Car Coupling. (open access)

Car Coupling.

Patent for a new and improved coupling for railroad cars. This design "consists in a lever pivoted in the front of the top of the draw-head and provided at its outer end with an aperture, through which the coupling-pin is passed into the aperture in the draw-head, below which lever another lever is pivoted, hanging vertically across the front-opening of the draw-head, and provided at the upper part of its inner edge with a projection, so that when the coupling-link pushes the lower lever inward the upper lever and the pin are raised, and drop as soon as the link has passed into the draw-head" (lines 10-21).
Date: January 31, 1882
Creator: Griffin, James Lee
System: The Portal to Texas History
Carriage Top Prop. (open access)

Carriage Top Prop.

Patent for a new and improved prop for carriage tops. This design consists in "a prop-joint for vehicles, the combination of the bow, the prop-casting having the circumferential flanges lying against the opposite sides of the bow, and the opposite extension plates lying against and secured by screws to the rear edges of the bow" (lines 70-75).
Date: July 31, 1888
Creator: Jacobs, William Ramsey
System: The Portal to Texas History
Combined Pen or Pencil Holder and Pin. (open access)

Combined Pen or Pencil Holder and Pin.

Patent for a new and improved writing-utensil holder and pin. This design "not only forms a convenient receptacle for a pen or pencil, but . . . it is also adapted for use as an ornamental scarf or breast pin, and to this end the bands may be appropriately shaped to confine a stone or other setting, which can be held from endwise displacement, if necessary, by means of lugs . . . at each end of the bar" (lines 63-71).
Date: July 31, 1888
Creator: Stewart, Samuel F.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Combined Chair and Sleeping Car. (open access)

Combined Chair and Sleeping Car.

Patent for railway passenger train combined chair and sleeping car. The combined chair and sleeping car were designed to utilized less space on the train.
Date: May 31, 1887
Creator: Goelet, Edward B.
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
Automatic Damper (open access)

Automatic Damper

Patent for "an attachment for stove-dampers whereby said dampers will be automatically moved, in order that the fire may be maintained at a predetermined heat" (lines 9-13).
Date: January 31, 1888
Creator: Beauchamp, William A. J.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Bustle. (open access)

Bustle.

Patent for a new and improved bustle. This design "consist[s] of a single piece of wire bent in spiral form, said bustle being larger in diameter at its center than at its ends, and eyes or loops formed in said ends, in combination with a spiral spring located within said bustle, the ends of said spring being formed with eyes or loops, and cords or tapes secured to the eyes of the bustle and spring" (lines 52-59).
Date: March 31, 1885
Creator: Davis, Charles Robert
System: The Portal to Texas History
Bale Tie. (open access)

Bale Tie.

Patent for a new and improved bale tie. This design "consists of a buckle or tie consisting of a base-plate having one or more projections or hooks on its face, to one of which is permanently secured one end of the wire or band, while the other end is passed around the bale and secured to the opposite hook or projection" (lines 21-27).
Date: March 31, 1885
Creator: Tippit, James A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Band Cutter and Feeder for Thrashers. (open access)

Band Cutter and Feeder for Thrashers.

Patent for a new and improved feeder and band cutter for thrashers. This design consists "[i]n a band-cutter for a thrasher, the combination with the main frame, main shaft, platforms, and mechanism adapted and arranged to cut the bands, of the crank, rod, oscillating shaft provided with the crank arms . . . reciprocating rod, and depending rod" (lines 38-44).
Date: March 31, 1885
Creator: Cook, Emmanuel Thomas
System: The Portal to Texas History
Churn Power. (open access)

Churn Power.

Patent for a new and improved churn power. This design "relates to improvements in churn powers; and it consists of a plunger-shaft so connected to a wheel by means of a loose rod as to alternately raise or lower said shaft as the wheel rotates. The object of the invention is to accomplish the up-and-down motion and consequent agitation without the usual amount of labor" (lines 9-16).
Date: March 31, 1885
Creator: Patton, Charles W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Animal Power. (open access)

Animal Power.

Patent for a new and improved animal power (engine). This design "consists in an animal-power constructed with a small wheel placed loosely upon a stationary upright shaft, and connected by hinges with the inner ends of arms and sweeps attached to the main wheel, which is mounted upon caster-wheels to support the weight of the wheel and its attachments. . . . The object of this invention is to economize power and promote convenience" (lines 16-25).
Date: October 31, 1882
Creator: Knox, William Curtis
System: The Portal to Texas History
Brick-Machine (open access)

Brick-Machine

Patent for an improvement to the features of Brick Machines, included with detailed illustrations.
Date: August 31, 1886
Creator: Shellenberger, Samuel L.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Coffee-Roaster. (open access)

Coffee-Roaster.

Patent for a coffee roaster, including illustrations. The purpose of the coffee maker "is to provide an improved apparatus by which green coffee may be evenly, quickly, and economically parched or roasted to the desired degree without burning" (lines 8-12).
Date: October 31, 1882
Creator: Dunn, William Washington
System: The Portal to Texas History
Insect-Destroyer. (open access)

Insect-Destroyer.

Patent for "improvement in machines for destroying bugs and worms that infest cotton and other plants" (lines 8-10), including instructions and illustrations.
Date: January 31, 1888
Creator: Webb, Thomas H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Weather Strip. (open access)

Weather Strip.

Patent for a new and improved weather strip. This design "is to provide a new and improved weather-strip, which is raised into a groove in the bottom of the door when the door is open, but is pressed down upon the sill when the door is closed. The invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts" (lines 7-13).
Date: July 31, 1883
Creator: McCurdy, Thomas B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Locomotive Head-Light (open access)

Locomotive Head-Light

Patent for improvements to locomotive headlights granted to John Robert McCormick in order to make the headlights movable by levers or gears.
Date: March 31, 1885
Creator: McCormick, John Robert
System: The Portal to Texas History
Wire Stretcher. (open access)

Wire Stretcher.

Patent for a new and improved wire stretcher. This design utilizes a roller shaft, hand crank, ratchet wheel, and pawl to stretch wires to any desired tautness.
Date: October 31, 1882
Creator: Milby, Robert
System: The Portal to Texas History
Weighing Attachment for Wagons (open access)

Weighing Attachment for Wagons

Patent for improvements in the weighing attachments for wagons so that "the wagon body with its contents may be weighed without removing it from the holsters; and it has for its object to provide a device which shall be simple in construction, accurate, and easily operated" (lines 10-14).
Date: December 31, 1889
Creator: Gragg, Zachry Taylor
System: The Portal to Texas History
Pump. (open access)

Pump.

Patent for a new and improved pump. This design utilizes a new combination and arrangement of cylinders, pistons, pipes, chambers, valves, screws, levers, and air and water vessels to pump water more effectively.
Date: May 31, 1881
Creator: Maney, Henry, Sr.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oil Can. (open access)

Oil Can.

Patent for a new and improved oil can. This design utilizes a handle with a hollow tube leading into the oil chamber, so when the removable cap is unscrewed from the handle, air flows into the chamber, which allows the oil to flow. This eliminates the need for a spring-bottom as with other oil cans, for the flow of oil can be stopped by sealing the tube.
Date: January 31, 1882
Creator: Wilson, Charles Bennett
System: The Portal to Texas History
Nut Lock. (open access)

Nut Lock.

Patent for a new and improved nut-lock. This design "consists of a slide or continuous collar or ring, made of lead or other soft or compressible metal or material, having a hole so that it will fit or pass over the end of an ordinary bolt, and adapted to be pressed into the threads of the bolt and against the face of an ordinary nut by a suitable die" (lines 16-23).
Date: August 31, 1886
Creator: Shellenberger, Samuel L.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Nut Lock. (open access)

Nut Lock.

Patent for a new and improved nut lock. This design has, "[i]n combination with a bolt having a cylindrical stem and a head beveled on its inner face, a nut tapped to receive the threaded end of the bolt and prevented from turning" (lines 73-77).
Date: January 31, 1888
Creator: Anderson, Lee
System: The Portal to Texas History
Hay-Press (open access)

Hay-Press

Patent for "a simple and effective machine of the character described, which shall possess advantages in point of durability, cheapness of manufacture, and general efficiency" (lines 18-21).
Date: July 31, 1888
Creator: Bigham, Joshua R. & Bigham, Ambrose W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Suspension-Bridge (open access)

Suspension-Bridge

Patent for new construction of truss-bridges, and the purpose thereof is to provide a strong and durable structure
Date: March 31, 1885
Creator: Wilson, Solon Thomas
System: The Portal to Texas History