85
Peculiar Construction
In 1891 David W. Davis obtained a patent for a
“
Waiter
‟
s Friend
”
type
corkscrew. Davis manufactured the corkscrew in Detroit, Michigan at his firm,
Davis Corkscrew Company.
One of the firm
‟
s employees came up with an improvement on Davis
‟
design.
Charles Puddefoot, also a resident of Detroit, added a backspring in the handle
in order to keep the worm and the neckstand in place when opened and readied
for use. In addition he constructed the neckstand (
“
fulcrum arm
”
) with a means
for breaking wires used to retain corks. Puddefoot referred to his corkscrew as
having
“
peculiar construction.
”
The new Puddefoot design was marketed under the name
“
The Detroit
”
and the
July 10, 1894 patent date is marked on the neckstand.
