Method of manufacture of a mechanical cork puller

• US 4,097,980 A
• Filed: 03/01/1977
• Issued: 07/04/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Security Pacific Business Credit, Inc. (Bank of America Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Irvinware Division of Beatrice Foods Company
• Inventors: Bozzo, George J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moon, Charlie T.
• Application Number:
  US05/773,169
• Time in Patent Office: 490 Days
• Field of Search: 29/434, 29/453, 29/416, 29/418, 81/3 A, 81/3.37, 74/422, 74/524, 74/534, 74/535, 74/536, 403/157, 403/159, 254/12, 254/95
• US Class Current: 29/434
• CPC Class Codes: B67B 7/0441 whereby the supporting means abut around the whole periphery of the neck of the bottle
• CPC Class Codes: B67B 7/44 Combination tools, e.g. comprising cork-screws, can piercers, crowncap removers combinations of opening devices with cutting tools B26; with devices serving other purposes, see appropriate subclasses, e.g. B25F; B43K29/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4984 Retaining clearance for motion between assembled parts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49876 by snap fit
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/32934 Oppositely laterally movable tines
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/1967 Rack and pinion

Abstract

An improved mechanical cork puller wherein the pivot holes of the lever arms receive and pivot about one or more ribs formed on the inner surfaces of the opposed pairs of support ears, resulting in no visible sign of a pivot support on the outer surfaces of the support ears. The support ears have an inwardly diverging taper providing free meshing movement between the toothed sectors of the lever arms and the cork puller shaft. To manufacture, elongated rib members are initially die-cast on the inner surfaces of the support ears and thereafter cut away to the desired length to form the pivot support for the lever arms. As cast, the inner surfaces of the support ears diverge outwardly and thereafter the outer ends of the support ears are bent toward each other so that the inner surfaces thereof diverge inwardly. The lever arms are thereafter assembled by merely forcing fitting them into place between the support ears.

Claims

1. A method for the manufacture of a mechanical cork puller having a cork puller shaft and at least one lever arm mounted for pivotal movement between a pair of opposed support members about a pivot hole formed in said one lever arm, and wherein said lever arm is adapted to linearly displace said cork puller shaft so as to raise and remove a cork from a bottle, said method including the steps of:

providing pivot means on the opposed inner surfaces of said support members which is not visible on the outer surfaces thereof, said pivot means being provided by the steps of

forming a pair of elongated spaced parallel rib members integrally with each of the inner surfaces of said support members, and

cutting said rib members to a length which is adapted to be received in said pivot hole provided in said lever arm; and

temporarily springing apart said support members by forceably slidably inserting said lever arm between said support members and said pivot means until said pivot means is in registry with said pivot hole, whereupon said support members spring back to their original position to thereby lock the lever arm in place for pivotal movement about said pivot means.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a single rib member is formed integral with each of the inner surfaces of said support members and is thereafter cut to a length which is adapted to be received in said pivot hole in said lever arm.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said support members and said rib members are die-cast from metal.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rib members are cut to a length which is approximately equal to the width across said rib members and the diagonal of the length and width is approximately equal to the diameter of said pivot hole in said lever arm.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, further including the steps of:

initially forming said support members so that their inner surfaces have an outwardly diverging taper and said rib members have an approximately parallel juxtaposition, said support members being spaced apart at their inner ends a distance adapted to loosely receive said lever arm therebetween;

cutting said rib members to the desired length for receipt in said pivot hole of said lever arm while said support members are in the initially formed position;

bending the outer ends of said support members toward each other until the inner surfaces thereof have an inwardly diverging taper; and

thereafter forceably slidably inserting said lever arm into place between said support members for pivotal movement about said pivot means, the outer ends of said support members snugly fitting against the sides of said lever arm.

6. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the length and width of each of the single rib members is approximately equal and the diagonal of the length and width is approximately equal to the diameter of said pivot hold in said lever arm.

7. The method as claimed in claim 5, further including the steps of:

initially bending the outer ends of said support members toward each other from said initially formed position to an intermediate position where their inner surfaces are approximately parallel to one another;

thereafter forceably slidably inserting said lever arm into place between said support members for pivotal movement about said pivot means; and

thereafter bending the outer ends of said support members toward each other until their inner surfaces have said inwardly diverging taper.