Resource Type

Corn-Shuck Chopper. (open access)

Corn-Shuck Chopper.

Patent for "an implement for cutting and removing the corn shuck or husk from the ear of corn more rapidly than any machine in the market. The invention consists of a table having in the middle of the top a longitudinal recess wit grooves on its sides, in which by means of pressing down a treadle a horizontal knife-blade slides to and fro. This knife-blade carries on its upper side a pair of movable clamps for holding an ear of corn in its place against an upright standard which is fastened on top of a stationary knife-blade." (Lines 7-19) Illustrations are included.
Date: November 5, 1901
Creator: Pluck, James
System: The Portal to Texas History
Apparatus for Making Carbureted Hydrogen Gas. (open access)

Apparatus for Making Carbureted Hydrogen Gas.

Patent for improved apparatus for manufacturing carbureted gas at small cost for illuminating and general heating and power purposes.
Date: March 5, 1912
Creator: Herndon, Joseph R.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Antifriction-Bearing. (open access)

Antifriction-Bearing.

Patent for a new and useful improvements in anti-friction bearings.
Date: April 5, 1898
Creator: Hobron, Charles B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Animal-Trap. (open access)

Animal-Trap.

Patent for a new and useful animal trap, including instructions and illustrations.
Date: December 5, 1899
Creator: Buckersberg, Simon
System: The Portal to Texas History
Artificial Stone (open access)

Artificial Stone

Patent for artificial stone.
Date: April 5, 1904
Creator: Steger, Virge
System: The Portal to Texas History
Air-Supplying Device For Diving Purposes. (open access)

Air-Supplying Device For Diving Purposes.

Patent for a new and useful air supplying device for diving purposes, including instructions and illustrations.
Date: December 5, 1899
Creator: Hensley, Frank A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Aeroplane (open access)

Aeroplane

Patent for an aeroplane. This invention does not use any mechanism to maintain the planes equilibrium. Illustration included.
Date: November 5, 1912
Creator: Goebel, Alois
System: The Portal to Texas History
Adjustable Trace Connector (open access)

Adjustable Trace Connector

Patent for an adjustable trace connector. Illustration included.
Date: January 5, 1909
Creator: Erwin, Agustin Reese; Burks, William D. & Burks, Joseph B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Compressed-Air Engine (open access)

Compressed-Air Engine

Patent for a compressed air engine. Illustrations included.
Date: September 5, 1911
Creator: Murray, Dick H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Aeroplane (open access)

Aeroplane

Patent for an aeroplane that will maintain its balance in the air automatically
Date: December 5, 1911
Creator: McManus, Augustus F. W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Apparatus for Elevating and Cleaning Seed Cotton (open access)

Apparatus for Elevating and Cleaning Seed Cotton

Patent for an apparatus for elevating and cleaning seed cotton
Date: March 5, 1900
Creator: Reynolds, Richard J.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Antirefilling Bottle. (open access)

Antirefilling Bottle.

Patent for a bottle that can be easily sealed but cannot be resealed after opened. There is a groove in the neck of the bottle, and the cork is placed below the groove. The cork is hollowed out and a plug is placed in the cork. The cork is hollowed out and a plug with a groove around it is placed in the cork.An elastic compressible locking-ring fits in the gap the groove in the bottle and the groove in the plug create.
Date: January 5, 1897
Creator: Nevill, William B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cattle-Guard. (open access)

Cattle-Guard.

Patent for a railway cattle-guard that is simple, inexpensive, and efficient. It prevents the cattle "from traversing a railway-track in order to pass form one field or inclosure to another" (line 12-14). It has spurred rollers, and has a unique way of mounting rollers or rotary ties, in that they do not block the track.
Date: January 5, 1897
Creator: Nevill, William Birt
System: The Portal to Texas History
Apparatus for Filling Bottles. (open access)

Apparatus for Filling Bottles.

Patent for an "apparatus for filling bottles with crude petroleum, turpentine, and other liquids; and its object is to provide an improved construction which shall possess superior advantages with respect to efficiency in operation" (lines 14-19).
Date: May 5, 1896
Creator: McKay, Felix Early
System: The Portal to Texas History
Andiron (open access)

Andiron

Patent for improvements to andiron or "fire-dogs".
Date: July 5, 1887
Creator: Steele, Oliver
System: The Portal to Texas History
Animal-Trap. (open access)

Animal-Trap.

Patent for improvements in animal-traps that would be capable of catching two animals; to set the trap, bait is placed upon the hooked ends of the bait-hooks, the jaws are elevated and retained in a position by the link-catches, which have the lower hooked ends engaging the trigger, which has its free end engaging the eye at the inner end of the bait hooks, thus setting the trap, (lines 66-73) ready to catch animals. Illustration is included.
Date: May 5, 1891
Creator: Anderson, Henry Clay
System: The Portal to Texas History
Watch-Barrel. (open access)

Watch-Barrel.

Patent for a winding mechanism for watches, related to the barrel and rachet of the winding mechanism, with illustrations and instructions included.
Date: November 5, 1880
Creator: Martin, Josiah
System: The Portal to Texas History
Animal Trap. (open access)

Animal Trap.

Patent for a new and improved animal-trap. This design consists "[i]n a trap comprising a well having ingress-openings in diametrically-opposite sides, the combination, with a cage constructed to move vertically in the said well, of plates mounted in ways and constructed to slide past and cover the said openings and having connection with the cage to counterbalance the same" (lines 86-93).
Date: April 5, 1892
Creator: McLeod, Charlie Mike
System: The Portal to Texas History
Apparatus for Boring Artesian Wells. (open access)

Apparatus for Boring Artesian Wells.

Patent for a new and improved artesian-well borer. This design "has for its object to furnish a combination tool which will wear or cut the harder grades or rock frequently met with in boring wells of this class, and also to furnish a tool which will be harder than the common steel too or auger, thereby dispensing with the necessity of taking out and sharpening" (lines 13-20). It consists in "[a] fluted hemispherical mass of corundum for boring Artesian wells, said mass being provided with cutting-edges which extend from the apex to the base, [and] a metallic core embedded within the mass" (lines 16-20).
Date: April 5, 1892
Creator: Brown, Frank O.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Bale-Tie Buckle (open access)

Bale-Tie Buckle

Patent for a bale-tie buckle which can be fastened quickly. The bale-tie buckle "can be economically manufactured," is "capable of resisting enormous pressure," and "can be quickly and easily placed on the bands or ties."
Date: January 5, 1915
Creator: Horsley, Robert L.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Adjustable Window-Shade (open access)

Adjustable Window-Shade

Patent for an adjustable window-shade that is more useful and can be "raised and lowered in its entirety" (lines 10-11) including instructions and illustration.
Date: December 5, 1916
Creator: Hayes, George Daniel
System: The Portal to Texas History
Ax-Sharpener (open access)

Ax-Sharpener

Patent for an ax sharpener that can be attached to and removed from an ax head.
Date: January 5, 1915
Creator: Wilson, Friend A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Antifreezing Outlet-Valve for Tanks. (open access)

Antifreezing Outlet-Valve for Tanks.

Patent for a new and improved "valve-operating mechanism which cannot be rendered inoperative by ice forming in the tank, and also whereby the valve itself cannot become frozen" (lines 26-30) including illustrations.
Date: May 5, 1914
Creator: Whipp, John W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Advertising Device. (open access)

Advertising Device.

Patent for an advertising machine that is motor-operated and will display a succession of slides that can be shown during the day or at night. It includes a light to help show slides to the public, a shutter that automatically and intermittently displays slides, a lens for projecting slides on a distant screen, and a master slide to be shown with each slide. The patent includes illustrations.
Date: August 5, 1913
Creator: Bernard, Oscar C.
System: The Portal to Texas History