Bed Drier and Warmer. (open access)

Bed Drier and Warmer.

Patent for a new and improved bed drier and warmer. This design "includes, primarily, a suitable frame of essentially elliptical form, whose ends allow of the said frame being readily slipped in between the bed and bedding or between two articles of bedding, and in connection with said frame a suitable fire-pot of portable construction" (lines 23-29).
Date: May 14, 1889
Creator: Fossati, Jasper
System: The Portal to Texas History
Box for Matches, &c. (open access)

Box for Matches, &c.

Patent for a new and improved matchbox. This design "relates to boxes or cases of the class having folding securing flaps or covers . . . To this end [the] invention comprises . . . a box or case open at one extremity for insertion and removal of its contents, and provided with a slot or opening extending from its open extremity to or nearly to its opposite extremity to permit access to and removal of its contents, and having a folding flap or cover adapted to close its openings and be detachably secured so as to effectually confine and protect the contents of the box" (lines 8-27).
Date: May 21, 1889
Creator: Marshall, John F.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Buckle and Back Band Hook. (open access)

Buckle and Back Band Hook.

Patent for a new and improved buckle and back-band hook. This design "contemplates certain improvements in combined buckles and back-band hooks; and it consists of a buckle having, or to which may be separately applied, a peculiar hook or tongue" (lines 10-14).
Date: May 21, 1889
Creator: Munger, Ennis
System: The Portal to Texas History
Balance Staff and Wheel for Watches (open access)

Balance Staff and Wheel for Watches

Patent for an improved design of a balance staff and wheel used for watch repair. The new design allows for an easier repair when replacing a broken staff and decreases the chance that the wheel would be damaged when replacing the staff. Included are instructions and illustrations.
Date: May 18, 1880
Creator: Bugbee, George G.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Bridge (open access)

Bridge

Patent for the construction of substantial bridges of wood adapted for long spans, and which can be put up where iron bridges would be too expensive.
Date: May 24, 1881
Creator: Brenner, August W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car Axle and Wheel (open access)

Car Axle and Wheel

Patent for a new and improved wheel and axle for cars. This design calls for "providing each of the axle with a fixed ratchet-wheel and providing the car-wheels with spring-pawls adapted to engage with the ratchets" (lines 21-24). This overcomes the strain that the wheels place on the axles when making turns, which reduces the chance of the car leaving its tracks.
Date: May 16, 1882
Creator: Pendleton, William S.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car Axle Box. (open access)

Car Axle Box.

Patent for a new and improved car-axle box. This design "consists in an improved cap for the box, a dust guard or plate, and packing for the same, the object being to render the axle-box dust and oil tight" (lines 14-17).
Date: May 30, 1882
Creator: Scott, James O.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Boot or Shoe Brace. (open access)

Boot or Shoe Brace.

Patent for a new and improved brace for shoes and boots. This design "relates to a brace adapted to be applied to boots and shoes, and is designed as a brace for the counter, heel, and instep; and it has for its object to provide a brace . . . which shall be simple in its construction, one that may be readily and easily applied, and manufactured and supplied at a slight cost" (lines 9-16).
Date: May 5, 1885
Creator: Awalt, Jessee C.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car-Coupling. (open access)

Car-Coupling.

Patent for a new and improved coupling for railroad cars. This design "relates to a car-coupling constructed with draw-heads having stationary hooks and recesses in their sides, and provided with pivoted hooks held in place by springs, and provided with a trip plate and lever, and with chains and a lever, whereby the cars will couple themselves when run together, can be readily uncoupled, will uncouple themselves when thrown from the track, and can be prevented from coupling when run together" (lines 23-32).
Date: May 5, 1885
Creator: Griffin, James Lee
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 in the combination, with a draw-bar having a socket and buffer-prongs on its ends, of a ball in the socket, coupling-hooks pivoted between jaws connected with the ball, a weighted stem projecting from the ball, and a sliding latch-rod for engaging with the stem and automatically releasing it when the cars come together" (lines 8-15).
Date: May 19, 1885
Creator: Hampl, Joseph & Jacobs, David
System: The Portal to Texas History
Boot Cleaner. (open access)

Boot Cleaner.

Patent for a new and improved boot cleaner. This design "affords facilities for readily and conveniently scraping all parts of the boot or shoe. The heel is scraped on [a] semicircular portion located at the top of the arch, the sides of the sole by the arms, the upper hollow of the foot by the projections, [and] the toe by the lower side of the arch or bow" (lines 38-45).
Date: May 25, 1886
Creator: Scovel, Purley A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Brace for Bedsteads, Gates, &c. (open access)

Brace for Bedsteads, Gates, &c.

Patent for a new and improved brace for bed frames. This design consists in "the posts having the hooks or eyes, the head-board, foot-board, and rails, also provided with hooks or eyes, the swivel, the wires, each having one end secured to one of the corner hooks or eyes, passed through the eye-bolt and screw-bolt, respectively" (lines 97-102). Said wires are further "given a half-turn on themselves, and their other ends secured to the opposite corner hooks, and the [other] wire having one end secured to one of the center hooks or eyes and woven in and out over the hooks or eyes" (lines 1-5).
Date: May 31, 1887
Creator: Lenix, John M. & Swann, George B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Bridle Bit. (open access)

Bridle Bit.

Patent for a new and improved bridle-bit. This design consists "[i]n a bridle-bit, the combination, with the bit-bar, provided with the loops of the angle-levers mounted on the said bar and having their corresponding arms respectively connected by the curb-chain and provided with rein loops or rings and the studs or pins on the levers engaging the loops" (lines 70-76).
Date: May 21, 1889
Creator: Bowles, Zachary Taylor
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 in "[t]he combination of the draw-head, the trip-block pivoted on the upper side of the same, the trigger secured to the upper side of the draw-head, and the spring bearing on the trip-block" (lines 82-86).
Date: May 21, 1889
Creator: Woolsey, Charles Alexander & Woolsey, William Wesley
System: The Portal to Texas History
Buckle. (open access)

Buckle.

Patent for a new and improved buckle. This design utilizes two separate tongues that run freely along a middle bar, which lengthens the life of the strap by distributing pressure and allowing for broken out, frayed, or otherwise worn holes to be circumvented for new ones.
Date: May 3, 1881
Creator: Burket, John
System: The Portal to Texas History
Automatic Cork Extractor. (open access)

Automatic Cork Extractor.

Patent for a new and improved automatic cork extractor. This design "consists, principally, of a vertically-moving and partially-rotating blade having a harpoon-shaped or shouldered head for piercing and drawing the corks; in laterally opening and closing jaws for holding the necks of the bottles; in pivoted and laterally-moving pointed levers for throwing the parts of the corks away from the blade when withdrawn, and in the construction and combination of the parts of the device" (lines 14-23).
Date: May 24, 1881
Creator: Clark, Chester Cady
System: The Portal to Texas History
Packing Attachment for Baling Presses (open access)

Packing Attachment for Baling Presses

Patent for an "improved cotton packing attachment for baling-presses" (lines 9-10).
Date: May 15, 1883
Creator: Shepherd, James R.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Combined Harrow, Seed-Planter, and Cultivator (open access)

Combined Harrow, Seed-Planter, and Cultivator

Patent for a combined harrow, seed-planter, and cultivator to increase the speed of planting and cultivating plants, including illustrations and instructions.
Date: May 22, 1883
Creator: Ellis, Robert Fuller
System: The Portal to Texas History
Pitman Rod. (open access)

Pitman Rod.

Patent for a new and improved pitman-rod. This design "consists in the combination of the flywheel, made heaviest upon one side, with the wrist-pin, connecting-rod, and the part which is to be attached to the reaper or mower knife" (lines 14-18).
Date: May 12, 1885
Creator: Brooks, Ambrous Adam & Brooks, Andrew Jackson
System: The Portal to Texas History
Blind Slat Adjuster. (open access)

Blind Slat Adjuster.

Patent for a new and improved blind adjuster. This design consists in "[a] shutter-stop consisting of a slotted bar linked to the end of the slat-actuating rod of a shutter, in combination with a plate having a spur on one side and a screw-threaded stud on the other, a washer, and a thumb-nut" (lines 93-97).
Date: May 4, 1886
Creator: Lewis, Paulinus Aloysius
System: The Portal to Texas History
Billiard Table Leveler. (open access)

Billiard Table Leveler.

Patent for a new and improved billiard-table leveler. This design consists in "the vertical case having the closed bottom, the open upper end, and provided with the removable plate, the vertical guide-rods extending through openings in the plate, the follower in the upper end of the case and having openings to receive the guide-rods, and provided with an interiorly-threaded opening, the vertical shaft having its lower end stepped in the bottom of the case and journaled in the plate, the said shaft having the miter-pinion and the threaded upper end working in the threaded opening of the follower" (lines 58-70).
Date: May 11, 1886
Creator: Himes, Frank
System: The Portal to Texas History
Combined Cotton Chopper and Cultivator (open access)

Combined Cotton Chopper and Cultivator

Patent for an improvement for the Combined Cotton Chopper and Cultivator by removing dirt, weeds, and grass from the sides of the row. Included with this are detailed illustrations.
Date: May 25, 1886
Creator: Flewellen, Anthony, Sr.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Baby Jumper. (open access)

Baby Jumper.

Patent for a new and improved baby jumper. This design consists in "the combination, with the vertically-resilient supporting-rod having a frame swiveled on its lower end, of the supporting garment adapted to be fastened around the infant and comprising the waist to be buttoned around the body, the pants depending from the waist and having the front flap and the side flaps adapted to be buttoned together in front of the infant, and the skirt attached to the waist at the top of the pants and hanging around the said pants, the upper edge of the waist being attached to the lower ends of [the] cords" (lines 1-13).
Date: May 15, 1888
Creator: Jones, Mary Perciller
System: The Portal to Texas History
Combined Cotton Chopping, Planting, and Cultivating Machine (open access)

Combined Cotton Chopping, Planting, and Cultivating Machine

Patent for "an improvement in combined cotton chopping, planting, and cultivating machines," (lines 9-11) including illustrations.
Date: May 22, 1888
Creator: Pilond, David Winfield
System: The Portal to Texas History