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On February 25, 1891 Carl Hollweg of Barmen, Germany was granted U. S. Patent

447,185 for his collapsing corkscrew. Hollweg noted that the handle of his corkscrew

acts as the protecting sheath keeping pockets from ripping. The corkscrew handle is

composed of four pieces which are connected at the ends forming a toggle-joint with

gears. The screw-shank is secured to the handle at one of the joints. The flats on the

handle can be used for advertising purposes. There is no mention in the patent for other

uses for his collapsing design, however, above is an example produced with a carriage

key.

Can opener with carriage key and corkscrew

So how are these carriage keys used? Bob Roger enlightens us in the story below.

Using Carriage Keys

by Bob Roger

For the privileged, travel during the Victorian era was usually by ship, carriage or rail.

Passage ways on the ship and in railroad coaches were tight, and doors to private

compartments or staterooms did not have exterior knobs or handles. An exterior door

handle on a carriage would get muddy during the trip, and was therefore not used on

carriages either. To open a handle-less door latch, the porter would insert his

―

key

‖

into

the square opening left vacant by the missing handle and shaft, turn it to release the bolt

or catch, and open the door. A handle might be used on the interior of the door to