US2712251A - Corkscrew device - Google Patents

Description

A. H. HANSON CORKSCREW DEVICE July 5, 1955.

Filed March 18, 1953 FIG. 2.

FIG. I.

FIG. 5;

lOc

25 INVENTOR ALFRED H. HANSON BY adv-M ATTORNEYS United States Patent The present invention relates to a device for removing corks from the necks of bottles, and in particular to a new and improved cork screw.

In the use of the common conventional cork screws, the screw portion is turned through the cork and the cork removed by pulling the cork screw by its handle outwardly and away from the bottle. In such operation, the inserted screw portion provides the entire pressure on the cork while the latter is being withdrawn from-the bottle. This procedure is often disadvantageous since corks frequently expand and become. frozen or rigidly bonded within the bottle neck making them extremely difficult to move therein. Attempting to remove the cork at such a time by means of the screw portion of the cork screw invariably causes the frangible cork body to rupture and the screw portionto tear through the cork. The cork is thus left with a torn center so that it has to be cut from the bottle, an appreciable portion thereof invariably dropping into the liquid contents of the bottle.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a cork screw device having means for abutting the top of cork when the screw portion is inserted therein,. whereby the cork may be initially pressed downwardly Within the bottle neck to break the seal between the cork and bottle. The cork may then be easily withdrawn from the bottle neck in the usual manner, without causing the screw portion to damage the cork body.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a cork screw device of the character described in which stop means are also provided for preventing the cork from being pushed below the bottle neck and. into the bottle.

Still another objectof the invention is the provision of a cork screw of the character described whichis of simple construction and is extremely economical to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent in the course of the following specification when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of the cork screw of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view showing the cork screw as it is initially inserted in a cork contained in the neck of a bottle, the bottle being shown in section and broken away;

Fig. 3 is an elevational view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the cork after it is depressed by the cork screw;

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of a modified form of cork screw also made according to the invention;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section showing the cork screw of Fig. 4 inserted in a cork contained in the neck of a bottle; and,

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional viewtaken on line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

The corkscrew device shown-in Fig. 1 comprises a cylindrical shaft 10 of the usual type which has a straight upper portion 10a and a helically-turned lower cork screw portion 10b. The cork screw portion 10b terminates in 2, a pointed tip or hook 10c for initial. piercing insertion in a cork. The top of the upper portion 10a is secured. to the center of the usual handle 11 which may be a cylin drical bar of wood.

At the juncture of the upper and lower shaft portions 10a and 10b, a flat and circular metal disc 12Tencompasse's the shaft 10 and is rigidly and irnmovably secured there'-. to. A second circular metal disc 13 encompasses theshaft portion 10a and is immovahly secured thereto ashort distance above the disc 12. The discs. 12' and 13 may optionally be made integral with the shaft 10.

The disc 12 is made of small enough diameter to fit within the mouth of a standard-sized bottle. The disc 13 is appreciably larger, its diameter beingtoo great to enable said disc 13 to fit within such a bottle month.

In use, the cork screwis initially inserted in a cork. in. the usual manner, the pointed tip orhook 10c first piercing the cork at the center of its top surface, and the lower screw portion 10b being turned downwardly throughthe cork. This turning is continued until the screw portion. iilb has penetrated the cork by such a distance that the screw portion 10b is fully inserted within the corkv and the flat disc 12' rests flush against the top surface of the cork. This stage in the operation is shown in Fig. 2, the cork screw being shown inserted fully within acork 0 contained in the neck Nof a bottle B'. I

When the cork screw is turned'to itsfully inserted position, as hereinbefore described, the user may then press down heavily upon the handle. 11, causing the fiat disc 12 to press the cork C'downwardly in the bottleneck NI. It will be noted that, while the downward force. onthe:

cork is applied on. its upper surface by the disc 12,;the

helical turns of the screw end portion 10b equally dis.- tribute the axial thrust of the shaft throughout the cork. In this regard, it is to be noted that the screw end portion starts at the bottom surface or side of the disc 12' and that the disc is only slightly by the'bottom surface or sideofthe disc 12,. such thrust is imposed as the screw end portion is turned to its final.- position and the turns of. such screw endportion. distribute the thrust radially of. the cork in equal fashion. The start. of the screw end at the bottom surface and diameters of the turns thereof are importantv from. this standpoint.

The cork is thus displaced vertically downwardly to the.

position shown in. Fig. 3 in whichv the upper disc 13 abuts.

the mouth M of the bottle and prevents further. downwardi movement of the cork screw and cork. Movement of the cork downwardly into the bottleneck breaks any bond;

between these parts, so that in the position.- of Fig; 3, the cork may he slid easily out of the bottleneck by pulling upwardly on the handle llandtwisting in the usual.

the bottle. For. practically all. bottles, a distance of onequarter inch will suflice for this purpose.

Figs. 4 and. 5 show a modified. form of cork screw: constructed according to the same principle. Inthisembodimerit, the cork screw is-provided withhead piece which includes a handle portion 21 and a depending integral cylindrical shank. 22. The head piece 20 may be made of metal, wood, plastic, or other suitable material.

The shank 22 has a terminal integral shank. extension.

23 of lesser diameter, a transverse annular shoulder": 24

being formed at the juncture between said shank 22 and its extension 23.

The head piece 20 has an internal recess or slot 25 I greater intdiameter. than.v the diameters of the turns'of the screw end portion. Thus, while the axial thrust. of the shaft is imposed on the cork *3 which opens at the bottom surface of the shank extension 23 and which extends upwardly through said extension 23 and partially through the shank 22. The top end of the slot 25 has mounted therein a small flexible and re silient block 26 which is preferably made of rubber.

' A metal cork screw shaft is also mounted within the slot 25. This shaft has a spirally-turned lower cork screw portion 27 and a straight upper portion 28 which is bent upon itself to form a pair of parallel arms connected by a U-shaped bight 29. The upper portion 28 is retained within the slot 25 by a pin 30 extending transversely through said slot 25 and connected at its end to the shank 22. The pin 36 is spaced a short distance below the resilient block 26, as shown in Fig. 5, so that it permits a limited sliding movement of the upper shaft portion 28 in the slot 25, the bight 29 travelling between the limits of the block 26 and the pin 30. The parallel arms of the upper shaft portion 28 slidably abut the end walls of the slot 25, thereby guiding this movement of the upper shaft portion 28 in a path co-axial with the slot 25. It will be it noted that the slot 25 is so located that the shaft 28 projects from the center of the shank extension 23.

The operation of the cork screw of Figs. 4 and 5 is essentially the same as that described for the cork screw shown in Figs. l-3. The shoulder 24 and the shank extension 23 serving the same function as the discs 13 and 12. The pointed end of the lower portion 27 is inserted into the cork and the screw portion is turned within the cork until the bottom surface of the shank extension 23 abuts the top of the cork. If the screw portion were rigidly secured to the handle portion, initial downward pressure on the top of the cork would tend to compress the top of the cork vertically, so that the inserted screw portion would move slightly relative to the cork and possibly break its thread therein. By means of the cushion ing action of the resilient block, however, the initial downward force on the handle is absorbed by compression of the block rather than the cork, so that the cork and screw portion do not move relative to each other.

While preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described herein, it is obvious that numerous additions, changes and omissions may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. While the discs 12 and 13 and the corresponding shank extension 23 and shoulder 24 have been shown in their preferred circular form, these parts may be given any other desired and suitable shape.

I claim:

1. A device for removing a cork from the neck of a bottle, said device comprising an elongated cylindrical H shaft, an abutment means fixedly circumposed on the shaft intermediate the ends thereof and having a circular, rigid planar bottom surface disposed transverse to the axis of the shaft, said shaft including a screw end portion extending from the bottom surface of the abutment means and being helically turned from said bottom surface to its outer end, said outer end thereof terminating in a pointed cork piercing tip, said bottom surface being of a diameter only slightly greater than the diameters of the turns of the screw end to abut the top surface of a cork as the screw end is turned to its full inserted position in a cork, said bottom surface of the abutment means being formed to cover the major portion of the top surface of a cork to force the cork downwardly in the neck upon an axial downward movement of the shaft, said shaft including a straight end portion extending from the abutment means in a direction opposite to the screw end portion, a bandle provided on the outer end of the straight end, a stop means fixedly secured on the straight end portion and having a stop surface disposed parallel to and spaced axially from the bottom surface of the abutment means, said stop surface extending radially beyond the bottom surface of the abutment means and being provided to abut the month of the neck of a bottle and to limit the downward movement of the bottom surface of the abutment means, screw end portion and cork in the neck of the bottle, and said stop surface being spaced from the bottom surface of the abutment means a sufiicient distance to allow the cork to be pushed downwardly in the neck far enough to break its bond while preventing the cork from being pushed downwardly entirely out of the neck of the bottle.

2. A device for removing a cork from the neck of'a bottle, said device comprising an elongated cylindrical shaft, :1 first circular rigid disc fixedly circumposed on the shaft intermediate the ends thereof and having fiat sides, said shaft having a screw end portion extending from one side of the first disc and being helically turned from said side to its outer end, said outer end thereof terminating in a pointed cork piercing tip, said first disc being of a diameter only slightly greater than the diameters of the turns of the screw end and being provided at the inner end of the screw end to abut the top surface of a cork as the screw end is turned to its full inserted position in a cork, and said disc being formed to cover the major portion of the top surface of the cork and to force the cork downwardly in the neck upon an axial downward movement of the shaft, said shaft having a straight end portion extending from the opposite side of the first disc, a handle provided on the outer end of the straight end portion, a second circular rigid disc fixedly circumposed on the straight end portion of the shaft and disposed parallel to the first disc and spaced axially of the shaft therefrom, said second disc having a flat side facing the first disc and being of greater diam-' eter than the first disc and having its fiat'side provided to abut the mouth of the neck of a bottle and to limit the downward movement of the first disc, screw end portion and cork in the neck of the bottle, and said second disc being spaced from the first disc a sufficient distance to allow the cork to be pushed downwardly in the neck far enough to break its bond while preventing the cork from being pushed downwardly entirely out of the neck of the bottle.

3. A device for removing a cork from the neck of a bottle, said device comprising a cork screw member having an upper portion and a lower screw portion adapted to be turned downwardly through said cork to an inserted position therein, a head member having a handle portion and an integral depending shank which has a longitudinal bore, the upper portion of said cork screw member being secured within said bore for simultaneous rotation with said shank, and being also longitudinally slidable within said bore, a resilient cushion member also mounted in said bore, the top end of cork screwmember upper portion abutting said cushion member, said shank member hav ing a lower extension having a bottom planar transverse surface positioned to abut the top of said cork when said screw portion is brought to its inserted position therein, said lower extension being sized for downward displacement within said bottle neck whereby to push said cork downwardly in said bottle for loosening the cork prior to extracting the same, said shank member also having a planar transverse surface above said lower extension and sized to engage the mouth of said bottle when said lower extension is displaced downwardly, whereby to prevent said cork from being pushed below said bottle neck into said bottle.

References (Iited in the'file of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS

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