with apertures 3 and 4 treated
in the same manner as in the straight stem and ending above the flange or
shoulder B and above the point b.
If preferred, the passage 2 may extend through the top of the stem, A", as

page_text: shown in Fig.
being provided at the upper aperture with a convenient cover
or a small screw plug, D, for convenience in clearing the passage in case it
should become clogged. Of course, the upper latteral aperture 3 is, in that case
not omitted.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. A cork screw having in its straight or spiral stem a tubular passage extend-
ing from the upper end of the lower point to a place a little above the upper end
of the screw thread, said tubular passage having a lateral aperture above said
upper end of said screw thread and another with rounded lips at its lower end,
substantially as set forth.
2. In a cork screw, the combination of a stem having a screw thread upon it,
a flange or shoulder at the upper end of the thread, a point at the lower end, a
tubular passage extending from above said flange or shoulder to a place a little
above the lower end or point, a lateral aperture from said tubular passage above
said flange or shoulder and a lateral aperture at the lower end of said tubular
passage with rounded lips, substantially as set forth.
3. In a cork screw, the combination of a screw formed with or without a
straight central stem, a straight stem or neck at the upper end forming an
upward continuation of said stem, a point at the lower end of said screw, a flange
or shoulder at the upper end of said screw and the lower end of the neck, a
tubular passage extending from a place a little distance from the lower end or
point through to the upper end of the stem or neck, a handle secured to the
upper end of the neck, a removable cover for the upper aperture in the upper end,
and a lateral aperture from said tubular passage at its lower end and above said
flange or shoulder, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 27th day of Decomhar
1007
ROBERT ALEXANDER KLOCK,
By his Agent,
B. Harvey.