211
Walker
’
s New Blade
Erie, Pennsylvania inventor and manufacturer Edwin Walker who already had
several corkscrew patents came up with yet another in 1897. His previous
patents included several bar mounted corkscrews and, on July 25, 1893 he
received a patent for a wood handle corkscrew which incorporated a
“
yoke
”
to
assist in removing the cork. He described his invention as
“
A cork-screw with a
yoke thereon adapted to be screwed down upon the top of the bottle as the screw
enters the cork, and when the yoke contacts the top of the bottle the continued
turning of the screw operates to raise the cork up within the yoke.
”
Walker
‟
s Erie
Specialty Company was very successful in marketing this corkscrew to a number
of breweries and other firms for advertising purposes.
The 1897 invention was protected by United States Patent Number 579,200
issued March 23 and is entitled
“
Stopper-Extractor.
”
This invention relates only
to the blade formed on the
“
yoke
”
of his previous invention. Walker noted that
blades for lifting stoppers from bottles were usually attached to the end of
handle which was not convenient and did not offer sufficient leverage to
“
insert
the blade, and pry up and cut the wires.
”
In addition the exposed blade requires
extra care in handling. He solved the problem by making
“
the edge of the blade
face another part of the puller
”
- the screw which then forms a guard for the
blade.
Walker wrote
“
It is out of harm
‟
s way when the puller is operated.
”
