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Painter was not the first to suggest this ill-treatment of a corkscrew. In 1888 Josias J.

Sands of Merton, Wisconsin applied for a bottle-stopper patent and he wrote

―

The bar

may be easily removed by inserting a hook or stiff pointed instrument [corkscrew]

beneath the central part of the bar and pulling or prying outwardly thereon.

‖

A few

days later (December 18) he applied for another stopper patent and this time he had a

better idea to remove it by

―

...any suitable pointed instrument as for example a spur on

the end of a corkscrew handle.

‖

Sands

“

Spur

”

on the end of a corkscrew handle.

On May 13, 1889 Sands reverts to his earlier suggestion in yet another bottle stopper

patent application

―

... to allow the extraction of the cork by inserting the point of a

corkscrew or other pointed implement or hook ...

‖