Aerial Projectile (open access)

Aerial Projectile

Patent for an aerial projectile for use as an anti-infantry bomb, dropped by planes. Specifically, it is a fragmentation bomb hand dropped from planes that will not only deliver an explosive blast and the subsequent shrapnel, but deliver such a blast as to destroy itself so it cannot be reverse engineered.
Date: September 25, 1918
Creator: Bury, Thomas J. & Bury, Oney
System: The Portal to Texas History
Dirigible Headlight. (open access)

Dirigible Headlight.

Patent for improvements in dirigible headlights. This headlight is used for automobiles and self-propelled vehicles where the usual headlights are directed to throw their beams of light in the direction of travel upon actuating the steering mechanism.
Date: September 24, 1918
Creator: Harris, Robert L. & Geeslin, Eli M.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Drill-Head (open access)

Drill-Head

Patent for drill head improvements by inventor Clarence E. Reed.
Date: September 24, 1918
Creator: Reed, Clarence E.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Fence Fabric. (open access)

Fence Fabric.

Patent for a new kind of fence fabric that lays flatter, can be made more efficiently, and slips less.
Date: September 24, 1918
Creator: Dobkins, Pearl
System: The Portal to Texas History
Hydrocarbon-Burner (open access)

Hydrocarbon-Burner

Patent for a hydrocarbon burner that can burn "heavy substances [such] as fuel for locomotives, stationary boilers, kilns, heating furnaces and the like" (lines 15-17).
Date: September 24, 1918
Creator: Nicholson, John
System: The Portal to Texas History
Process of Producing Perhalates (open access)

Process of Producing Perhalates

Patent for an improved process of producing perhalates, perchlorates, and their corresponding acids.
Date: September 24, 1918
Creator: Schoch, Eugene Paul
System: The Portal to Texas History
Stand-Value for Oil-Well Pumps. (open access)

Stand-Value for Oil-Well Pumps.

Patent for a Stand-Value for Oil-Well Pumps so that the ball seat in an oil well pump does not work loose. This is also meant to be turned end for end so that the part's life is lengthened. With this being done, the utility of the oil-pump should now be enhanced.
Date: September 24, 1918
Creator: Slaughter, George W., Jr.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Adding and Subtracting Machine (open access)

Adding and Subtracting Machine

Patent for an improved adding and subtracting machine adapted to be attached to the end of a lead pencil. It is readily manufactured and simple in construction.
Date: September 21, 1918
Creator: Wittnebert, Duke
System: The Portal to Texas History
Work-Holder (open access)

Work-Holder

Patent for a work holder used to hold securely hold a bolt, rivet or the like against movement. The work holder is used in combination with a work bench, and contains perforations to receive a variety of sizes of bolt and rivet.
Date: September 19, 1918
Creator: Peters, Edwards Mathias
System: The Portal to Texas History
Process of Treating Hydrocarbons (open access)

Process of Treating Hydrocarbons

Patent for a new or improved process which distills heavy hydrocarbon oils into large volumes of gasoline or other lighter volatile liquids.
Date: September 18, 1918
Creator: Andrews, Benjamin & Averill, Willard C., Jr.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Attachment for Stalk-Cutting Machines. (open access)

Attachment for Stalk-Cutting Machines.

Patent for improved, cheap, and simple stalk-cutting technology with shielded protection, including instructions and illustrations.
Date: September 17, 1918
Creator: McCray, Henry L.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Method of Sapping or Destroying Trenches or Other Defensive Works. (open access)

Method of Sapping or Destroying Trenches or Other Defensive Works.

Patent for a method of sapping or destroying trenches or other defensive works to use in military operations.
Date: September 17, 1918
Creator: Hughes, Howard R.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Signal Apparatus for Motor-Vehicles (open access)

Signal Apparatus for Motor-Vehicles

Patent for automobile signaling apparatus. The apparatus is designed to signal the operator's direction to other drivers.
Date: September 17, 1918
Creator: Riggs, Fletcher S.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Apparatus for Watering Plants (open access)

Apparatus for Watering Plants

Patent for improvements in plant-watering apparatuses by inventor Elton F. Reid.
Date: September 10, 1918
Creator: Reid, Elton F.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Attachment for Internal-Combustion-Engine Carbureters. (open access)

Attachment for Internal-Combustion-Engine Carbureters.

Patent for Improvements in Attachments for Internal-Combustion-Engine Carbureters. The "explosive mixture entering the cylinders of the engine may be improved and in this way increase the efficiency of the engine" (lines 12-15).
Date: September 10, 1918
Creator: Atkinson, John P.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Book with Removable Cover (open access)

Book with Removable Cover

Patent for a removable cover for a pass book (a book where a customer's bank deposit account is kept). When a customer's pass book is filled the cover can be removed and refilled with a new pass book.
Date: September 10, 1918
Creator: Malsch, Herman C.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Fastener for Cotton-Bale Bands. (open access)

Fastener for Cotton-Bale Bands.

Patent for a new and useful fastener for metal bands or straps used in baling cotton. The fastener is designed to overcome problems experienced with currently used fasteners, such as fasteners that break during baling, as well as sharp portions of bands that injure hands.
Date: September 10, 1918
Creator: Cain, James Patrick
System: The Portal to Texas History
Fishing-Float. (open access)

Fishing-Float.

Patent for a fishing float "wherein the staff and the buoyant body of the float cooperate in a novel way to hold a line" (lines 11-13) including instructions and illustrations.
Date: September 10, 1918
Creator: Davis, James B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Method of Irrigating Plants (open access)

Method of Irrigating Plants

Patent for irrigating plants, trees, shrubs, or others alike by pinpointing where the root has the most moisture to be readily taken up.
Date: September 10, 1918
Creator: Reid, F. Elton
System: The Portal to Texas History
Milk-Warmer (open access)

Milk-Warmer

Patent for Milk-Warmer that heats "milk with the purpose of souring the same in preparation of the milk for churning" (lines 10-12).
Date: September 10, 1918
Creator: Ault, Ella A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Reamer-Drill for Well-Boring (open access)

Reamer-Drill for Well-Boring

Patent for reamer drills for boring wells. The invention relates to the construction and arrangement of the drill. The drill expands as it leaves the casing to form a drill and reamer, which limits the expansion of the forks.
Date: September 10, 1918
Creator: Walker, William M.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Refrigerator-Car (open access)

Refrigerator-Car

Patent for a refrigerated train car "containing ice receptacles and equipped with pipe coils through which the brine given off from the ice may be circulated around the walls of the car" (p. 1, lines 10-15) which also circulates the cooled air through the car.
Date: September 10, 1918
Creator: Dietz, Maurice B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Resilient Wheel. (open access)

Resilient Wheel.

Patent for an improved resilient wheel with "a pneumatic cushion interposed between the hub and floating rim" (lines 11-12). The cushion is designed to be easily removable, provide easier access for inflation, better lubrication, and rest on a seating member and bearing for reduced friction.
Date: September 10, 1918
Creator: Kettler, Martin F.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Signal Stand (open access)

Signal Stand

Patent for a signal stand designed for use in connection with train order boards employing a semaphore as a signal. "The invention, broadly stated, comprises a stand having suitable feet and arms connected by a body portion, said arms serving as a support for a notched quadrant, which quadrant is secured to the arms, a plurality of interconnected layers, one of said levers having a fulcrum or pivotal mounting with the body portion, another of said levers being formed in two parts, one part of which is provided with a connection with the first-named lever, said lever part being provided at one end with a segmental gear to cooperate the segmental gear carried by the other half of the lever, which latter half is pivotally mounted with its fulcrum in the body of the stand, the free ends of said levers extending beyond the the stand being provided for connection with pull rods, that serve to operate the several blades positioned upon a semaphore stand, and means operatively connected to the handled ends of said layers to cooperate with the notches in the quadrant to maintain the levers in predetermined positions." (Lines 54-77)
Date: September 10, 1918
Creator: Fleagle, Robert H.
System: The Portal to Texas History