Cork-extracting apparatus

Apparatus for extracting a cork from a bottle, said apparatus being of the self-puller type comprising:

• a movable portion comprising
• a corkscrew including a generally helical central body and an outer layer of friction-reducing material,
• and downwardly facing abutment means carried on said corkscrew;
• a handle including at least one elongate arm, said handle being associated with said movable portion such that said arm may extend radially outwardly with respect to said corkscrew in an operating position of said handle, said arm having a restraining formation dispose distal said corkscrew in said operating position, and adapted to engage a human finger and restrain such finger against movement radially outwardly with respect to said arm in said operating position thereby facilitating continuous rotation of said arm by more than 360.degree., about the axis of said corkscrew, buy such finger;
• and a holder portion comprising
• bottle-engaging means for positioning said holder portion with respect to such bottle, said bottle-engaging means including stop means engageable with the top of such bottle for limiting downward movement of said holder portion with respect to such bottle, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced gripping elements extending below said stop means, said gripping elements being radially deflectable for gripping the sides of such bottle;
• spacer means extending upwardly from said bottle-engaging means and defining an opening for receipt of a cork as it emerges from such bottle;
• and guide means supported on said spacer means, engageable with said movable portion, and adapted to allow rotational and longitudinal movement of said movable portion relative to said holder portion, whereby said corkscrew can be driven downwardly into such cork and to a lowered position with respect to said holder portion upon rotation of said movable portion, said guide means having upwardly facing abutment means engageable with said abutment means of said movable portion to limit downward movement of said movable portion with respect to said holder portion to said lowered position;
• said corkscrew being of a length such that, when in said lowered position, said corkscrew extends downwardly below said stop means as well as upwardly into said cork-receiving opening whereby, after said helical body has been so driven into such cork and to said lowered position, then such cork may move threadedly upwardly on said corkscrew as said corkscrew is further rotated without longitudinal movement.