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How do you spell Vallandingham?

On April 7, 1908 Mahaska County inventor

William T. Vallandingham received United

States Patent Number 883.988 for his new

―

Cork-

Extractor.

‖

William, who lived in Oskaloosa, Iowa, said he

set out to produce a

―

simple, cheap and

convenient article that can be carried in the

pocket or on a key ring, and used for extracting

corks from stoppered bottles.

‖

To operate Bill

‘

s tool, you insert the sharp edge of it between

the bottle and the stopper (cork) in the flat position. Once the

hook is below the cork, you turn the extractor so the hook is

under it. Then you pull the cork up.

Vallandingham

‘

s extractor was produced by the Val-Ber Pull

Company in Oskaloosa. Vallandingham

‘

s design was also

manufactured by Clauss Fremont, Ohio; Utica Cutlery Co.,

Utica, New York; Allery, New York; and others who wanted

to use his invention as one of the tools in their tool kits.

Above: An example of the Vallandingham patent marked VAL-BER PULL CO.,

OSKALOOSA, IOWA, PAT APR 7-08 from the collection of Herb Danziger.