242

Yokes on Walker

On March 23, 1897 Erie, Pennsylvania resident Edwin Walker patented a stopper

extractor for what he then called the

“

yoke

”

of his corkscrew.

In an April 17, 1900 patent, he simply calls the attachment to the shank of the

corkscrew a

“

head

”

and added a bottle cap lifter to it. In September of 1899,

Walker received a Design Patent (No. D31,505) for this head and these mechanics

were formally recognized in the 1900 United States Patent No. 647.775.

Walker wrote that his new patent covers the hook to break a wire seal on the

bottle, an opening to grasp a bottle cap for removal, and a better grip on the

collar to facilitate use of the hook. He describes this in his patent with

“

It will be

observed that by my construction the handle and the shank of the corkscrew

form a convenient and sufficient lever not only to operate the blade in removing

the wires from a bottle top, but also for operating the hook of the seal removing

mechanism of the device.

”

He adds that it is also

“

made with arms between the

collar and the ring portions so that a firm grasp may be maintained when using

the blade or the hook.

”