US474055A - Corkscrew - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) R CLOUG-H.

GORKSCRBW.

No. 474,055. Patented May 3, 1892.

IN VEN TOR STATES PATENT Fries.

VILLIAM R. CLOUGH, OF ALTON, NF HAMPSHIRE.

CORKSCREW.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 474,055, dated IVIay 3, 1892. Application tiled January l2, 1892. Serial No. 417,785. (No model.)

T0 all whom. t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM R. CLoUGH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Alton, in the county of Belknap and State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Corkscrews, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in corkscrews, and particularly to improvements in the class of corkserews described and claimed in Letters Patent of the United States No.. 161,755, grantedl to me April 6, 1875, in which patent it will be found that the corkscrew is formed from a rodrof wire twisted spirally for a portion of its length to form a worm or screw, the remaining portion being bent into an annular orpolygonal shaped loop to form the handle, the free end of the wire being secured at the upper end of the spiral worin.

The object of the present invention is to increase the efficiency and durability of the corkscrew, particularly in the handle part, and render its use more convenient, and at the same time to provide an effective surface whereon a name or advertisement may be Y conspicuouslydisplayed. The corkscrews being largely manufactured for use in vials and medicine bottles, the wire is necessarily thin and the article is consequently not in many cases as strong as desirable. The weakness in the corkscrew shows itself particularly in the handle, which under the pressure necessary to withdraw a tight-fitting cork frequently elongates or collapses longitudinally. A further objection to the screw is that in extracting a tight-fitting cork the Wire, being thin, cuts into or bruises the finger inserted through the handle.

My invention remedies the foregoing objections entirely, since by itIproduce a corkscrew having a handle which will neither collapse nor cut the finger of the user, and at the saine time will afford a surface on which the name of the contents of the bottle or other matter may be placed.

It will thus be seen that according to my present inventionI have preserved the valuable features of the well-known corkscrew shown in my aforesaid patent, and in addition have increased its efficiency and durability and added features of prime importance.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whieh- Figure 1 is a plan View of a corkscrew embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a central vertical longitudinal section of saine on the dotted line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section through the upper part of the handle of same.

In the accompanying drawings the corkscrew is illustrated as consisting of the handle A, helix or stop B, and worm O, the Whole being formed from a single rod of wire. It is to be remembered that the object of the invention is to prevent the collapsing of the handle A, avoidcutting the finger in the act of withdrawing a cork, and afford asurface to bear the name of the contents of the bottle or other matter; and to this end the handle A in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 has applied to its upper portion the plate D in the form of an arched brace, which at its lower edges is wrapped around the wire of the handle and at its upper edges extends outward from but on the same vertical plane as said wire.

That portion of the plate D wrapped around the handle A constitutes an elongated eye E, closely encompassing the wire of the handle throughout its upper portion, as indicated in Fig. 1, and serving' to strengthen said handle on such lines as to prevent its collapsing under p the pressure necessary to withdraw a tightly-fitting cork. The elongated eye E not only strengthens the handle A, but also widens the surface against which the pressure of the finger is brought inthe operation of eX- tracting a cork, and thereby prevents the wire from cutting into the finger. The handle A is thus not only strengthened and its efficiency and durability thereby increased, but a broad surface is presented for contact with the iinger, which renders the use of the corkscrew convenient and safe. Vhile the elongated eye E fully performs the functions of increasing the efiiciency of the corkscrew and rendering its use convenient, it also serves the further purpose of a support for the vertical portion or fiange F of the plate D, which portion F affords a conspicuous surface upon which the name of the material in the bottle or other matter may be displayed, and at the same time the said portion F, being on a vertical plane, materially adds to lOO the strength of the eye E and the handle A. It will be observed that an upward pressure applied Within the ,handle A would be effectually resisted by the two thicknesses of the eye E on opposite sides of the wire of the handle and also by the depth of the arched brace or flange F of the plate D, and that in respect to the flange F the resistance will be in line with the depth thereof. Thus the handle A is rendered durable and effectual, its use convenient and comfortable, and it is utilized to carry a surface upon which an advertisement may be conspicuously displayed.

In the form of the invention illustrated in the drawings the flange is in line with the length of the corkscrew and in a position to afford the maximum resistance to any interior pressure applied within the handle, which in the absence of said flange may thereby collapse or be elongated longitudinally. The a'nge also being on the same vertical plane as the screw presents a surface upon which the name of the contents of the bottle may be easily and conveniently read and mistakes thereby avoided as to the nature of the contents of the bottle. The surface presented by the flange on the handles also alfords a conspicuous advertising-surface and one Very desirable to the trade. The importance of strengthening the handle A and of affording a conspicuous advertising-surface cannotbe overestimated, nor is the preventing of the wire of the handle from cutting the linger during the extraction of a tight-litting cork less important.

All of the functions performed by the invention sought to be protected hereby are of vital importance to the successful ruanufacf tu re of the corkscrew and renderit eiectual, durable, convenient of use, and desirable in many other particulars.

Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

i l. A corkscrew having the open handle provided with the flange extending vertically above the outer periphery of the handle, the portion of the handle below the base of the flange along the length of the flange being broader in cross-section than the thickness of the flange, whereby to afford a broad bearing for the fingers beneath the flange, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The corkscrew having the handle and worm, combined with the vertical plate formed with an arched eye inclosing the wire of said handle, whereby said plate is held in an upright position and the handle is strengthened by the arched eye, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The corkscrew having the open handle, combined with the arched eye E, encompassing the wire of the handle and by its arch strengthening the handle and preventing it from collapsing and forming an enlarged bearing for the fingers, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 11th day of January, A. D. 1892.

WILTAM R. CLOUGH. W itnesses:

CHAs. C. GILL, En. D. MILLER.

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