Knud Knudsen obituary
To learn more about Knud Knudsen, the inventor who bought the rights to my grandfather's corkscrew patent, I started with the name of the company referenced in Knudsen's patent.
In the filing, the patent is assigned to Danbury-Knudsen Inc., a corporation of Connecticut. I learned that the company was the successor to Danbury Electrical Manufacturing Co. and was a major supplier of automotive and industrial electrical components. Knud Knudsen was the founder and president until he sold the business to Amphenol Corp. in 1957.
That gave me pause because it seemed unlikely that same man who tinkered with corkscrews would also be a high-flying corporate executive. But as I worked it through, it was the same Knud Knudsen who headed an industrial enterprise who also tinkered around with corkscrews and ashtrays.
There is a lot to learn about this interesting man but I will rely on his March 1967 obituary in the Bridgeport Post for the overall narrative. Corkscrews are not mentioned but cigar lighters are. Enjoy.
