25
The Cork Extractor on the preceding page is from the collection of Jack Bandy. It
and the two below are marked
“
Magic
”
with the patent dates March 4, 1879 and
May 10, 1892.
During the twenty-one year period 1879-1900, Lucien C. Mumford was granted
three patents for his
“
Cork Extractor
”
(see drawings).
The first patent was applied for on December 9, 1878 when Mumford was living
in San Francisco. In his description, Mumford says
“
The blades could be jointed
to the handlebars, so as to be shut like the blades of a knife...
”
(on the order of the
Bandy example). Patent No. 212,863 was issued March 4, 1879.
When Mumford applied for his second patent (January 14, 1891), he was living in
New York City. Here he discusses an
“
improved socket and stock for carrying
the prongs or blades...
”
Although he shows a gearing system for spreading the
prongs apart, the example above left has a spring in the flat collar for spreading
them. Patent No. 474,480 was issued May 10, 1892.
Mumford
‟
s third patent was applied for on December 20, 1899 (still in New
York). Here he uses a cup and cam design to retain the two blades in movable
positions (example above right). Patent No. 655,725 was issued August 14, 1900.
