Abstract: This invention relates to a more economical and efficient removal of a wine bottle cork. It also aids in the ergonomics of the food handling industry, waiters, bar tenders, also people with physical disabilities such as arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome may be able to open a wine bottle with less pain and fatigue.

Abstract: A combination cork extractor and vacuum sealer device is provided. The device is a compact, unitary tool that performs the dual function of a cork extractor and vacuum sealer for corked wine or champagne bottles. The device generally includes an elongated housing having an air passageway therein, a piston assembly that slidably engages with the inner walls of the housing, a needle assembly for injecting air into a cork bottle, a sealing assembly that operates in conjunction with a stopper to remove air from a bottle, and a plurality of one-way valves that regulate the direction of air flow inside the device. The needle assembly includes a hollow needle and an opening formed adjacent a second end of the needle. The sealing assembly includes a resilient member configured to sealingly engage with a stopper, and a plurality of openings formed in an exterior surface and fluid communication with one of the one-way valves.

Abstract: An electric air pressure corkscrew includes an upper shell for containing a motor driving a speed-reducing gear unit, which then turns a rotatable block contained in a lower shell fixed in the upper shell. The rotatable block then pushes an interactive block to reciprocate up and down repeatedly so that a piston in an air cylinder reciprocates up and down to pump air through a needle fixed under the air cylinder and inserted in a cork of a wine bottle and into the interior of the bottle so that the air pressure in the bottle is gradually increased to shove the cork up gradually to separate from the mouth of the bottle. The separated cork can be removed off the needle by turning a rotatable sleeve to move a slide tube and a slide base, easy to handle.

Abstract: A manual wine bottle opener includes a main body, a fixing base, a piston rod, a press lever, a valve base, a thimble, a sleeve and a slide member combined together. The press lever has one end pivotally combined with a connecting member, and the piston rod has its lower end fitted with a piston. The valve base has its interior provided with a non-return valve and its lower side fixed with an insert needle. By reciprocally pulling and pressing the press lever for moving the piston up and down repeatedly, air can be pumped into the wine bottle through the insert needle for removing the cork of the wine bottle from the bottle mouth, able to uncork the wine bottle conveniently and quickly. Then the sleeve is turned around to actuate the slide member to whirl and move downward to push and disengage the cork from the insert needle.

Abstract: A cap removing apparatus includes a transfer path through which a container closed by a cap is transferred, a rotary driving mechanism provided in a first position and rotates the container, a correcting mechanism which corrects the posture of a knob of the cap, and a cap-removing mechanism which is provided in a second position, pinches the knob and removes the cap. A movable body, configured to move forward and backward between the first position and the second position, is provided on the transfer path. The movable body has a clamping mechanism. The clamping mechanism clamps the container with the cap whose knob has been posture-corrected in the first position, and moves the container from the first position to the second position. The clamping mechanism releases the clamping state at a time when the removal of the cap is completed, and returns to the first position.

Abstract: The invention provides a novel, easy to use, hand-operated apparatus for effortlessly loosening the threaded lid of ajar or bottle having a screw-on lid and readily accommodates jars or bottles of different sizes. One form of the invention includes a base having a jar supporting surface, a generally vertically extending guide column connected to the base and a carriage assembly connected to the guide for movement relative to the guide between a first raised position and a second lowered position. Novel features of the invention include the provision of a helical drive screw which drives a jar lid engaging assembly and a novel safety clutch mechanism which prevents the exertion of excessive force on the jar being opened.

Abstract: A cork bottle opener is disclosed. The cork bottle opener comprises a stand, a clamping element, a cork opening element and a cork removing element. The clamping element holds the bottle neck when the bottle is being opened. Spinning a turning crank drives the cork opening element upwards or downwards. The cork opening element connects to and controls a screw drill through a pair of gears and connecting structures. After the cork is pulled out from the bottle, the cork opening element collaborates with the cork removing element to remove the cork from the screw drill.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises a holder which holds a container blocked by a cap, and a transport path which has a correcting position. A rotation mechanism is provided at the correcting position. When the container is rotated by the rotation mechanism, a posture of a knob portion of the cap is corrected by a correction mechanism. The corrected knob portion is grasped by a removing mechanism. The removing mechanism removes the cap from the container. The correction mechanism can be moved between a first position at which the correction mechanism advances to the correcting position and a second position at which the correction mechanism retreats from the correcting position. The removing mechanism can be moved between a third position at which the removing mechanism advances to the correcting position and a fourth position. The removing mechanism is moved to the third position when the correction mechanism retreats to the second position.

Abstract: A tube-plug extracting apparatus has a clamping mechanism, movable frame, chucking mechanism, rotation mechanism, and vertical motion mechanism. The clamping mechanism holds a test tube upright. The movable frame is located over a plug extracting position and slides in a vertical direction. The chucking mechanism chucks a plug attached to the test tube. The rotation mechanism rotates the chucking mechanism. The vertical motion mechanism moves the movable frame in a direction to extract the plug. The vertical motion mechanism has ball screws and a drive motor. The ball screws have a stroke long enough to move the movable frame in order to shift a lower-limit stop position for chucking the plug corresponding to the size of test tube.

Abstract: The present invention is a portable securing apparatus for fastening and unfastening a lid to a container. The apparatus minimizes or prevents health risks of medical conditions associated with repetitive and cumulative motions by minimizing or preventing repetitive motions performed by an individual. The apparatus includes a base and a balancer configured to hold a rotational drive mechanism. The base provides support for the container by allowing the container to rest thereon in an upright position. The balancer is connected to the base and is configured to hold the rotational drive mechanism. The balancer provides for movement of the rotational drive mechanism to engage the container lid.

Abstract: A jar/bottle opener has a housing, a first pair of opposed jaws for gripping a jar or bottle and a second pair of opposed jaws for gripping a jar or bottle closure. A driven shaft operates the first and second jaws and turns the second jaws relative to the first jaws.

Abstract: The present disclosure is a semi-automatic jar opener made up of a lower part including a run button activating an electric motor mounted under the lower part, which allows a lower plate to turn and activate a gear rack allowing the lower jaws provided with non-skid rubber strips to squeeze a jar according to the desired size, when the jar turns the friction rubber strips prevent it from sliding, and when the jar is unscrewed the electric motor stops automatically.

Abstract: A cork opener includes a hollow handle, an air pump, first and second hollow fitting units; the pump has a piston rod connected to the handle; the pump is passed through upper end of the first fitting unit, and displaceable relative to the same; the first unit has a hole at lower end for an outlet needle of the air pump to be passed through; the first fitting unit has a displacement portion, which is extended from the lower end, and formed with guide gaps, and which is passed through upper end of the second fitting unit, which has position-limiting blocks respectively movably held in the guide gaps; thus, a cork of a bottle can be removed from the bottle by means of moving the handle up and down to pump air into the bottle after the needle has been inserted through the cork to communicate with inside of the bottle.

Abstract: An automatic jar lid opener comprises a cylindrical housing and a truncated conical lid retainer rotatably attached to the cylindrical housing. A rotary hammer assembly is installed in the housing to convert a torque output from a motor assembly in the housing, into a twisting impact force applied through the lid retainer to a threaded jar lid in order to break a seal or initial resistance securing the lid screwed on a jar.

Abstract: An opener is provided for removing a lid from a paint can or any other similar type container. The opener has a plurality of tapered bits coupled to a first means for moving the bits toward the lid. The opener is also provided with a second means for moving the bits relative to the container to lift the lid from the container.

Abstract: An automated pill bottle opener that is initiated by the user placing the bottle to be opened on a lower gripping surface that is affixed to a casing of the device. The user then moves a selector to choose the opening operation. A plunger assembly drives a plunger downward until a top gripping surface of a rotator assembly presses on the top of the bottle cap. After the pill bottle cap is opened, a pressure sensitive triggering device reverses the direction of travel of the plunger so that the plunger is again raised to its original position. To reseal a bottle, the user simply places the bottle on the lower gripping surface with the cap positioned on the top of the bottle. The user then moves the selector to choose the closing process. The plunger action of the device is identical, but the direction of rotation of the rotator is reversed so that the cap is screwed back onto the bottle.

Abstract: A cap opening system which can handle various containers having caps and container bodies of different sizes is disclosed. In this system, when a cap of a container is to be opened, a container body of the container is gripped by a container body holding apparatus to raise the container body upward. A top surface of the cap is detected as a reference surface when the cap interrupts an optical beam. Based on the height of the reference surface, the cap is positioned with respect to the cap handling apparatus. Alternatively, a cap receiving member is provided underneath the cap handling apparatus to perform positioning of the cap with respect to the cap handling apparatus.

Abstract: A jar opener including a lid clamp adapted to clamp onto a lid of a jar; a motor connected to the lid clamp; and a frame having the motor connected thereto. The frame includes at least three frame sections which are vertically slidingly connected relative to one another in series in a general telescoping fashion. The motor is connected to a top one of the frame sections.

Abstract: A structural improvement of a wine bottle opener which includes a syringe, a needle, a cap, a slide jacket and a bottle holder. The syringe is a hollow tube-shaped object, in which a high-pressured Freon can is inserted. The needle is attached to the front end of the syringe, and the cap is attached to the rear. The syringe is then put into the slide jacket, which is a pipe-shaped object with its upper inside perimeter roughly equal to the outside perimeter of the syringe. The slide jacket broadens at the bottom and the inner wall is threaded in order to screw onto the bottle holder. The top of the screw cap has a hole, through which the Freon can inside the syringe can be pressed. The needle is composed of a base and a tube, whereas the base is geometrically shaped and has threads on parts of its surface, enabling the use of hand tools to screw on or off the base from the syringe.

Abstract: The device for screwing on a cap comprises a gripping head fixed to a rotary spindle, and a drive shaft connected to a drive member carried by a frame, the rotary spindle and the drive shaft are connected to each other on the same axis by a resilient coupling member, connected both to the rotary spindle and to the drive shaft, and the device further comprises a detector member for detecting relative rotation between the rotary spindle and the drive shaft, and a control member for interrupting tightening of the cap when the relative rotation reaches a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: The present invention is a semi-automatic device including an electric motor which is activated by a run button for making turn a lower plate on which is mounted two L-shaped bars containing teeth on a face for meshing with a small gear activating each jaw for squeezing a jar that is placed between each rubber strip mounted on the lower plate for it preventing to slide when it makes turn an upper plate under which is mounted two L-shaped bars containing teeth on a face for meshing with a small gear activating each jaw for squeezing a lid that is placed between each rubber strip mounted under the upper plate for it preventing to slide until the time that the lid become loose, and the electric motor stops automatically when the torque falls to zero.

Abstract: A structural improvement of a wine bottle opener which includes a syringe, a needle, a cap, a slide jacket and a bottle holder. The syringe is a hollow tube-shaped object, in which a high-pressured Freon can is inserted. The needle is attached to the front end of the syringe, and the cap is attached to the rear. The syringe is then put into the slide jacket, which is a pipe-shaped object with its upper inside perimeter roughly equal to the outside perimeter of the syringe. The slide jacket broadens at the bottom and the inner wall is threaded in order to screw onto the bottle holder. The top of the screw cap has a hole, through which the Freon can inside the syringe can be pressed. The needle is composed of a base and a tube, whereas the base is geometrically shaped and has threads on parts of its surface, enabling the use of hand tools to screw on or off the base from the syringe.

Abstract: A winged corkscrew has a lock box that prevents a non-stick coated worm from turning in a reverse direction and slipping out of a cork when two wings of the corkscrew are closed. The lock box locks onto a collar on a main shaft of the cork screw, and thereafter, a cam on the main shaft forms a one way rotational ratchet with the lock box. When the worm is fully inserted, the wings are lowered to remove the cork, but the ratchet prevents the worm from turning in reverse and slipping out of the cork. The corkscrew also has catches that center the corkscrew on the bottle and align the worm into the center of the cork. After the cork has been removed from the bottle, the lock box is unlocked to allow the cork to be removed.

Abstract: An improved structure of a level cork needle is comprised of a syringe, a plunger, a coolant flask, a needle lid and a cork; wherein, the needle being provided to the front of the syringe, the syringe being inserted into the plunger, the needle lid being screwed to the front of the syringe, the coolant flask being placed inside the syringe and exposed for a certain portion, and screwed to the tail of the syringe by the cock and the cock is threaded for easier grasp and slip-proof characterized by that a gap being provided on and through the cock to allow a finger to pass through to press the coolant flask for pumping pressurized gas into the bottle to push out the cork.

Abstract: A jar opener including a lid clamp adapted to clamp onto a lid of a jar; a motor connected to the lid clamp; and a frame having the motor connected thereto. The frame includes at least three frame sections which are vertically slidingly connected relative to one another in series in a general telescoping fashion. The motor is connected to a top one of the frame sections.

Abstract: In an electric corkscrew, a power switch controls supply of electric power from an electric power source to a motor unit so as to drive an auger to rotate in a positive direction for screwing into a cork that is to be unplugged from a bottleneck or a negative direction for screwing out of the cork that was unplugged from the bottleneck. A control switch interrupts electrical connection between the electric power source and the motor unit when actuated by the cork in a cork passage defined by a sleeve body in a grip member while the cork extends out of the cork passage as a result of rotation of the auger in the positive direction.

Abstract: An automatic jar lid opener comprises a cylindrical housing and a truncated conical lid retainer rotatably attached to the cylindrical housing. A rotary hammer assembly is installed in the housing to convert a torque output from a motor assembly in the housing, into a twisting impact force applied through the lid retainer to a threaded jar lid in order to break a seal or initial resistance securing the lid screwed on a jar.

Abstract: A hand-held, power-operated or power-assisted, crimping/er or decapping/er tool (60), for container closures, such as vial caps (C), has a hollow handle (50), housing a (pneumatic) piston-in-cylinder actuator (12, 13), with an external trigger (18) operating an internal control valve (16), to control connection of an external pressure supply, through an internal distribution block (11), and displacement of an actuator output rod (15), coupled, through a pivoted bell crank lever (10), to a demountable crimping/er or decapping/er (27).

Abstract: A portable device may be carried by the user, in one preferred embodiment thereof, and motorizes the task of opening beverage containers having a screw cap. The mechanism that couples to the bottle cap consists of a generally circular band having a distal end bent inwardly in the direction of the cap. The bend of the band is sized and configured to permit receipt of the bottle cap with the bent tang of the band engaging the periphery of the bottle cap at one location. The band is mechanically coupled to the drive shaft of a drive motor with the drive shaft extending axially of the band. The drive motor is mounted on a plate carrying a strap designed to receive fingers of the user so that the user may grasp the plate. An activation switch is conveniently located on the plate so that it may be operated by a knuckle or finger of the user.

Abstract: In an electric corkscrew, a power switch controls supply of electric power from an electric power source to a motor unit so as to drive an auger to rotate in a positive direction for screwing into a cork that is to be unplugged from a bottleneck or a negative direction for screwing out of the cork that was unplugged from the bottleneck. A control switch interrupts electrical connection between the electric power source and the motor unit when actuated by the cork in a cork passage defined by a sleeve body in a grip member while the cork extends out of the cork passage as a result of rotation of the auger in the positive direction.

Abstract: An automated pill bottle opener that is initiated by the user placing the bottle to be opened on a lower gripping surface that is affixed to a casing of the device. The user then moves a selector to choose the opening operation. A plunger assembly drives a plunger downward until a top gripping surface of a rotator assembly presses on the top of the bottle cap. After the pill bottle cap is opened, a pressure sensitive triggering device reverses the direction of travel of the plunger so that the plunger is again raised to its original position. To reseal a bottle, the user simply places the bottle on the lower gripping surface with the cap positioned on the top of the bottle. The user then moves the selector to choose the closing process. The plunger action of the device is identical, but the direction of rotation of the rotator is reversed so that the cap is screwed back onto the bottle.

Abstract: The device for screwing on a cap comprises a gripping head fixed to a rotary spindle, and a drive shaft connected to a drive member carried by a frame, the rotary spindle and the drive shaft are connected to each other on the same axis by a resilient coupling member, connected both to the rotary spindle and to the drive shaft, and the device further comprises a detector member for detecting relative rotation between the rotary spindle and the drive shaft, and a control member for interrupting tightening of the cap when the relative rotation reaches a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: A cork extractor tool for removing the cork from wine bottles has a cylindrical needle carrier with an attached axially directed hollow needle of sufficient length to penetrate through the cork. The needle carrier is slidably disposed within a tubular sleeve which closely fits within a handle. The handle and tubular sleeve are arranged to rotate the needle carrier and needle using a pair of helical grooves disposed through the tubular sleeve, with a pair of corresponding roller guides which extend radially inwardly from the handle through the respective helical groove and which are affixed to the needle carrier. A pair of radially oppositely disposed graspable positioning legs include lower arcuate bottle gripping portions which engage the bottle to facilitate placement of the cork extractor tool on the bottle.

Abstract: The present invention provides an automated safety cap removal mechanism for an automated medication preparation system. The mechanism includes an automated gripping device for securely holding and transporting a vial containing the medication to and from a first station and a cap removal device for removing a safety cap of the vial in a just-in-time for use manner. The cap removal device being located at the first station. By providing a just-in-time for use safety cap removal mechanism, the labor intensive task of removing safety caps can be incorporated into an automated medication preparation system.

Abstract: A jar opener including a lid clamp adapted to clamp onto a lid of a jar; a motor connected to the lid clamp; and a frame having the motor connected thereto. The frame includes at least three frame sections which are vertically slidingly connected relative to one another in series in a general telescoping fashion. The motor is connected to a top one of the frame sections.

Abstract: The present disclosure is a semi-automatic jar opener made up of a lower part provided with an electric motor allowing to squeeze the jar in accordance with the desired size and to make turn it, and of an upper part allowing to adjust manually the height of jar, and when the plate from the lower part turns, the jaws squeeze the lid for unscrew the jar.

Abstract: A cap opening system which can handle various containers having caps and container bodies of different sizes is disclosed. In this system, when a cap of a container is to be opened, a container body of the container is gripped by a container body holding apparatus to raise the container body upward. A top surface of the cap is detected as a reference surface when the cap interrupts an optical beam. Based on the height of the reference surface, the cap is positioned with respect to the cap handling apparatus. Alternatively, a cap receiving member is provided underneath the cap handling apparatus to perform positioning of the cap with respect to the cap handling apparatus.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for opening a vial lid with respect to its respective container includes the lid having a tamper evident tape applied over a top surface of the lid with the ends of the tape being adhered against the outer side walls of the vial container below a juncture of the lid and the container outer wall. The tape has a score on each side in the area adjacent to the juncture. The apparatus includes a device for opening the lid by lifting the lid with respect to the container by a sufficient elevation to ensure that the tape score is substantially completely separated. A second device places a downwardly depending flange of the lid in an overlapped position with respect to an upper end wall of the container after the lid has been opened.

Abstract: A safe cork removing device for wine bottles has a hollow needle head, a refrigerant can container, a sliding block and a seal cover. The sliding block is installed in the refrigerant can container from an opening of refrigerant can container. The limiting rod is exactly positioned in the longitudinal sliding groove of the refrigerant can container. The sliding block is movable along the longitudinal sliding groove by operating the limiting rod. The hollow needle head can be inserted into a cork stopper sealing a wine bottle, and then a refrigerant can is placed in a refrigerant can container. By extruding the refrigerant can, the refrigerant will flow into the wine bottle, and by the pressure of the refrigerant, the cork stopper separates from the wine bottle.

Abstract: The present invention is a rechargeable electric corkscrew having a reversible rotatable auger mechanically associated with a motor contained within a hand held housing unit. A power button initiates rotation of the auger shaft and the burrowing of the auger into the cork. The penetration of the auger into the cork causes the auger guide to travel along the auger shaft towards the handle thereby compressing the return spring until full penetration is achieved and the top of the auger guide mates with contacts on the feet of the extraction rods to operate a relay switch or other like mechanism to initiate the extension of the extraction rods. The extending extraction rods exert a bias against the auger guide and draw the cork and the auger from the neck of the bottle into a recess within the auger guide.

Abstract: A portable device may be carried by the user, in one preferred embodiment thereof, and motorizes the task of opening beverage containers having a screw cap. The mechanism that couples to the bottle cap consists of a generally circular band having a distal end bent inwardly in the direction of the cap. The bend of the band is sized and configured to permit receipt of the bottle cap with the bent tang of the band engaging the periphery of the bottle cap at one location. The band is mechanically coupled to the drive shaft of a drive motor with the drive shaft extending axially of the band. The drive motor is mounted on a plate carrying a strap designed to receive fingers of the user so that the user may grasp the plate. An activation switch is conveniently located on the plate so that it may be operated by a knuckle or finger of the user.

Abstract: A safe and quick bottle opener for removing a cork stopper includes a hollow syringe in which a refrigerant can is disposed. A cap covers and is concealed in the syringe. The syringe has a slide sleeve sleeved thereon. The front end of the slide sleeve has an abutting seat for covering a bottle opening. The slide sleeve helps positioning a needle and conceals the needle to prevent slanting and breaking of the needle to thereby prolong the life of the bottle opener and protect the user's hand. After use, the bottle opener can be assembled as a whole to facilitate storage and carrying.

Abstract: An electric corkscrew has a reversible motor for driving a corkscrew spiral. A non-rotatable sleeve has splines that engage around a bottle cork drawn from a top of a bottle and into the sleeve and holds the cork non-rotatable when the motor is reversed. As a result, the spiral forces the cork out of the sleeve.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a powered decapping tool used to remove a cap from a bottle or vial. The powered tool has a vertical housing portion which the user holds to activate the decapping action. The decapping action results form a motor causing a plunger to move downward, thereby initially closing a plurality of jaws and continuing downward to cooperate with the jaws to remove the cap from the bottle or vial. Means may be provided to adjust the starting point of the decapping cycle or the plunger upper limit as well as the finishing point of the decapping cycle or the plunger lower limit.

Abstract: A cork removal apparatus in the invention has an exterior barrel, a interior barrel mounted inside the exterior barrel, a telescoping barrel engaged between the exterior barrel and the interior barrel, a needle, a partition plate attached inside the telescoping barrel and extended through by the needle, and a cover with a press-in member. The needle fixed at a bottom of the interior barrel has a gas inlet, a gas passageway and a gas outlet. Place a gas container into the interior barrel with its release nozzle downwardly aligned to the gas inlet, combine the cover on the exterior barrel and penetrate the needle through a cork so that a depressing of the press-in member can force gas of the gas container to flow through the needle into the bottle to extract the cork upwardly from the bottle to achieve a rapid, convenient, laborsaving and safe removal of a cork.

Abstract: A device to center and align to the wormscrew of a corkscrew the neck of a bottle of any diameter whatsoever from which the cork is to be extracted, wherein a receptacle cone is located at the base of a collection tube and is retractable with respect to the latter in order to allow the neck of a bottle to abut always centered against the base of the tube in order to have a constant and determinate abutment position to correctly remove the cork and to be able to determine precisely and in advance how much the wormscrew has to penetrate into the cork itself.

Abstract: A bottle cork extractor has a tubular needle carrier with an axially directed hollow needle of sufficient length to penetrate through the cork. Pressurized fluid is injected into the bottle through the needle and acts to eject the cork. A graspable sleeve encircles the needle carrier and has flexible tool positioning legs which extend downward along opposite sides of the bottle. Threads on the sleeve engage threads on the needle carrier. This enables easy penetration of the needle into the cork by turning the needle carrier relative to the sleeve and easy removal of the ejected cork from the needle by reversed turning of the carrier. Cutting blades on the tool positioning legs facilitate cutting of foil wrapping or the like at the top of bottle.

Abstract: A device to automatically removed the cork (11) from a bottle (12), comprising a first screw (41) suitable to screw into the cork (11) and rotation means (38) associated with the first screw (41) to make it selectively rotate and penetrate into the cork (11), there being regulation means (33, 45, 46) associated with the first screw (41) to regulate its penetrative travel into the cork (11) according to the length of the latter, and hence the cork (11) can also be removed only partly from the bottle (12).

Abstract: An opener for a specimen container includes a first chuck mechanism placed in a specific position of a transfer lane for transferring the specimen container, for chucking and fixing the specimen container which is transferred to the specific position and whose opening is stopped with a stopper, a second chuck mechanism for chucking the stopper, which stops the opening of the specimen container chucked and fixed by the first chuck mechanism, from two directions perpendicular to an axis of the specimen container, a rotation driving mechanism for rotating the second chuck mechanism around the axis of the specimen container, and a pull-out mechanism for moving the second chuck mechanism away from the opening of the specimen container along the axis of the specimen container in synchronization with a rotating operation of the rotation driving mechanism.

Abstract: A container opening device has a base and an upper carriage, sliding on posts extending upward from the base. The upper carriage has a downward facing upper platen, and the base has an upward facing lower platen which is rotated by a motor in response to the depression of a knob sliding on the upper carriage. In a first version, electrical contacts within the carriage close an electrical circuit between the posts when the knob is depressed. In a second version, a pushrod in the carriage, moved by depression of the knob, causes a shaft extending upward from the base to pivot, so that contacts in a switch controlling the motor are closed.