149

Now that we've looked at four

―

Stage Screw

‖

patents, the patent of James Boyn simply

entitled

―

Screw

‖

needs a little closer scrutiny. Boyn

says his invention

―

relates to those commonly

known as 'stage screws' and goes on to state that the

primary objective of his invention is to provide such

a screw.

However

, he continues with

―

A further object

of this invention is to provide a screw of this class

whose body portion is constructed in such a manner

that it may be used as a

cork screw

, a screw driver, a

wrench, and in various other capacities.

‖

So thanks to Boyn, a stagehand could easily

substitute a worm when his thirst told him it was

time to pop a cork.

Boyn was granted U. S. Patent No. 1,110,250 on

September 8, 1914.

Hans Türler submitted a photo of his stage screw and wrote,

―

I have a

German Stage Screw, which has been used in Bavaria Film Studios in

Munich (Germany). Stage screw is

Bühnenboher

in German.

‖

He noted

the firm Rosco sells equipment, software and products for the theater,

film, television, and architectural environments.

On Rosco's German website, they describe the tool as

Bühnenbohrer werden genutzt, um Streben oder Kulissenteile am

Bühnenboden zu befestigen. Der Bühnenbohrer wird ohne Werkzeug

direkt in den Holzboden geschraubt. Der Gewinde-Bühnenbohrer

kommt dann zum Einsatz, wenn Kulissen immer wieder exakt an der

gleichen Position montiert werden sollen oder wenn besonders feste

Verbindungen gefragt sind. Zum Einsatz des Gewinde-Bühnenbohrers

wird eine Gewindebuchse in ein vorgebohrtes 14 mm Loch mit einem

Schraubendreher eingeschraubt.

On Rosco‘s

U. S. website we find

―

Stage Screws are used to fasten flats or scenery pieces

to the stage floor. The Stage Screw goes directly into the wood stage floor. The Steel

Stage Screw should be used when the

screw must be used in the same place

several times, or where exceptional

holding power is needed. To use the Steel

Stage Screw, drill a 9/16

‖

hole, screw the

Stage Plug into the floor with a wide

straight blade screwdriver, then fit the

screw into the plug.

‖