Apparatus and method for removing a stopper from a bottle
OwnerMichael Mothersheadinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A stopper remover comprises a relatively thin elongate member, having greater length than width, with a flared portion at an end thereof. In performing the method according to the invention, a stopper is removed from a bottle by curling the elongate member around the longitudinal axis thereof, inserting the flared end a sufficient distance into the neck of the bottle to capture the stopper in the flared portion, and extracting the remover from the bottle thereby removing the stopper. The remover is also advantageously employed in simply bringing the stopper back up into the neck of the bottle, enabling ultimate extraction of the stopper by conventional means.
Claims18
A method for retrieving a stopper from a bottle comprising the steps of:
- longitudinally curling at least one end of a relatively thin elongate member, wherein said elongate member is formed of a material other than cloth;
- inserting the curled end of the member into the mouth of the bottle;
- positioning the curled end to place the cork within the inserted curled portion;
- and
- extracting the elongate member from the bottle by pulling the elongate member outwardly from the bottle.
A stopper extractor for removing a stopper which has fallen within a bottle, comprising:
- an elongate member formed of flexible sheet material capable of being curled along the longitudinal axis thereof, yet adapted to return to its shape prior to curling when released;
- said member having a flared portion at an end of said elongate member for insertion within the neck of a bottle.
A stopper extractor for removing a stopper which has fallen within a bottle, comprising:
- an elongate member formed of mylar sheet material capable of being curled along the longitudinal axis thereof;
- said member having a flared portion at an end of said elongate member for insertion within the neck of a bottle.
A stopper extractor for removing a stopper which has fallen within a bottle, comprising:
- an elongate member formed of mylar sheet material capable of being curled along the longitudinal axis thereof and having a thickness on the order of 5 mils;
- said member having a flared portion at an end of said elongate member for insertion within the neck of a bottle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.