104

Columbus Day

Eduard Becker of Solingen, Germany was issued German Patent #70879 on

March 7, 1893 for his

―

Columbus

‖

Corkscrew. He subsequently received English

Patent #17,924 October 28, 1893. And then he was granted American Patent

#518,018 for this corkscrew. The ring holds the split barrel together during cork

removal. Once the cork is removed from the bottle, the ring is moved up, the

sides split, and the cork can be removed from the worm. The spring between the

handle and the frame assists the extraction by exerting pressure on the handle to

gradually withdraw the cork.

Becker wrote

―

My invention

includes a movable frame on the

spindle of the screw made in two

parts, adapted to clamp or engage

the neck of the bottle and spring

between the frame and the handle

of the screw arranged to exert its

force to draw the cork by moving

the spindle through the frame.

‖