Language

Hand Press for Fruit, &c. (open access)

Hand Press for Fruit, &c.

Patent for a new and improved hand press for food. This design "consists in the construction and novel arrangement of a lower perforated bowl or receptacle having a rigid handle extending at right angles . . . and an upper perforated presser-head conforming in shape to the bowl, and having a sliding attachment to the handle of the bowl, a lever-handle pivoted to the main handle . . . and a spring catch to hold the lever up to the main handle when the presser-head is drawn up" (lines 21-32).
Date: September 7, 1880
Creator: Haile, James T.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Finger-Exercising Machine. (open access)

Finger-Exercising Machine.

Patent for a finger-exercising machine that is meant to improve the finger strength and flexibility of musicians. "A cylinder provided with friction-rollers imparts motion to a set of keys upon which the fingers are placed; and the object of [the invention] is to impart flexibility to the fingers, and to overcome the otherwise difficult motion" (lines 11-16).
Date: September 14, 1880
Creator: Becker, Francis L.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Machine for Mixing Mortar. (open access)

Machine for Mixing Mortar.

Patent for a new and improved machine for mixing mortar. This design "consists in a cylinder composed of bars set into open heads and rotating beneath a hopper . . . so that the material to be mixed rests upon the cylinder, and is rasped or grated off by the motion of the cylinder and received on the inside of the cylinder between the bars. . . . When the material is received inside the cylinder it is carried around by the rotary motion, and is turned over and forced out" (lines 7-22).
Date: September 14, 1880
Creator: Schellenberger, Samuel L.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Primer for Cannon. (open access)

Primer for Cannon.

Patent for a new and improved primer for cannons. This design corrects the loosening of primers in their vent-holes by way of "a spring combined with the priming tube, which spring expands to the size of the vent" (para. 3). This eliminates blowouts and premature breakage.
Date: September 14, 1880
Creator: Rodman, John Black
System: The Portal to Texas History
Spoke Socket. (open access)

Spoke Socket.

Patent for a new and improved vehicle wheel for "preventing the tire from becoming loose" and "preventing the loosening and rattling of the spokes" (lines 8-11). This design achieves these feats with conically-tipped spokes encased by rubber cushions.
Date: September 14, 1880
Creator: Harrington, John A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Apparatus for Retailing Shot. (open access)

Apparatus for Retailing Shot.

Patent for a new and improved round dispenser. This design "consists in a receptacle or multiple bin the several compartments of which are provided with valves controlling exit-openings, whereby any desired quantity of shot, descending by gravity from the appropriate compartment, may be directed into the scale-pan of a scale without the necessity of lifting the receptacle or bin or any part of its contents" (lines 35-43).
Date: September 21, 1880
Creator: Stokes, Micajah
System: The Portal to Texas History
Bale-Ejector for Presses. (open access)

Bale-Ejector for Presses.

Patent for new and useful Improvements in Bale-Ejectors for Presses
Date: September 21, 1880
Creator: Riesel, Henry
System: The Portal to Texas History
Blacking Brush. (open access)

Blacking Brush.

Patent for a new and improved blacking brush. This design utilizes springs to move a blacking brush to and from a can of polish. This results in "evenness of wear of the bristles of the brush, economy of blacking, absence of spattering while extracting the blacking from the box, convenience in substituting the circular brush as a lid for the box in case of loss of the box-lid, and the saving of time in looking for a blacking-brush and a blacking-box separately" (lines 53-60).
Date: September 21, 1880
Creator: Wood, Edmund Lorenzo.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Corn and Cotton Planter. (open access)

Corn and Cotton Planter.

Patent for a new and improved corn and cotton planter. This design "is an improvement in the class of rolling-hopper planters; and it consists in the construction and arrangement of the devices whereby the hopper is attached to the beams or frame of the machine" (lines 8-12).
Date: September 21, 1880
Creator: Howard, Joseph
System: The Portal to Texas History
Grave Cover. (open access)

Grave Cover.

Patent for a new and improved grave covering. This design calls for a concrete slab, slightly larger than its lidless wooden box, to rest on the upper edges of the latter. A slat in the slab will receive a headstone, which will rest on the slab via flanges.
Date: September 21, 1880
Creator: Thomas, James R.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Wind Wheel. (open access)

Wind Wheel.

Patent for a new and improved windmill. This design "consists in a novel arrangement and combination of wings or gates in a casing outside and independent of the wheel, whereby provision is made for adjusting the position of said wings, and consequently regulating the speed of the wheel, according to the force of the wind" (lines 7-13).
Date: September 21, 1880
Creator: Smith, Hilliard Bonaparte.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Wrench. (open access)

Wrench.

Patent for a new and improved wrench. This design is "especially adapted for manipulating pipe-joints, though applicable, also, for use in manipulating nuts, &c.; and it consists in the [novel] detailed construction and combination of operating parts" (lines 24-28).
Date: September 21, 1880
Creator: Weir, Duncan
System: The Portal to Texas History
Grain Register. (open access)

Grain Register.

Patent for a new and improved grain register. This design "is to furnish registers for recording the quantity of grain measured and sacked, and which shall be simple in construction and accurate in operation" (lines 12-15).
Date: September 28, 1880
Creator: Richardson, William Blewford
System: The Portal to Texas History
Military Saddle. (open access)

Military Saddle.

Patent for a new and improved military saddle. This design is "so constructed that the valises and other equipments may be connected with the saddle in such a way as to distribute and balance their weight, and at the same time make the saddle comfortable for the rider. The invention consists in constructing a saddle with appliances to receive valises, a pair of girths, a gun, and an overcoat" (lines 19-28).
Date: September 28, 1880
Creator: Hastings, John Reed
System: The Portal to Texas History
Rack and Spool for Holding Rope Coils. (open access)

Rack and Spool for Holding Rope Coils.

Patent for a new and improved rack for ropes. This design "consists in a peculiar construction of frame and arrangement of the spools or reels upon the frame to secure a light and compact structure of sufficient stability to support the required number of rope-coils" (lines 15-19).
Date: September 28, 1880
Creator: Le Roy, Charles Jerome
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
Burglar Proof Safe. (open access)

Burglar Proof Safe.

Patent for a new and improved safe. This design "relates to burglar-proof safes, the object being to provide a safe with non-explosive seams; and the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts" (lines 14-17).
Date: September 6, 1881
Creator: Gerard, Alonzo
System: The Portal to Texas History
Reflector for Lamps. (open access)

Reflector for Lamps.

Patent for a new and improved reflector for oil lamps. This design "consists in the peculiar construction and arrangement of the parts, whereby the handle and reflector can readily be detached from the lamp-body and replaced thereon when desired" (lines 15-19). Further, the handle has a hole by which it can be hung.
Date: September 6, 1881
Creator: Ludwick, John Harvey
System: The Portal to Texas History
Washing Machine. (open access)

Washing Machine.

Patent for a new and improved washing machine. This design "regulate[s] the pressure of the rubber upon the clothes, and thus facilitate[s] the operation of washing the said clothes" (lines 13-16).
Date: September 6, 1881
Creator: Hollis, William Tailler.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Farm Gate. (open access)

Farm Gate.

Patent for a new and improved gate. This design consists "[i]n a swinging gate pivoted at its lower inner end and suspended by a diagonal wire, upon which it swings in being opened and closed, the adjustable bar provided with a depending loop or staple for the suspending-wire, the point of suspension by said loop, being between the latch end of the gate and a vertical line drawn through its pivot-pin" (lines 51-58).
Date: September 13, 1881
Creator: Miller, Wilson B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Farm Gate. (open access)

Farm Gate.

Patent for a new and improved gate. This design "is mounted upon a hinge-rod, which is adapted for adjustment at its upper end within a rack fixed to the top of the hinge-post and provided with a pivoted keeper for said hinge-rod, the object being to set the upper end of the hinge-rod away from the latch-post as may be required to raise the free end of the gate to take up the sag, to support the gate a sufficient height above the ground to swing free of snow, and to allow of the passage of small stock when the gate is closed" (lines 12-22).
Date: September 13, 1881
Creator: Miller, Wilson B. & Bell, William H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Machine for Cleaning, Polishing, and Assorting Nuts. (open access)

Machine for Cleaning, Polishing, and Assorting Nuts.

Patent for a new and improved nut cleaner, polisher, and sorter. This design consists in "[t]he combination, with the nut-cleaning cylinder having the longitudinal door and transversely-arranged wire cylinders having doors, of the intermediate hopper, arranged lengthwise of the cylinder, as well as under it, and having apertures over the doors of the wire cylinders . . . and a series of sieves, successively increasing in mesh, of a perforated floor, an end plate terminating in [an] eccentric, an elevator, and a delivery spout" (lines 28-34).
Date: September 13, 1881
Creator: Koerber, Rudolph C.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Pulverizing Attachment for Plows (open access)

Pulverizing Attachment for Plows

Patent for improvements in pulverizing attachments for plows used for furrow-slices as they are turned by plows.
Date: September 13, 1881
Creator: Maddux, Tapley, B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Sash-Holder. (open access)

Sash-Holder.

Patent for improved sash-fasteners, which relates to sash-fasteners, the object being to furnish a simple and effective substitute for the ordinary sash weights and locks.
Date: September 13, 1881
Creator: Barb, Gustavas Henry
System: The Portal to Texas History