Apparatus for Handling Seed Cotton. (open access)

Apparatus for Handling Seed Cotton.

Patent for cotton house with bins and conveyors that prevent the cotton from being contaminated.
Date: December 2, 1884
Creator: Munger, Robert S.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Apparatus for Handling Seed-Cotton. (open access)

Apparatus for Handling Seed-Cotton.

Patent for a "mechanism for handling seed-cotton [...] to provide novel means for conveying said cotton directly from the wagon or from the cotton-house to the ginning mechanism, whereby the cotton is cleansed and dried during its passage" (lines 7-13). It also helps to prevent fires and contamination of ginned cotton, and to reduce labor handling seed-cotton.
Date: December 2, 1884
Creator: Munger, Robert S.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Animal Shears. (open access)

Animal Shears.

Patent for new and improved animal shears. This design is "to secure an equal wear of the teeth of the stationary and the revolving cutter-plates . . . whereby the instrument may be run double the usual time before it is necessary to grind the plates, and enabling the tool to be used as a right or a left hand cutter; also, to render the cutters separable without arresting the motion of the rotary blade . . . also, to provide means whereby the rotation of the cutter may be reversed . . . finally, to provide a simple device for throwing the miter-gears into and out of mesh" (lines 15-29).
Date: December 9, 1884
Creator: Carter, Francis W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Combined Ventilator and Chimney. (open access)

Combined Ventilator and Chimney.

Patent for a new and improved combined ventilator and chimney. This design consists in "[a] combined ventilator and chimney . . . composed of a central flue surrounded by an annular air-chamber, in the top and bottom of which are openings, flange, and case, provided with a water-shed or apron, in combination with [a] section consisting of a flue or chimney, having its lower end inserted in the flue of the ventilator and extending therefrom above the roof, and covered with a cap or caps, and its juncture with the ventilator protected by a downward-projecting hood" (lines 38-49).
Date: January 15, 1884
Creator: Matthews, William F.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Advertising Device. (open access)

Advertising Device.

Patent for a new and improved advertising sign. This design "consist[s] in the fixed staff or upright having pulley, bent rotary vane having the opening, and adapted for the display of advertisements, inside [the] bent rotary vane, and the governor adapted to regulate automatically the speed at which the vanes are to revolve" (lines 68-80).
Date: February 19, 1884
Creator: Carly, John Wesly
System: The Portal to Texas History
Corn Sheller. (open access)

Corn Sheller.

Patent for a new and improved corn sheller. This design "comprises a double-shelling surface of peculiar construction in one plate or bed-piece, whereby a corn-sheller having but little weight is produced, which shall be capable of shelling either one ear of corn, or, by using both hands, two ears of corn at the same time, and which shall do its work with increased ease, ready clearance for the shelled corn, and protection, when using both hands, against their striking each other" (lines 12-21).
Date: March 4, 1884
Creator: Matthews, Luther
System: The Portal to Texas History
Aquarium. (open access)

Aquarium.

Patent for an ornamental suspension aquarium with easily removed plug or stopper for refreshing the water with illustrations.
Date: March 18, 1884
Creator: Zanetti, Fortonato Clemente
System: The Portal to Texas History
Anti Friction Journal. (open access)

Anti Friction Journal.

Patent for a new and improved anti-friction journal. This design "relates to anti-friction devices adapted especially for hoisting pulleys; and it has for its object to provide a device in which the shaft or axis of the main hoisting-pulley shall be supported or mounted upon the peripheries of wheels of a considerable diameter as compared with that of the hoisting-pulley, whereby the friction may be lessened to the greatest possible extent" (lines 24-32).
Date: July 22, 1884
Creator: Taylor, John C.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Combined Satchel and Pillow. (open access)

Combined Satchel and Pillow.

Patent for a new and improved combined satchel and pillow. This design consists in "[t]he combination, with a valise or satchel, of an airbag permanently incorporated in the same to form one of the sides thereof, and having a mouthpiece upon the exterior of the valise, whereby the bag may be inflated without opening the valise" (lines 62-67).
Date: August 19, 1884
Creator: Kiam, Benjamin
System: The Portal to Texas History
Vehicle Wheel. (open access)

Vehicle Wheel.

Patent for a new and improved vehicle wheel. This design "consists in the improved construction and combination of parts of a brace consisting of two rings secured together, and having recesses in their meeting sides, and provided with a number of brace-rods passing to one or two rings secured upon the hub of a vehicle-wheel, the spokes fitting in the recesses in the meeting sides of the rings" (lines 19-27).
Date: January 15, 1884
Creator: Stein, Philip Harris
System: The Portal to Texas History
Locking Pawl for Anchor Chains. (open access)

Locking Pawl for Anchor Chains.

Patent for a new and improved locking pawl for anchor chains. This design is "to provide a novel combination of parts whereby the rising and falling and horizontally-moving clamping-block can be rigidly locked in its engagement with the cable to stop the latter; also, to provide novel means for protecting the wood-work of the vessel from wear as the cable is moved" (lines 13-19).
Date: February 19, 1884
Creator: Lucas, Thomas P.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Mail Bag Fastening. (open access)

Mail Bag Fastening.

Patent for a new and improved fastening for mail bags. This design "consists of a chain fixed to one side of the bag so as to swing on the lower edge, and having hooks, or, it may be, curved or straight studs, which are made to pass through eyes of the two sides of the bag and around or through another chain on the other side of the bag, making a very simple fastening that is equally secure as the staple fastening now in use and much more readily manufactured" (lines 7-16).
Date: March 18, 1884
Creator: Scott, Roy B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Lock Stitch Ripper. (open access)

Lock Stitch Ripper.

Patent for a new and improved multi-tool. This design "relates to an improved combination tool or implement designed to be used in connection with sewing-machines, and combining in a convenient form several instruments which operators on sewing-machines should always have ready at hand" (lines 9-14).
Date: April 8, 1884
Creator: Wheeler, Elijah Harvey
System: The Portal to Texas History
Lift or Elevator. (open access)

Lift or Elevator.

Patent for a new and improved elevator. This design "consists in the construction of the operating mechanism . . . whereby the mechanism may be regulated or adjusted to run fast or slow, according to the weight of the load to be carried, it being adjusted to run slow, but with great power, when heavy loads are to be lifted, but to run fast, but with lesser power, when lighter loads are to be lifted" (lines 28-37).
Date: April 8, 1884
Creator: Krause, Earnest.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Irrigating Apparatus. (open access)

Irrigating Apparatus.

Patent for a new and improved irrigation apparatus. This design "pertains to improvements in irrigating apparatus, having for its object to prevent the choking or obstructing of the nozzle and to effect the proper distribution of the water; and it consists of the combination and construction of parts" (lines 13-18).
Date: May 27, 1884
Creator: Chisholm, William R.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Violin Tail Piece. (open access)

Violin Tail Piece.

Patent for a new and improved tail piece for violins. This design "has for its object to raise or lower the pitch of the strings simultaneously, when required" (lines 10-12).
Date: June 10, 1884
Creator: Smith, John J.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Lifting Jack. (open access)

Lifting Jack.

Patent for a new and improved jack. This design consists in "the combination, with a standard provided with an elongated open slot and a moveable section adapted to slide within the slot, of an operating-lever pivoted to the standard at the side of the slot, and a link pivotally secured to the sliding section and lever, whereby the lever is thrown past the center and the sliding section thereby locked in an elevated position" (lines 67-75).
Date: July 15, 1884
Creator: Thorp, James L.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Life Raft. (open access)

Life Raft.

Patent for boat state rooms that convert into life rafts.
Date: September 9, 1884
Creator: Adams, John R.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Vehicle Top. (open access)

Vehicle Top.

Patent for a new and improved vehicle-top. This design "consists in the combination, of a vehicle-top, with upright rods having their upper ends bent to conform to the shape of the roof, the upper ends of the rods being secured to strips held on the under side of the roof of the top, and on which rods curtains are held to slide up and down" (lines 12-18).
Date: September 30, 1884
Creator: McCurdy, Thomas B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Vehicle Hub. (open access)

Vehicle Hub.

Patent for a new and improved vehicle wheel. This design "consists in the peculiar construction, combination, and arrangement of the parts, whereby a single damaged spoke may be removed and a new spoke inserted without releasing the several spokes comprising the wheel" (lines 11-16).
Date: November 11, 1884
Creator: Miller, Thomas S.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Knockdown Barrel. (open access)

Knockdown Barrel.

Patent for a new and improved knockdown barrel. This design "is to provide a cheap and easily constructed knockdown barrel for shipping fruit and other commodities. [The] improvement consists of the construction and arrangement of parts" (lines 7-11).
Date: November 11, 1884
Creator: Miller, James Harison
System: The Portal to Texas History
Ink Blotter. (open access)

Ink Blotter.

Patent for a new and improved ink blotter. This design "is to facilitate the process and shorten the time of the [writer] in blotting of the ink from his [or her] writing. [The design] attain[s] this object by so constructing the blotter that when in use it is always attached to and worn upon the hand holding the pen" (lines 8-13).
Date: December 30, 1884
Creator: Smith, L. Starr
System: The Portal to Texas History
Machine for Stretching and Removing Fence Wires. (open access)

Machine for Stretching and Removing Fence Wires.

Patent for a new and improved machine for stretching and removing fence wires. This design "is to provide a simple, effective, and inexpensive machine for stretching the wires of fences along the fence-posts, and straining the wires taut while they are being fastened to the posts, and also for removing the wires from the posts when required, as in removing or resetting a fence" (lines 8-14).
Date: January 8, 1884
Creator: Killough, John N.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Lubricator. (open access)

Lubricator.

Patent for a new and improved lubricator. This design "relates to improvements in that class of lubricators wherein the oil reservoir or vessel is provided with a discharge-pipe passing through the bottom to the point of delivery, and rising within the reservoir to near its top, the steam rising in such pipe condensing and falling by gravity to the bottom of the reservoir, thus displacing the oil, and causing it to rise and flow down through the pipe to the parts to be lubricated" (lines 8-17).
Date: March 4, 1884
Creator: Bissett, Jean
System: The Portal to Texas History