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Heeley's A-1

In 1880, William Burton Baker was issued British Patent No. 2950 for his

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Improvements in Corkscrews.

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Baker's patent was the first double lever corkscrew. To

use the corkscrew, the two levers are placed in the down position and the worm is

turned into the cork. As the worm turns, the arms rise. Once fully inserted, pushing the

levers down will extract the cork.

Baker's corkscrew was produced by James Heeley & Sons of Birmingham. Heeley really

didn't like Baker's design because it did not function smoothly and was clumsy. The

arms or levers meet a collar at the top of the shank and there is too much play in them.

This sometimes causes the upper portion of the arm to crack. Heeley found the concept

worked better by attaching the arms to a collar which would ride on the shaft. In 1888

he received a patent for this. The Baker design was abandoned very early and replaced

with Heeley's improvements in the A-1 Double Lever. The A-1 was produced well into

the 20th Century.

Heeley's A-1

The usual markings on the

handles of these corkscrews are

JAMES HEELEY & SONS 6006

PATENT DOUBLE LEVER and

JAMES HEELEY & SONS LD.

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A1

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DOUBLE LEVER.