Language

Wrecking-Frog. (open access)

Wrecking-Frog.

Patent for "an improved frog for use in placing derailed cars or locomotives upon the rails, exceedingly simple and durable in construction, and formed substantially in one piece - that is, not in sections - and having improved means to lock the frog to the rail." (Lines 17-22) Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: June 11, 1891
Creator: Wilmore, William Henry
System: The Portal to Texas History
Wire Twister and Tightener. (open access)

Wire Twister and Tightener.

Patent for a wire twister and tightener for wire fences. With this invention, "the fence-wire is caused to be contracted, twisted, and made taut" (lines 17-18). It is a set of toothed ratchet wheels that have v-shaped slots for the wire. Pawls act on the teeth, and springs and levers move the pawls.
Date: March 17, 1896
Creator: Stafford, George A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Jack Wrench for Oiling Vehicle Wheels. (open access)

Jack Wrench for Oiling Vehicle Wheels.

Patent for a new and improved jack-wrench. This design consists "of the flat bar which has its inner end bent into a hook, so as to catch over the top of the axle, and which has secured to its outer end a rod, upon which the wheel is to be moved, and a handle which has a wrench formed in its outer end, with a slide which is adjustable . . . a screw-rod which passes through the slide and has its upper end bent so as to catch underneath the axle, and a thumbscrew . . . The object of [the] invention is to provide a combined wrench and jack" (lines 15-29).
Date: March 4, 1890
Creator: Henshaw, Fred M.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Wagon (open access)

Wagon

Patent for "relates to the construction of wagon beds or bodies; and it has for'its object to provide a simple means for bracing such beds-or bodies to prevent the sides thereof from spreading under a load, and whereby the heavy standards usually employed may be dispensed with" (lines 23-30).
Date: March 18, 1890
Creator: Haupt, William W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Vehicle-Brake. (open access)

Vehicle-Brake.

Patent for an improvement in automatic vehicle-brakes by using sliding rods that are movable within staples or guides and a brake-bar indirectly attached to the rear axle by means of a coiled spring. When the brake bar moves forward, it forces the break-shoes from contacting the wheels. When the brake bar moves backward, it forces the brake-shoes into contact with the wheels, thus stopping the vehicle. Illustration is included.
Date: March 3, 1891
Creator: Gregory, Joseph Pinkney
System: The Portal to Texas History
Vine-Cutter. (open access)

Vine-Cutter.

Patent for a vine cutter that is meant "to simplify the construction of devices of this character by means of an integral formation of the cutter" (lines 8-10). It can be "adapted to be applied to a plow standard or foot consisting of a pair of cutting knives or shares integrally connected by a front cross-piece with a single central opening therein for the passage therethrough of a single securing bolt, the knives being rearwardly divergent and obliquely arranged at a downward angle, the lower edges of said knives or shares being sharpened and their rear ends curved upwardly, the said lower edges of the knives or shares adjacent to the said cross-piece being formed blunt" (lines 90-102).
Date: March 14, 1893
Creator: Wheeler, John H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Washing-Machine. (open access)

Washing-Machine.

Patent for an improved washing machine that consists of a sheet-metal body with two tubs, rubbing-boards, a fire-box under the body, bails, and springs with hooks.
Date: March 21, 1893
Creator: Conner, Joshua Harley
System: The Portal to Texas History
Washing-Machine. (open access)

Washing-Machine.

Patent for a practical, simple, and efficient washing machine that cleans soiled fabrics with the minimum amount of labor in a small amount of time, without wearing out the fabrics.
Date: March 28, 1893
Creator: Snider, Henry C.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Kitchen-Cabinet. (open access)

Kitchen-Cabinet.

Patent for a kitchen cabinet that is uniquely constructed and compactly stores condiments and food articles. The food can be easily accessed, and the cabinet has an apparatus for sifting flour "that may be delivered thereby from the sealed bins in the cabinet, in any desired quantity for use" (lines 18-20).
Date: March 13, 1894
Creator: P'Pool, Frank E.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Wire-Fence Machine. (open access)

Wire-Fence Machine.

Patent for a new and useful wire-fence machine that can be conveniently carried around.
Date: March 22, 1898
Creator: Watson, James A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Locomotive Ash-Pan. (open access)

Locomotive Ash-Pan.

Patent for "locomotive ash-pans which are cleared of ashes and cinders without necessitating the stopping of the engine or requiring the fireman or other person going beneath the engine to relieve the ash-pan of its contents, thereby saving expense in labor and obviating loss of time in long runs." (Lines 8-15) Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: March 9, 1897
Creator: Cummings, Summer Field
System: The Portal to Texas History
Locomotive Drive-Wheel. (open access)

Locomotive Drive-Wheel.

Patent for "driving-wheels for locomotives; and it has for its object to provide an approximately perfect balanced driving wheel and thereby materially decrease the internal disturbances to the mechanism of the locomotive due to the present methods of counterbalancing in the driving-wheel the reciprocating and revolving parts thereof." (Lines 12-19) Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: March 9, 1897
Creator: Davis, Philip Z.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Locomotive Driving-Wheel. (open access)

Locomotive Driving-Wheel.

Patent for a perfectly balanced wheel for locomotives. It is meant to "materially decrease the internal disturbances to the mechanism of the locomotive due to the present methods of counterbalancing in the driving-wheel" (lines 15-18).
Date: March 9, 1897
Creator: Davis, Philip Z.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Window-Curtain Holder. (open access)

Window-Curtain Holder.

Patent for improvements in window-curtain holders,in which the curtain holder has a upper and a lower socket, “with the lower socket having a central opening and mounted on a base-plate, of the upper socket having a side opening and mounted on a base-plate, and the U-shaped clasp pivoted at its lower end in the lower socket and having its upper end laterally bent and designed for insertion in the side opening of the upper socket” (lines 84-92). The curtains would be retained and giving them the proper draping and prevent them from flapping and tearing, includes illustration.
Date: March 17, 1891
Creator: West, Eugene B. & Finney, William D.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Windmill. (open access)

Windmill.

Patent for an improved wind wheel that has "every other blade...has a right angled extension or cup to catch the wind, the blades thus formed being set in the hub and rim of the wheel so as to have said right angled portions where they will receive the full force of the wind" (lines 17-22). A ring supports the angled portions of the windmill blades.
Date: March 7, 1893
Creator: Bowman, Charles R.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Machine-Brake. (open access)

Machine-Brake.

Patent for a break that "the device may be brought to a stop either gradually or instantaneously as may be desired. The break is a reciprocative one and comprises a rubber or other elastic or yielding wheel designed to engage the periphery of the fly wheel of the motor and a lug, tooth or analogous provision for engagement with a tooth of a ratchet wheel on the said fly wheel; in operating the break the rubber wheel is first brought into contact with the fly wheel and then by continued movement of the brake lever the said lug or projection enters a tooth of the ratchet wheel and stops the revolution of the same" (lines 14-27).
Date: March 28, 1893
Creator: Boulte, Adolph
System: The Portal to Texas History
Lumber-Truck. (open access)

Lumber-Truck.

Patent for a simple and durable lumber truck that is "arranged to conveniently load and carry lumber to and from kilns and other places" (lines 9-11). It has double flanged wheels in independent frames that are connected by crossbars.
Date: March 28, 1893
Creator: Dodge, Edward
System: The Portal to Texas History
Wave-Motor. (open access)

Wave-Motor.

Patent for a wave motor that gathers and stores power from the full force of the waves in their rise and fall. The motor operates a drive shaft.
Date: March 6, 1894
Creator: Walker, James C.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Machine for Distributing Poison on Plants. (open access)

Machine for Distributing Poison on Plants.

Patent for a new and improved machine for distributing poison on plants. This design consists in "the combination, with a wheeled-frame, a counter-shaft thereon driven from the wheels, a poison-hopper, an air and discharge pipe communicating therewith, a fan giving air-blast through said pipe, and an agitator in the poison-hopper, of wheel and belt-gearing operating the fan and agitator from the counter-shaft on the frame" (lines 112-119).
Date: March 11, 1890
Creator: Brown, George R. & Brown, John W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Wire Fence. (open access)

Wire Fence.

Patent for a new and improved wire fence. This design "relates to wire fencing; and it consists in the construction and combination of devices . . . whereby the wire cables can be conveniently and freely supported at suitable points by spirally-coiled suspension-loops attached to certain fence-posts, so that while securely braced to remain in position the wire cable will not be subjected to chafing or other injury" (lines 8-17).
Date: March 11, 1890
Creator: Moran, Horace S.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Mail-Bag Catcher and Deliverer. (open access)

Mail-Bag Catcher and Deliverer.

Patent for "a device capable of catching or transferring mail bags from a mail bag hanger to the mail car while the car is in motion, the device also acting to deliver a mail bag at the same station, if necessary, one operation in no manner interfering with the other." (Lines 8-14) Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: March 5, 1895
Creator: Sliger, Charles F.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Insect-Destroyer. (open access)

Insect-Destroyer.

Patent for an insect destroyer consisting of a steam-generator used with "removable drawers forming the fire-box and ash-pan of the generator, a safety-valve connected with the steam-boiler, and a novel form and construction of flexible discharge-tube, the same being provided with a cut-off device and with a socket-piece adapted to receive a handle by means of which the discharge end of the flexible tube may be elevated and conducted to any desired point" (lines 12-21).
Date: March 24, 1896
Creator: Maddux, Richard Calvin
System: The Portal to Texas History
Vehicle-Wheel. (open access)

Vehicle-Wheel.

Patent for "driving wheels for locomotives; and it has for its object to provide an approximately perfect balanced driving-wheel and thereby materially decrease the internal disturbances to the mechanism of the locomotion due to the present methods of counterbalancing in the driving-wheel the reciprocating and revolving parts thereof." (Lines 12-19) Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: March 9, 1897
Creator: Davis, Philip Z.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Insect-Destroyer. (open access)

Insect-Destroyer.

Patent for a new and useful insect - destroyer.
Date: March 22, 1898
Creator: Priest, Eli Thompson
System: The Portal to Texas History