Apparatus for Irrigating Land. (open access)

Apparatus for Irrigating Land.

Patent for a new and improved irrigation machine. This design "consists in an irrigating-pipe having lapped side joints and notches in the inner edges of the lapped joints. The invention also consists in the combination, with a tank, of a trough below it, tubes projecting from the trough, and irrigating-pipes connected with the said tubes" (lines 12-18).
Date: November 17, 1885
Creator: Briggs, Elias
System: The Portal to Texas History
Post Hole Auger. (open access)

Post Hole Auger.

Patent for a new and improved post-hole digger. This design is "compris[ed of] an operating handle having a series of radial horizontal wings provided on their lower faces with downwardly-projecting flanges, cutting-blades having horizontal slotted arms at their upper ends adapted to fit between the flanges of the wings, said cutting-blades having their lower ends pointed or bent and curved inwardly and transversely, to bring the cutting edge of one blade out of the plane of rotation of the rear blunt edge of the preceding blade, and adjusting bolts and nuts" (lines 7-18).
Date: November 17, 1885
Creator: Grimm, Frederick
System: The Portal to Texas History
Washing Machine. (open access)

Washing Machine.

Patent for a new and improved washing machine. This design consists "[i]n a washing machine, the combination, with the trough, of the casing secured to one end thereof, the rotating steam-chamber, and the shaft provided with the diaphragm and arranged to take steam in one end, deliver the same through the openings to the steam-chamber, and exhaust through the boxing and opening on the outer side of the diaphragm" (lines 39-47).
Date: November 17, 1885
Creator: Kone, William W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cultivator. (open access)

Cultivator.

Patent for a cultivator, a type of farm implement used for secondary tillage, a way of plowing or cultivating of soil, including illustrations.
Date: November 17, 1885
Creator: Brown, Peter C. & Bragg, Thomas P.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Distance-Instrument (open access)

Distance-Instrument

Patent for an improvement on the Surveyor's instrument, included with illustrations.
Date: November 17, 1885
Creator: Buford, Jefferson L.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cotton Chopper. (open access)

Cotton Chopper.

Patent for a new and improved cotton chopper. This design "consists in combining with a frame a roller of any desired width and size having one or more slots or openings in its periphery, and so mounted as to roll over and crush the stand of cotton, except those portions which enter the slots or openings referred to, which regulate the distance apart at which the portions of the stand are left remaining" (lines 19-27).
Date: November 17, 1885
Creator: Greer, John I.; Harper, Wiley M. & Greer, John
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car Coupling. (open access)

Car Coupling.

Patent for a new and improved coupling for railroad cars. This design consists "[i]n a car-coupling, the combination of a recessed draw-head having abutments . . . and a transverse ridge, of a link adapted to rock on said ridge, a pivoted coupling-hook carrying a diagonally-projecting pin near its forward end, and a spiral spring arranged diagonally above the coupling-hook and surrounding said pin" (lines 93-100).
Date: November 17, 1885
Creator: Nutting, Adrain
System: The Portal to Texas History