An American straight pull corkscrew with bell. This corkscrew is William Bennit’s patent of May 15th 1883. This example is marked on the bell “PAT MAY 15 TH 1883”. The purpose of the bell was to ease the cork once the worm was fully inserted thus breaking any bond that might exist between cork and bottle. The additional advantage of the hollow bell is the cork can be drawn up into it and be partially removed. Perfect centre cut worm. Circa 1883. (Provenance: Frank Ellis Collection 2012)