Composition For Staining Wood. (open access)

Composition For Staining Wood.

Patent for a “paint or stain, which, when applied, will harden on the common woods of commerce, render them durable and smooth, and give them the exact appearance of black walnut” (lines 15-18).
Date: May 16, 1882
Creator: Gloger, Anton F., Jr. & Gloger, Joseph P.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Compressed-Air and Steam Apparatus for Sinking Wells (open access)

Compressed-Air and Steam Apparatus for Sinking Wells

Patent for "a simple and inexpensive apparatus for drilling the rock and earth until sufficient loose material has accumulated in the shaft, and then remove such material by the pressure of an aeriform fluid - such as steam or compressed air" (lines 23-29).
Date: July 16, 1889
Creator: Goodrich, Hervey K.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Apparatus for Forcing Liquids from Barrels. (open access)

Apparatus for Forcing Liquids from Barrels.

Patent for a new and improved device for extracting liquids from sealed containers. This design utilizes a bellows apparatus, and "by simply compressing [it] air is forced into the space in the barrel or vessel above the liquid, when the pressure of this air will exhaust the liquid through the faucet at the bottom under pressure" (lines 65-70).
Date: October 16, 1883
Creator: Park, Hardy B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Life Boat. (open access)

Life Boat.

Patent for a new and improved life boat. This design consists "[i]n a life-boat, the combination of a hull having the portion of its sides above the water-line overhanging and concave and having the portion of its sides below the water-line convex, with air-chambers having their inner walls curved corresponding to the curves of the upper portion of the sides and converging into the sides at their lower edges, the said chambers increasing in capacity toward the upper edges of the sides of the hull" (lines 22-31).
Date: June 16, 1885
Creator: Dwyer, Daniel
System: The Portal to Texas History
Locking Device for Baling Press Doors. (open access)

Locking Device for Baling Press Doors.

Patent for a new and improved lock for baling-press doors. This design "is to provide a . . . locking device for the doors of the baling chamber of a baling-press, which locking device is so constructed that all the doors can be locked in a single operation and by means of the same device, and may be loosened simultaneously" (lines 8-14).
Date: February 16, 1886
Creator: Clark, Frank S.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Liquid Toilet Preparation. (open access)

Liquid Toilet Preparation.

Patent for scented 2 in 1 hair and body wash which includes ingredients and their measurements and instructions. “It is designed to remove dandruff, and to prevent the hair from falling out. It has great cleansing properties, and will be found excellent for washing fine jewelry, nursing-bottles, and in fact all articles upon which the action of free acids or alkalies is not desirable” (lines 30-38).
Date: September 16, 1884
Creator: Bicksler, William Henry
System: The Portal to Texas History
Wire Basket. (open access)

Wire Basket.

Patent for a new and improved wire basket. This design "consists in a certain combination, arrangement, and connection of a series of wires, whereby great strength is attained, the same including upper and lower hoop wires, upright or straight wires arranged to connect said hoops and wire frame bottom, and reversely-arranged diagonal wires or braces also connecting the top and bottom hoops, and twisted or wrapped around the upright wires intermediately of their length" (lines 13-22).
Date: October 16, 1883
Creator: Moore, William J.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Wire Stretching Device for Fence Posts. (open access)

Wire Stretching Device for Fence Posts.

Patent for a new and improved wire stretcher. This design consists in "[t]he combination of a fence-post, the coupled pulleys mounted thereon and adapted to be simultaneously rotated, independent fence-wires extending in opposite directions and attached to one of the pulleys at points thereon that are arranged close together, and binding-sleeves for preventing the rotation of the pulleys after the wires have been stretched" (lines 14-21).
Date: March 16, 1886
Creator: Priday, Henry
System: The Portal to Texas History
Writing Pen. (open access)

Writing Pen.

Patent for a new and improved pen. This design has for its object "to provide a simple implement which may be readily employed for writing purposes; and it consists in a thimble-like sleeve having a writing-pen arranged at its outer end, adapted to be easily applied to the index or fore-finger; and it further consists in the peculiar construction of implement" (lines 7-14).
Date: October 16, 1888
Creator: Seabaugh, Conrad
System: The Portal to Texas History
Water Heater and Purifier. (open access)

Water Heater and Purifier.

Patent for a new and improved water heater and purifier. This design consists "[i]n the condenser, having the cover, the water-pipe and exhaust-steam pipe combined with the corrugated convex disk, whereby the water falls upon the disk and the steam enters beneath it" (lines 6-10).
Date: November 16, 1886
Creator: Wilson, Martin M.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Wheel. (open access)

Wheel.

Patent for a new and improved wheel. This design, when "traversing soft and marshy soil[,] the ribs or lugs engage in the surface in the ordinary way; but in passing over hard or stony soil the flange bears on the surface and prevents jarring. The ribs and the flange are flush with each other . . . and this height may be considerably more than that of the ordinary ribs . . . for the reason that the said height does not affect the regularity of motion of the wheel in passing over hard soil. The advantage in tapering the ribs or lugs and the inner side of the flange is to prevent earth from clogging therein" (lines 51-53).
Date: October 16, 1888
Creator: Hatch, Jerome B. & Stroud, Wiley N.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Lubricant (open access)

Lubricant

Patent for "a new and useful composition of matter to be used for the prevention of heat caused from friction and attrition in the use and operation of all kinds of machinery, including railroad engines and cars, and all parts thereof" (lines 5-9).
Date: July 16, 1889
Creator: Corder, William J.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Velocipede (open access)

Velocipede

Patent for a vehicle that is powered by foot and guided by hand by the occupants and is for the purpose of transporting one or more persons or articles over streets or smooth roads.
Date: September 16, 1884
Creator: Ellis, Robert Fuller & Norman, Cornelius Asbury
System: The Portal to Texas History
Steam Engine Governor. (open access)

Steam Engine Governor.

Patent for a new and improved steam-engine governor. This design consists in "the combination, with the valve-stem and governor-balls, of a lever connected with the said valve-stem, a weighted lever connected with the said valve-stem lever, a piston-rod connected with the said weighted lever, a piston attached to the said piston-rod, and a small cylinder in which the said piston operates, and which is connected at one end with the interior of the steam-chest" (lines 93-102).
Date: August 16, 1887
Creator: Arnold, Eliphalet L.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Pocket. (open access)

Pocket.

Patent for a new and improved pouch. This design "is to provide for the use of ladies and others a sheet-metal pocket lined with soft material and provided with a pin by means of which it may be secured to the garments" (lines 7-11).
Date: June 16, 1885
Creator: Roberts, Lilly Forentha
System: The Portal to Texas History
Lamp Chimney Cap. (open access)

Lamp Chimney Cap.

Patent for a new and improved cap for oil lamps. A lamp "equipped with [this] improvement may therefore be carried outdoors without danger of being put out or exploding on account of rain or wind. The protector, being made of metal, also serves by radiation to equalize the heat of the chimney and prevent it from cracking" (lines 48-54). Further, it is simpler and more durable than previous lamp-chimney caps.
Date: October 16, 1883
Creator: Wiesendanger, Emil Ulrich
System: The Portal to Texas History
Track Raiser. (open access)

Track Raiser.

Patent for improvements to railroad track raisers.
Date: February 16, 1886
Creator: Robburts, Geoorge W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Process of and Machine for the Use of Compressed Air as a Motive Power (open access)

Process of and Machine for the Use of Compressed Air as a Motive Power

Patent for "a new and useful Process of Operating Locomotives by Compressed Air," (lines 6-8) including illustrations.
Date: March 16, 1886
Creator: Tull, Francis Shales; Kuehn, Herman & Beers, William Francis
System: The Portal to Texas History
Tool for Drilling Wells. (open access)

Tool for Drilling Wells.

Patent for improvement in "tools for drilling or boring Artesian, oil, and other deep wells; and it has for its object to prevent the loss of the drill or auger or of any portion of the drill-rods" (lines 9-13) via an "improved means for connecting the tool to the lower end of the drill-rod" (lines 15-16) including illustrations.
Date: July 16, 1889
Creator: McLane, Hiram H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Plow. (open access)

Plow.

Patent for a new and improved plow. This design consists in "[t]he combination, with a plow-point, of the curved guides or fenders recessed at their rear ends and provided with cutting lower edges, said fenders being detachably connected to the plow-standard" (lines 63-67).
Date: March 16, 1886
Creator: Felder, John L.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Sulky Plow and Cotton Scraper. (open access)

Sulky Plow and Cotton Scraper.

Patent for a new and improved sulky plow and cotton scraper. This design "relates to an improvement in sulky-plows, its object being to render the plow right or left hand for operation, to adjust the angle of presentation of the plow with relation to the line of draft, and to adapt the plow as a cotton-scraper; and it consists of the combination and arrangement of parts" (lines 14-20).
Date: May 16, 1882
Creator: Baucum, Samuel C.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Stirrup. (open access)

Stirrup.

Patent for a new and improved stirrup. This design consists in "[t]he combination, with the upper tubular cross-tie, of the stirrup in open-communication through the sides of the latter and serving for attachment of the stirrup strap, of the fender and the cord, arranged to unite the upper portion of the fender to the stirrup" (lines 76-81).
Date: June 16, 1885
Creator: Turner, Ephraim M.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Music-Leaf Turner. (open access)

Music-Leaf Turner.

Patent for a device for "Turning Leaves of Sheet-Musics, Music-Books and, other Books" (lines 5-7), including instructions and illustrations.
Date: March 16, 1880
Creator: Becker, Francis L.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Hand Car. (open access)

Hand Car.

Patent for a new and improved hand car. This design consists in "[a] hand-car constructed with a frame-work . . . and provided with a propelling mechanism consisting of the bent pipe-lever in combination with the rocking lever, provided with the socket, the connecting-rod, driving wheel, and pinion" (lines 92-98).
Date: January 16, 1883
Creator: Johnson, Roberto H.
System: The Portal to Texas History