Importance

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Abstract

An invented corkscrew machine includes a rotatable spiral radius pinion gear mechanically coupled to an annular collar and engaging an inclined gear rack for translating a driver up and down carrying a freely rotating, helical corkscrew. A crank rotates the spiral radius pinion gear for translating the driver up and down relative to the collar the along the rotation axis of the corkscrew with a mechanical advantage that increases as driver approaches the collar. A non-rotating collar cam coupled to and translatable relative to the driver, receives and follows the helix of the corkscrew for imparting torque rotating the corkscrew when held stationary within the annular collar responsive to translation of the driver toward and away from the annular collar. A biased, releasable collar latch captures and holds the collar cam at the stationary position within the annular collar releasing it to translate upward with the driver upon an upward `cork pulling` stroke of the driver relative to the collar only when a bottle is held within the annular collar. Factors establishing the inner and outer radii of the spiral pinion gear include the desired degree of crank rotation, the required vertical translation of the driver relative to the annular collar for pulling corks from necks of bottles, and the ratio of minimum and maximum resistance forces expected to be encountered in skewering and pulling corks from the necks of bottles.

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First Claim