Tools – Receptacle closure remover – With additional receptacle-engaging means
Patent
1998-02-25
1999-07-20
Smith, James G.
Tools
Receptacle closure remover
With additional receptacle-engaging means
81 329, B67B 762
Patent
active
059243384
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to a cork extractor or corkscrew.
Corkscrews are already known in prior art. The most usual modus operandi is a three-stage process as follows:
1. Insertion: part of the corkscrew (a worm) is rotated as it is inserted and engages with the cork.
2. Extraction: The worm is drawn away from the bottle, bringing with it the cork.
3. Cork removal: The cork is removed from the corkscrew.
I shall term corkscrews employing this three stage process conventional corkscrews; the present invention relates to conventional corkscrews.
There exists a body of prior art within conventional corkscrews in which the insertion and cork removal processes are effected by means which convert a linear force into a rotational force by driving the worm through a nut. I shall term these inventions nut corkscrews; the present invention relates to nut corkscrews and improves on existing nut corkscrews.
Examples of nut corkscrews are provided by U.S. Pat. Nos. 532,575 and 678,773 and by UK patent No. 2,127,795. These corkscrews are quick and easy to use but suffer from several problems which only come to light when these devices are tested on a wide range of bottles and corks. These problems include: mechanical complexity; inherent unreliability as a result of excess mechanical complexity; inability to extract shorter corks without piercing the bottom of the cork; ungainly operation due to inherently unbalanced forces. In particular whilst UK patent No. 2,127,795 addresses several of the problems encountered with earlier nut corkscrews there remains an inherent risk of unwinding the worm from the cork rather than extracting the cork from the bottle. I shall term this problem the backing out problem.
Among the numerous design objectives for a conventional corkscrew should be included: own axis balancing the remaining forces or directing them along the axis of the bottle cork to remain inside the bottle or to break off and drop into the wine (for conventional corkscrews this implies the ability to control the depth to which the worm is inserted in the cork)
The prior art does not provide a nut corkscrew in which all the major forces are either balanced or directed along the axis of the bottle, nor one wherein the worm may be inserted to different depths according to the length of cork.
The objects of the present invention include the provision of a corkscrew achieving at least some of the objectives in the list above while overcoming problems associated with prior art corkscrews, such as those described in the text above.
As used herein, terms such as up and down, upper and lower, upward and downward, above and below will be construed with respect to the apparatus as it would appear when positioned for use on a bottle standing upright. The terms axial and longitudinal both refer to the vertical direction, parallel with the longitudinal axis of the bottle, cork and worm. Such terms are used for convenience and should not be construed in a limiting sense.
According to the present invention there is provided apparatus for extracting a cork from a bottle comprising:
engagement means for engaging a bottle;
first actuator means comprising a worm, said worm having an axis extending along its length, said first actuator means being movable in the axial direction of said worm with respect to said engagement means and being rotatable about said axis relative to said engagement means;
second actuator means movable in the axial direction of said worm relative to said first actuator means, said second actuator means and said first actuator means being arranged whereby such relative axial movement therebetween causes rotation of said worm relative to said second actuator means about said axis, said second actuator means being movable with respect to said engagement means in the axial direction of said worm and being substantially prevented from rotating about the axis of said worm with respect to said engagement means;
first actuator control means for controlling the axial movement of said first actuator means relative to said eng
Smith James G.
Vacu Products B.V.
LandOfFree
Cork extractor does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Cork extractor, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Cork extractor will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-1312743