215

Hiering Goes Over the Top

United States Patent 1,701,950 was granted to William C. Hiering of Newark,

New Jersey on February 12, 1929 for his

―

Pocket Corkscrew.

‖

The patent was

assigned to the J. E. Mergott Co. of Newark. Mergott also made the JEM Jr. 120

Girl Scout metal box camera, matchbook holders, brass advertising calendars,

advertising mirrors, and other advertising novelties.

After detailing his improvements on the pocket corkscrew, Hiering says of other

pocket corkscrews:

―

Other devices of a foldable nature are also known, but all

are more or less objectionable for a variety of reasons, such as, incomplete

encasement, liability of becoming inadvertently unfolded from the sheath, lack of

adequate strength at the joint, inadequacy of handle leverage, weakness for

average work to be performed, etc.

‖

The handle of the corkscrew is formed to include a cap lifter which goes over the

top of a crown cap and by pushing down on the handle, the cap is removed.