Patently Useful.

On this day in 1802, Sir Edward Thomason was issued a patent for his "New Invented Material Article in the Making of Cork-Screws" by the English Patent Office.

"To all to whom these presents shall come, I, Edward Thomason, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer, send greeting. Whereas His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third, by His letters Patent Under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at Westminster ... In respect to principle, I cause the cork to be extracted from the simple continuation of turning the screw to the right hand, and this performed without any rack wheel, lock, or spring, and I cause the cork to be discharged from the screw"...

I wish there was an image of this device, but I if there is, I have not found it. I wonder if there is a corkscrew of his design in a museum somewhere? No doubt with the increasing use of screwtops, soon all corkscrews will become curiosities.

Here is an interesting beverage with a nice name and an interesting heritage. I assume it is a ‘modernisation’ of the idea of Aqua Vitae.

Life of Man.
12 drops oil of lemon, 9 drops oil of cloves, 3 drops oil of mace; dissolve in 1 quart of alcohol; at 2 ½ lbs of sugar, dissolved in 5 pints of water; strain; clear; add 2 drops essence of cochineal.
Cooling Cups and Dainty Drinks, by William Terrington, 1869


Other stories:

There are other stories about patents and trade-marks amongst the over one thousand posts on this blog. Some (maybe all) are here:

Mason Jar
Egg beater
A food-throwing device.
Pineapple Cheese
Tonic Water
Worcestershire Sauce
Chocolate manufacture
Lunchwrap
Microwave oven
American Cheese
Foie Gras
Hawthorn Tea
Improved Tomato Soup

Quotation for the Day.

The best [wine] Australia produces is a wine called Cwarra, which much resembles a second-rate Rhenish wine. Great efforts have, however, been made of late years to extend and improve the culture of wine in this great country.
Cooling Cups and Dainty Drinks, by William Terrington, 1869.