Neuerung am Korkenzieher

Düsseldorf, Germany, May 2, 1891 - Heinrich Ehrhardt has applied for a patent for his locking system for corkscrews. The worm is screwed into the cork with the handle in the locked position. When it is screwed down to engage the frame, Heinrich's "nose" falls and the handle is now unlocked. Continuing to turn the handle will extract the cork into the frame.

Wirtz, Virginia - Editor note: Ehrhardt's corkscrew patent was assigned to Georg Reissmann and these "swivel-over collar" corkscrews were often called the "Reissmann Patent" in German catalogs. Many variations on Ehrhardt's patent have been produced since 1891 by such firms as Graef & Schmidt, Wester Brothers, Henckels, Boker, and Monopol. Similar examples are still produced today.

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Happy Birthday Spock

On this day in 1903, Dr. Benjamin Spock was born. His claim to fame was his book Baby and Child Care which he said "came out of my head" after years of listening to parental concerns and worries. The book was dictated over a period of time to his first wife, Jane, whom he married in 1927. In 1976 he married a woman 40 years younger than him which may have contributed to him living to the age of 94.

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Letter to the Editor

Thank you for sharing the Kudu pictures with us under "Got Wine?" in the April 26 edition. The Screwy Tuskers are ready to impale and pull corks too ... Alf Erickson, Florida and Thailand

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What is this?

The Answer will appear in tomorrow's edition of The Daily Screw.

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News Index

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