15

Air Cork Ejectors

The air cork ejectors were the simplest - the needle is inserted through the cork and

with a couple of strokes on the pump, the cork slowly rises. Stapley, Bauer, and

Reitinger took a very simple approach by using a standard hand pump connected to

their "needle injectors." Basically they were sound ideas but cumbersome. Ludwig Eger

was on the right track with his hand held unit but again a bit unwieldy. If one were to go

looking for the "Father of the Air Cork Ejector", one would certainly have to consider

Pius Hasler's 1918 invention. This simple, no-nonsense approach was sure to appeal to

the inventive minds of the 1950s and 1960s. Throughout Europe and the United States,

air cork ejectors met with great success. Instructions for use of air ejectors, follow a

very simple pattern.

Here are the instructions from 1960s Corkette packaging:

Should the cork appear to be dry, rest the bottle at an angle for a few minutes so that the cork

is moistened by the wine.

1. Remove all coverings from the top of the bottle, exposing the cork, and place the

bottle upright on a solid surface.

2. Twist off the needle guard.

3. Pierce the cork vertically and gently pushing the needle fully home. The needle will go

right through most corks, but if it should not do so on an extra long cork, the

Corkette's performance is not affected.

4. Holding the bottle upright, pump the handle of the Corkette two or three times -

taking the full stroke - and the cork will begin to rise. One or two further strokes will

remove it entirely. If the cork is porous or ill-fitting, more strokes than normal may be

needed.

5. Replace the needle guard.