1954 McGill

From the 1954 publication Inventor’s Handbook

Under the Patent Office’s category of “Cork Extractors” we find this familiar-looking device of 1867.  Can openers of this style have, of course, become obsolete, but there are several contemporary corkscrews based on this principle.

 

The 1867 corkscrew described (and pictured) in Inventor’s Handbook is, of course, the 1867 McGill (#61,080) patent.

 

 

Interestingly, the McGill has still yet to have turned up with the frame and can opener, mirroring the patent drawing, and instead, when found, is a simple direct pull, with a can opener end; usually marked PATENT:

That said, I would love to find a spring mechanism frame corkscrew with can opener attached to the handle…that looks like the 1867 patent!

 

Lavin & Kitchen ~ Lavin & Lauer

5 years ago today, I received in the mail from TC, the top of a bar spoon jigger (without the jigger spoon part) that included a corkscrew.  He apparently had intended to send it to me as a b-day gift, but couldn’t find it until a few months after said b-day had occurred.

His note, at the time read:

“Knew what I wanted to give you but couldn’t find it… Found it! Happy birthday Brother. See you in a few weeks.”

It has been sitting in the corkscrew collection since, and was a welcome addition.

The missing spoon would look something like this:

However, there are several versions of the spoon with jigger, and finding the right one appropriate to the corkscrew top has proven somewhat difficult.  Actually, the jigger spoons show up from time to time, but it is difficult to figure out which jigger spoon should be the appropriate fit.

Until recently!

For those of you that receive The Bottle Scrue Times, thanks to DC, we have come to learn that the little bar tool with jigger spoon is actually a patent.  And, was made by Lavin and Lauer.

The patent was granted to James A. Lavin and Edgar M. Kitchen for a design patent for their “Bulk Measuring Device” # 84,090 on May 5, 1931.

Following a bit of sleuthing, after reading Dick’s article, and having my much appreciated b-day gift from Tommy at the ready, the other day I finally managed to find the appropriate spoon to which the corkscrew is supposed to be attached.

Thanks again TC!  And, thanks DC for the fabulous write-up and discovery!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Matthews’ 1893 patent arrives…

Yesterday, the Matthews patent door securer with corkscrew arrived, and it didn’t disappoint.

Nicely marked, it is in fabulous condition with a sharp helix, and it is an awesome addition to the collection.

Marked PAT APL’D FOR

Note: the door securer is threaded, and screws into the center piece.

As mentioned previously, it is marked for Matthews’ 1892 patent, as his 1893 patent is a combination of his 1892 patent with the addition of the case and corkscrew in 1893.

And, the corkscrew does function as a peg and worm, with the door securer serving as the peg.

I haven’t tried this out yet…as a corkscrew NOR as a door securer…

Matthews patent of 1892 and 1893

Several years ago, I shared an illustration from an 1895 issue of Hardware Dealers’ magazine.

Pat. Nov. 1st 1892

Pat. May 9th 1893

Columbian Door Securer.—A dead-lock for doors. Lock and key combined with corkscrew, all in a nicely nickel-plated or polished brass case, to be carried in a vest pocket. Agents wanted, can make 150 per cent., $10 to $25 per day to the right one. Sample by mail 50 cents. J.H. MATTHEWS 312 E. Monroe St. South Bend, IND.

 

I was curious about the patent dates, but even more curious about the combination of a Door Securer AND a corkscrew.

Moreover, I was curious as to why one would need to secure a door after utilizing the corkscrew for its intended purpose.

And, in 1893, in South Bend, Indiana, what was happening that one felt a door needed to be secured?

The word Columbian, is surely a reference to the to the 1893 World’s fair; The Columbian Exposition held in Chicago.  And, there are many corkscrews (and other products) marked for Columbus during that time.

That said, following a recent exchange with someone who ran across the blog, I decided to take a look at the patent drawings, as there are two dates in the advertisement.

 

 

 

From the drawing in the 1893 patent, it looks as if within a roundlet casing, there is a peg and worm type mechanism, with a spike at one end, that somehow serves as a means to disallow a door to be opened.

And, as of today, a deal was struck with the aforementioned blog reader, who had happened to find the Columbian Door Securer in amongst some antique car parts, and subsequently contacted me.

I will publish more photos when it arrives, but from what I can see, the casing is marked J.H. MATTHEWS, SOUTH BEND, IND.  The ring in the middle, looks as if it is written PAT APPLD. FOR.

 

With the piece open, the reverse side of the PAT. APPD FOR ring, is also marked COLUMBIAN, and the door securer carries the earlier Nov. 1, 1892 patent date…

…which, is actually explained in his 1893 patent description.  Matthew’s explains:

This invention consists of my door securer, patented November 1, 1892, with an improved nut which is so formed, that a thimble like case fits over both ends of same, thereby forming a case for the door securer, as well as for the cork screw, which is so constructed that it fits over both ends of the same, therefore forming a case for the door securer, as well as for the cork screw, which is so constructed that it fits directly over the bolt of the door securer when in the case, thereby allowing the case to be made small enough to be conveniently carried in the pocket and which secures the pocket from the spurs of the door securer, or the sharp point of the corkscrew(emphasis added).

An awesome find from the Back of O’Leary…

 

Thanks Ralph!!!

 

 

Some Old Cork Extractors

From a 1913 issue of Scientific American:

Some Old Cork Extractors.

The necessity of some form of cork extractors is experienced by all, and it may be interesting to review some of the well known implements shown in the accompanying illustration, all of the devices pictured being found among expired patents.

A selection of old cork extractors found among expired patents.

In A we find a device pierced at its lower end to penetrate the cork, and provided with a short pivoted cross bar for alining with the shank as the last is forced through the cork, but turning at a right angle to withdraw the cork.

The corkscrew B has a handled pivoted to the corkscrew part and a prop is also pivoted oo the handle and it may be rested against the bottle lip to form a fulcrum for the handle so the last can operated as a lever and pull the cork; while C illustrated a simple wire cage for withdrawing the corks that have been forced down into the bottle.

A double lever in scissors shape is presented in D, and this can be used in connection with any handled corkscrew. The sketch E shows a stand to rest upon a bottle, and having threaded a shaft carrying the screw and a separate nut operating on the threaded shank to pull the cork.

Simple extractors having blades to project down on opposite sides of the cork, are represented in F and G. Sketch H shows an extractor in which a stand mounted on the bottle neck has at its upper end a windlass connected by a chain with the corkscrew, so that it can exert force to pull the cork.

In I is shown an extractor adapted to be secured to a bench of counter and supplied with a hand lever, whose rack segment operated when moved in one direction to force the corkscrew into the cork, and when reversed, to pull the cork out of the bottle so as to free the cork from the screw.

J represents a novel form of corkscrew which can be folded as shown in the smaller engraving to conveniently carry in the pocket, and can then be opened as shown in the larger one, to operate first as a handled corkscrew in turning the screw into the cork and then as a lever in extracting the cork from the bottle: and K represents a bench or counter extractor in which as screws turns into the cork and a spring when compressed aids in the drawing the cork from the bottle.

Happy 4th!

It certainly will be a different 4th of July on Vinalhaven. No parade, and lots of visitors wearing face coverings…

Even the Vinalhaven eagle is participating in this practice!

Stay safe and happy Fourth of July!