25

The American Corkscrew Company

On February 9, 1911 Joseph T. Bethel of Manchester,

Virginia applied for a patent for a corkscrew. He

wrote:

―

This invention is an improved cork screw made

from a single wire and provided with an integral

clamping arm on one side for engaging the neck of a

bottle so as to secure the cork screw thereto, and

keep the cork screw with the bottle and keep it from

being lost.

‖

Bethel further notes

―

Heretofore it has been the common practice in packing bottled

goods, which are provided with cork screws to secure the cork screw to the neck of a

bottle by means of an elastic rubber band or the like

‖

(shown in photo).

Bethel was granted U. S. Patent Number 1,009,040 on November 21, 1911. It was

assigned to the American Cork Screw Company, Incorporated of Virginia.

The Company

On June 15, 1911 five people applied for a Virginia Corporation Charter giving their

residence addresses in the downtown Richmond vicinity:

R. L. Mahaley, President

James C. Page, Vice President & Counsel

Joseph T. Bethel, General Manager

G. H. Knight, Secretary

D. M. Burke, Treasurer

The purposes for the formation of the Corporation to be known as the

―

American

Corkscrew Company, Incorporated

‖

were cited as

―

...to obtain Letters (of) Patent in the

United States and its dependencies and in Foreign Countries and for the manufacture

and sale of a certain corkscrew and the machines for the making of the said corkscrew

and the general manufacture of metal specialties. The said corkscrew is described by the

Commissioner of Patents as follows: 'A corkscrew constructed from a single length of

wire bent to form a finger loop and two arms, of which one is twisted to provide a

corkscrew, and the other is coiled around the neck of the loop to reinforce the same, and

thence extended at right angles to the corkscrew and bent to present an approximately

semi-circular neck engaging band, the terminal of the latter being formed into an eye

that is offset from the neck to facilitate detachment and also by contact with the neck to

accentuate the clamping property of the band.'

―