Ham’s Patent Cork Puller

From an issue of American Stationer

CORK PULLER

There is always more or less difficulty in getting corks out of bottles.  Many a knife has been broken and still the cork moved not.  A patent cork puller has been brought out which overcomes all these troubles and saves the cork besides. 

HAM’S PATENT CORK PULLER.

The accompanying illustration shows what it is.  To work it insert the blades between the bottle and cork, rock it forward and back until a firm grip is secured, then turn and pull gently.  It never fails to work, and saves both bottle and cork for future usefulness.  The retail price is 10 cents, and the New York News Company will supply the trade.

As the article explains, this is, “Ham’s Patent Cork Puller.” That would be Herbert H. Hamm and his patent for a cork-extractor (#702,001) awarded June 10, 1902.

And, Triple H explains in his patent description:

“In a cork-extractor, the combination of a resilient bow or fork, a hollow handle embodying a plurality of open-ended hollow parts, the said open-ended hollow parts being adapted for engagement with each other, one of the said hollow parts being slotted to receive the arms of the bow or fork adapted to be alternately contained within the said handle and to be fitted therein to extend from the said handle, the middle portion of the bow being adapted to form a bearing against the interior of the hollow handle, substantially as described.”

While I have yet to find a Herbert H. Ham patent, and not for a lack of looking, there have been a couple found–and when found (see O’Leary page 117) they are marked “PAT APPL’D FOR.”

As shown in O’Leary

If you happen to have one, I would love to add it to the collection.

O.K. Cork Puller

Within a 1900 catalog entitled:

CATALOG ~

BOTTLERS’

EXTRACTS

AND

COLORS

MACHINERY

AND

SUPPLIES

SETHNESS COMPANY

THE LARGEST EXTRACT AND COLOR MANUFACTURERS

IN AMERICA ~

262 – 268 N. CURTIS ST

CHICAGO, U.S.A

Amongst other corkscrews, we find The O.K. CORK EXTRACTOR…

How the O.K. cork extractor extracts remains to be seen.

I mean, clearly there is some leverage involved, but to what type of appendage does the cork attach…so the lever can do its assigned job?

Is it a helix that exists within the piece that attaches to the wall, with the bottle screwed on to it?

The search continues.

BROWNE & BENTON

On May 17, 1892, William G. Browne and John L. Benton were awarded patent # 475,222 for their “Can Opener.”

And, when this can opener turns up, as shown in the patent drawings, it is marked with the patent date and also with NEVER SLIP.

For those of you thinking, that the date rings a bell, it should, as W. G. Browne was awarded a patent in 1895 for another can opener; patent # 541,034

And, when that can opener turns up (with the addition of a fold out corkscrew) it is marked with both patent dates; for 1892 and for 1895, and is also marked KING.

A later version, maintains the 1895 patent date, but then adds a 1908 patent date; which is Reynold’s patent (#896,577) for a combination tool; also marked the KING, with the patent was assigned to Browne and Dowd MFG. Co.

The other day, I picked up yet another version, that predates the 1895 patent, and references the 1892 patent.

A departure from the NEVER SLIP form with leanings toward the 1895 Browne, it is marked PAT. MAY 17-92 AND PAT PEND’D.

And fortunately, includes corkscrew…

A fun addition to the collection.

“…the prettist looking and the most perfect articles of practical use.”

The other day, I ran across an interesting corkscrew, with its original box.

The label on the box, reads as follows:

THE CORK SCREW

UTILITY MODEL PATENT NO. 64,845

CORK SCREW MFC. T. S. & Co

It is u_______ cork Screw and

Opening of Crown Cork

as well the prettist

looking and most

perfect articles

of practical

use

Not sure if the corkscrew really is the prettist (sic), and I am also unsure of the word(s) that comes after “It is.”

Still, pretty cool to find the piece with its original packaging.

Also, it does have a utility model patent number. In looking at Bull’s book on Japanese patented corkscrews, you can find the patent drawing, which according to the image, is supposed to have a can opener hidden inside the handle.

I am guessing that attribute in the patent didn’t make it into production.

That said, I will certainly give the handle a twist when it arrives, just to be sure.

Van Zandt Re-Vizited

While the deal for the Van Zandt patented cork pull was struck last week, the agreed upon price and subsequent payment needed to be completed through the U.S. Postal Service with a USPS Postal Order.  And, with holidays and Sundays, and then the lovely and I heading off  for a get away, the Van Zandt didn’t make it into my hands until yesterday.

Opening up the package, and looking at the piece, I am beyond pleased.  The mechanism works just as Van Zandt describes in his patent description, and oddly enough, functions very much like the Call’s Ideal that made my best 6 for last year.

I haven’t tried to clean the piece up (yet) but as mentioned the other day, this should make the best 6, and perhaps the best cork puller / corkscrew

of the year.

I have done a bit of research into Van Zandt, and have yet to unearth anything other than the patent.  The hunt will continue, as will the hunt for antique corkscrews.

Stay tuned!

 

Cork AND corkscrew

Last week, an “unusual old corkscrew” was listed on eBay with a description that read, “Looks to be an unusual corkscrew…..or something is missing?”

I looked closely at the images, and it looked vaguely familiar.

Have I seen this somewhere before?

And, over the course of the week that the auction ran, I would return to the listing.  Okay, so there is a chip in the handle, and the it looks as if the retaining washer thingy at the top of the corkscrew might have been popped.  And, what is this odd thing in the middle.  It isn’t a bell mechanism, so how would it facilitate the withdrawal of a cork?

Still, the opinion bid was 19.99, so why not take a chance.

I placed a snipe bid, and grabbed O’Leary (not that I grabbed Fred, but his book).

Heading to the patent drawings, I turned to page 207.  Not immediately mind you, I thumbed through until I came across the M. Beust patent of 1892.

And, what is the M. Beust patent of 1892 for?

A combined Cork and Corkscrew…

Now, the patent drawing only resembles the piece, but could this be a Beust patent?

It arrived yesterday, and I am quite pleased with it.  That said, in looking at it closely, there are no markings.

Further, the patent description mentions a detachable screw, and this one isn’t coming apart anytime soon.   I sent pictures to BT, who said he found a corkscrew of similar construction to the one I just picked up.

Okay, there are at least two…

But is this the Beust?

To complicate this, while the little retaining washer thingy is raised, the worm is tight, and there is no play in the piece where someone could have removed the washer retaining thingy, and added the stopper piece, only to put it back together.

What do you all think?  A Beust?  Is it missing something?  Do you have one?

 

 

 

“Bristling with attachments, this new gadget is armament for assault on eight different kinds of containers.”

I have been doing a little searching around about the Pretorius 8 in 1 tool (with corkscrew of course) and had sent a couple of photo to Barry.  He asked if I had any idea as to a date for the piece.

With the graphics on the box, I assumed late 40’s early 50’s.

Well, wouldn’t  you know it, after a bit more searching around, I found an advertisement for the Pretorius:

Can Opener Does Eight Jobs.  Bristling with attachments, this new gadget is armament for assault on eight different kinds of containers.  It pries off caps and lids; it helps turn stubborn screw caps off all sizes; it shears off can tops; and it punches milk and beer cans. Priced at $2.95 by Pretorius Approved Products, Glendale, Calif.

Appearing in a 1950 issue of Popular Science Monthly, it seems like we can date the 8 in 1.  Why they opted to not mention the corkscrew is unknown.

Clearly that is the most important function…

 

More on the Trunks…

 

I have updated the Anton Trunk corkscrew page with the new images, and a side by side comparison of the two variations.  But, I figured, I might as well add those photos here as well:

They are actually quite different, beyond the britches…

The hunt will continue for more information on Trunk, and if you have any to share, please drop me a line.

Trunk II

A couple of years ago, I managed to find evidence that Anton Trunk was involved in the Frary Cutlery Company.  While I had wanted to add an Anton Trunk Patent (1886 #D-16,799) corkscrew to the collection prior to uncovering this piece of information, it made the want a little more like a necessity, and in 2014 I did manage to acquire one, and it made my best 6 for that year.

And, having acquired a Trunk, and having been able to provide a few linkages to Frary, I added a Trunk page to the website.  You can visit that page here.

Of course, if you look at O’Leary, you would note that there are two variations of the Trunk.  One nude, and one that reflects the patent drawing, with her wearing some sort of britches…

As it happens, the other day, I ran into another version of the Trunk.   The photos online were rather dark, and I couldn’t make out if the helix was in good shape, but the price was fair enough, and I snapped it up.

It arrived yesterday.

In looking at the photos online, I didn’t realize how different the two versions are.  Obviously, if one was nude, and one wasn’t, there were two different castings.  And, when you put them side by side, you can see how different one is from the other.

Of course the helixes are different as well:

And, neither are marked with any patent information.

Still, I am quite pleased to have the second (or first) version of the Trunk patent, and I am pretty sure she will make the best 6 of the year.

If any of you have any information on Anton Trunk’s corkscrew, please drop me a line, I would happily add it here, and to the website.

Greenwich Champagne Tap

This morning, over coffee (big surprise) I was making the usual rounds.  Auctions, eBay, etc., and ran into a listing that I found most interesting.  It was for a champagne tap with what looks to be the original box, but one that didn’t look familiar.

With all of my corkscrew books (minus O’Leary and Bull’s ultimate) currently in storage whilst I build cabinetry for the “corkscrew room,” I dropped an email to Don asking if within his book on Champagne Collectibles was there a reference for a Greenwich Champagne Tap.

In short order (relatively short order), I received an email from Don:

“Not in Champagne Collectibles and not familiar with the Greenwich Tap…”

I knew I hadn’t seen it before.

I went back to the listing, bought and paid for the tap, and immediately started searching “Greenwich Champagne Tap” and the company name on the box.

So far, nothing has really come up.

Do any of you have this tap?  Do any of you have information about this tap.

The box has the following writing:

Greenwich Champagne Tap

DIRECTIONS –The top screw must be closed when inserting the tap in the cork. Top open give the top screw about two turns back, and reverse. Be sure to close it.

Meinecke & Co., NEW YORK

Once it arrives, we will see if there any other clues about the piece…

Thanks!!!