Improvement in Hats (open access)

Improvement in Hats

Patent for "a new and improved ventilated hat...which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification" (lines 3-5). including instructions and an illustration.
Date: September 1, 1868
Creator: Watkins, M. S.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Double-Acting Force-Pumps. (open access)

Improvement in Double-Acting Force-Pumps.

Patent for a double-acting force pump that has "single cylinder and hollow piston-rod operate in connection with the upper and lower cylinder-valves, and with a valved piston adapted to have a reciprocal motion independent of and upon the hollow piston-rod, to discharge the water from both sides of the piston with a double action and in a continuous stream through said hollow piston-rod" (para. 2).
Date: September 16, 1879
Creator: Newman, Charles Elijah
System: The Portal to Texas History
Brick Press. (open access)

Brick Press.

Patent for a new and improved press for bricks. This design "relates to certain improvements in that class of brick-presses in which the clay is molded into shape by hand-power; and the object of [the] improvement is to form a cheap, durable, and effective machine for accomplishing the work" (lines 10-15).
Date: September 6, 1881
Creator: Thomas, John S.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Sulky Carriage for Plows. (open access)

Sulky Carriage for Plows.

Patent for a new and improved sulky plow. This design "furnish[es] a sulky-frame and plow supporting and adjusting devices of a simplified construction, and [provides] more effective means for gaging the depth of the penetration of the plow into the ground, and guiding or steadying the movement thereof" (lines 17-23).
Date: September 20, 1881
Creator: Ward, James & Washburn, Rufus
System: The Portal to Texas History
Safety Spout for Lamps. (open access)

Safety Spout for Lamps.

Patent for a new and improved safety spout for lamps. This design is for an angled tube with a mouth to receive oil and a threaded end to screw onto an oil lamp. This allows for the lamp to be safely refilled while lit.
Date: September 27, 1881
Creator: Ingle, Ezra W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Miner's Lamp. (open access)

Miner's Lamp.

Patent for a new and improved miner's lamp. This design "may be attached to any wooden structure in the mine, to any crevice in the rock, or to the earthen wall of the mine, and when set upon any ledge or flat surface prevented from tipping over, and when attached to the hat or other garment of the miner kept from swinging or turning out of proper position; also, [it] provid[es] the lamp with a rod for adjusting the wick of the lamp for regulating the flame of the lamp" (lines 10-19).
Date: September 11, 1883
Creator: Lee, Charles A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Center and Other Tables. (open access)

Center and Other Tables.

Patent for a new and improved table. This design consists "[i]n a table, stool, or other like article of furniture, the combination, with a slotted standard and rods extending across the slots, of the legs having dowel-pins entering holes in the under side of the table-top, and cam-shaped hooks connected to the legs and engaging with the slots and rods of the standard" (lines 73-79).
Date: September 15, 1885
Creator: Burroughs, William Thomas
System: The Portal to Texas History
Design for a Bottle. (open access)

Design for a Bottle.

Design patent for "a bottle or similar receptacle designed in the configuration of a trunk, or so formed that the outline presented resembles a trunk" (lines 13-16). The accompanying illustration is not available for this design.
Date: September 6, 1887
Creator: Powell, Thomas W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Corn Sheller. (open access)

Corn Sheller.

Patent for a new and improved corn-sheller. This design, "[o]n its rear face, at the upper end of the body of the corn-sheller . . . provide[s] a hinged nubber-plate, which serves as a supporting-arm, and is constructed . . . for use in breaking or cutting off the smaller end of the ear of corn, at which end unsound kernels of corn are frequently found. The nubber-plate is hinged . . . to the upper end of the rear face of the body, and when opened out extends at nearly a right angle from the body and inclines slightly downward. When folded, the nubber-plate rests against the rear face of the body" (lines 39-52).
Date: September 13, 1887
Creator: Price, Benjamin B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Running Gear. (open access)

Running Gear.

Patent for a new and improved running-gear. This design consists in "[t]he combination, with the front and rear axles, of the tubular connection, the connection between the tubular coupling and the head-block, formed with ears, the swiveled fifth-wheel carrying ears, the connecting-pin held in said ears, and the guard attached to the ends of the head-block, to the under side of the tubular coupling, and to the connection between the coupling and the head-block at the forward end thereof" (lines 89-98).
Date: September 2, 1890
Creator: Mayfield, William Dudley
System: The Portal to Texas History
Rotary Engine. (open access)

Rotary Engine.

Patent for improvements in rotary engines by proving “a reversible rotary steam-engine in which friction shall be reduced to as small an extent as consistent with suitable packing of the joints, the pressure on the piston-wings be practically balanced, and compensation made for wear” (lines 11-16). Illustration is included.
Date: September 29, 1891
Creator: Bretherton, Montague James
System: The Portal to Texas History
Freight And Grain Car (open access)

Freight And Grain Car

Patent for "freight-car which shall be simple, strong, durable, and comparatively inexpensive in construction, and which shall, by virtue of its attachments, be capable of instant transformation from a car for transporting grain, cereals, and similar loose substances in bulk toa car for transporting miscellaneous dead freight" (lines 17-24).
Date: September 6, 1892
Creator: Butz, John F.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Metal Packing-Case for Food Products. (open access)

Metal Packing-Case for Food Products.

Patent for "a new and useful packing-case for food products" (lines 13-14), particularly for cured meats. It protects "against flies, souring, shrinking, &c., than the ordinary forms of packing" (lines 20-21). It is made from metal, stamped into a packing-case.
Date: September 15, 1896
Creator: Blanke, Louis H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Barrel-Washer. (open access)

Barrel-Washer.

Patent for a machine that cleans barrels. It has "barrel-supporting rollers to rotate the barrel in contact with brushes" (lines 13-15), which are more durable than rollers made from rubber tires. The rollers also each have an inner portion, a detachable annular exterior, and an elastic ring around the outside. Brushes are attached on opposite sides of the barrel, held up by a frame.
Date: September 29, 1896
Creator: Herold, Charles
System: The Portal to Texas History
Document File-Case. (open access)

Document File-Case.

Patent for "an envelop for holding papers of various kinds and which is convenient and durable and can be manufactured at small cost" (lines 9-11). the side flaps are adjustable and are connected using elastic straps so they don't accidentally disconnect under tension.
Date: September 29, 1896
Creator: Ward, George C.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Water-Closet Cistern. (open access)

Water-Closet Cistern.

Patent for improvements in water closet cisterns: "which are normally empty to prevent freezing and which are only filled just before the flush is desired" (lines 14-16).
Date: September 7, 1897
Creator: Ackley, George D.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Folding Cot. (open access)

Folding Cot.

Patent for certain new and useful improvement in folding cots, including instructions and illustrations.
Date: September 19, 1899
Creator: Martindale, James Henry
System: The Portal to Texas History
Railway-Track Lifting-Jack (open access)

Railway-Track Lifting-Jack

Patent for "an improved device of this character which is designed for heavy work, as in railway service, and at the same time to have the device comparatively light in weight in order that it may be conveniently carried from place to place" (lines 10-15).
Date: September 3, 1901
Creator: Bentley, George Francis
System: The Portal to Texas History
Rail-Joint. (open access)

Rail-Joint.

Patent for a durable, inexpensive rail component which bridges two rails and relieves strain and stressing caused by passing rail-cars. Furthermore, this component does not require existing rails to become obsolete.
Date: September 24, 1901
Creator: Gillen, John
System: The Portal to Texas History
Shears-Sharpener. (open access)

Shears-Sharpener.

Patent for improvement to shears sharpeners for barbers, with illustration. The device provides a means to hold the blade while the user is honing it, and could be made at a low cost.
Date: September 23, 1902
Creator: Rossler, Konrad
System: The Portal to Texas History
Acetylene Gas Generator (open access)

Acetylene Gas Generator

Patent for an acetylene gas generator. Illustration included.
Date: September 25, 1906
Creator: Little, Leander H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Automatic Siphon (open access)

Automatic Siphon

Patent for an automatic siphon. This invention is intended to for the purpose of draining cellars and basements. Illustration included.
Date: September 25, 1906
Creator: Ackley, George D.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Stove. (open access)

Stove.

Patent for a stove, which circulates air through a central drum and increases the amount of heat put out by the stove.
Date: September 3, 1907
Creator: Sanders, Ira B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Self Feeder for Balers (open access)

Self Feeder for Balers

Patent for a self feeder for balers. This invention is designed to to feed hay into a hopper whereby the hay is compressed in the compression chamber. Illustration included.
Date: September 10, 1907
Creator: Schubert, George
System: The Portal to Texas History