GB2365855A

GB2365855A - Corkscrew

Info

Publication number: GB2365855A
Application number: GB0016397A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Guy Stephen Hardie
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-07-05
Filing date: 2000-07-05
Publication date: 2002-02-27
Anticipated expiration: 2020-07-05
Also published as: GB0016397D0; GB2365855B

Abstract

A corkscrew is provided with a flange 5 to limit the extent to which it penetrates the cork. The corkscrew is preferably of the type having a shaft 3 with ribs 10 which engage operating levers 8A, 8B. The main body 2 of the corkscrew may have an adjustable barrel 11 which can be screwed outwards to extend from the position shown to permit a two-stage removal of the cork.

Description

<Desc/Clms Page number 1> Title: Corkscrew The present invention relates to a novel cork-withdrawing apparatus.

In order to facilitate the withdrawal of corks from a bottle, various different types of cork-withdrawing apparatus have been designed. A common approach is to provide a shaft with a corkscrew at one end and handle at the other, which shaft reciprocates in and out of a tubular body with an annular end having a diameter generally that of the mouth of a bottle. To open a bottle of wine, the corkscrew is driven into the cork using the handle until the annular end abuts the mouth of the bottle. As the shaft is driven into the cork, a pair of arms linked to the shaft are raised. The shaft is then raised by lowering the pair of arms which delivers a mechanical advantage to lift the cork out.

A problem with this device, as well as all corkscrews, is that when the corkscrew is driven into the cork, it usually is driven right through the cork and this causes small bits of cork to fall off into the wine.

The invention seeks to provide a solution to this problem.

According to the present invention there is provided a corkscrew having a stop on the corkscrew shaft to limit the penetration of the corkscrew into the cork by less than the length of a cork.

The stop may be an annular flange on the corkscrew shaft.

The corkscrew may be part of a cork-withdrawing apparatus and the present invention also provides cork-withdrawing apparatus comprising: a) a shaft having a corkscrew at one end, said cork screw having a stop to limit the penetration of the corkscrew into the cork by less than the length of a cork, b) a body having an aperture at one end in and out of which the shaft reciprocates, c) a handle to rotate the shaft, d) drive means, such as a pair of levers, connected to the shaft to draw the shaft into the body with mechanical advantage, and e) spacing means connected to said body one end to support, in use, the body one end at first and second spaced positions from the bottle mouth.

In one embodiment the levers draw the shaft into the body by an amount equal to or less than the amount the corkscrew penetrates the cork.

Preferably the spacing means is an annulus having a threaded projections which is in threaded engagement with a corresponding thread in the body adjacent its one end, said annulus being rotatable from a first position where the annulus lies adjacent the body one end to a second position where the annulus is spaced from said one end.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figures I to 4 show a sequence of views of a cork being withdrawn from a wine bottle.

Referring to the drawings there is shown a cork-withdrawing apparatus 1. Apparatus I has a generally hollow cylindrical body 2 housing an axially aligned shaft 3 with a corkscrew 4 at one end thereof. Corkscrew 4 has a stop in the forin of an annular flange 5 to limit the penetration of the corkscrew into the cork. Shaft 3 (including corkscrew 4) reciprocates in and out of an aperture 6 at one lower end of body 2. A handle 7 is on the end of the shaft remote from corkscrew 4 to rotate the shaft.

A paiTof levers 8A,8B rotate respectively a generally semicircular array of teeth 9A,9B connected to an array of annular ribs 10 on the shaft to draw the shaft into the body with mechanical advantage when the levers are lowered.

Spacing means. in the form of an annulus I I is connected to the body one end to support the body one end at first and second spaced positions from the bottle mouth. Annulus I I includes a threaded projection which is in threaded engagement with a corresponding thread in the body 2 adjacent the one end. The annulus I I is rotatable from a first position where the annulus lies adjacent the body one end to a second position where the annulus extends from the one end as described below.

In use and as first shown in Figure I . the tip of corkscrew 4 is pierced into the cork 20 of bottle 21. With arms 8A,813 in the raised position shown and with the annulus in the first position, the corkscrew is rotated using handle 7 until flange 5 engages the top of cork 20 thereby limiting the penetration of the corkscrew 4 as shown in Figure 2.

As shown in Figure 2, the arms 8A,813 are then lowered draws the shaft into the body by an amount equal to or less than the corkscrew penetrates the cork so that the cork is not fully withdrawn from the bottle and is in the position shown in Figure 3.

The arms 8A,813 are then raised again, and the annulus rotated until it is in the second position as shown in Figure 4. The arms 8A,813 can then be lowered to withdraw the cork 20 free of the bottle 2 1.

The invention may take a form other than that specifically described above. For example the action of lowering the arms 8A, 8B when the corkscrew 4 is initially inserted into the cork, may be sufficient towithdraw the cork in one action. One possible solution is by increasing the radius of 9A and 9B, also increasing the number of teeth on 9A,913 and the shaft as shown ghosted on fig 4. Drive means other than arms may be used to withdraw the cork. In its simplest form, the invention may be a corkscrew, without drive means or body, having a stop (such as an annular flange) on the corkscrew shaft to limit the penetration of the corkscrew into the cork by less then the length of a cork.

Further modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A cork-withdrawing apparatus including a stop in the form of an annular flange attached to a corkscrew at one end to limit ftill penetration of the cork.
2. A cork-withdrawing apparatus as claimed in Claim I where an adjustable barrel is connected to the main body by way of a threaded engagement which enables leverage in a first position where the annulus lies adjacent to the body and to a second position where the annulus extends to the bottle.
3. A cork-withdrawing apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein greater leverage is obtained by an increased radius of generally semicircular array of teeth connected to a greater number of annular ribs on the shaft.
4. A cork-withdrawing apparatus as claimed mi any proceeding claim which is made from metal, plastics materials, porcelain, glass or wood, or from a combination of these materials.
5. A cork-withdrawing apparatus substantially as herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.