Amalgamator. (open access)

Amalgamator.

Patent for a new and improved amalgamator. This design "consists in placing in the bottoms of the chambers a number of iron balls or other suitable-shaped pieces of amalgamated iron, which have sufficient room to move freely among themselves, and then forcing up through the balls or pieces of iron, in contradistinction to forcing it down over their tops, the amalgamated ore and water, so as to cause the pieces of iron to vibrate, and thus to grind and break the pieces of quartz passing up through them" (lines 14-24).
Date: September 12, 1882
Creator: Schmidt, Erich Franz & Streernwitz, William Henry
System: The Portal to Texas History
Attachment for Penholders. (open access)

Attachment for Penholders.

Patent for a simple and effective attachment for penholders. It is "readily and easily attached to a penholder, and which is adapted to protect the fingers of the hand and prevent them from coming in contact with the pen or with the inked portion of the holder" (lines 15-19).
Date: November 12, 1895
Creator: McDonald, Michael Shaw
System: The Portal to Texas History
Automatic Film-Mover (open access)

Automatic Film-Mover

Patent for an automatic film mover which allows film in a projector to be automatically moved forwards and in reverse.
Date: January 12, 1915
Creator: Edmond, Berger & Barnes, Ned E.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Automatic Train-Pipe Coupling (open access)

Automatic Train-Pipe Coupling

Patent for a train pipe coupling which connects automatically and does not come loose when the train is going around curves.
Date: April 12, 1910
Creator: Blair, Oliver C.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Brake-Staff. (open access)

Brake-Staff.

Patent for a new type of brake staff for trains featuring a modular design allowing its form to be changed as necessary. This is useful for connecting train cars where regular brake staffs may get in the way. Including illustrations.
Date: September 12, 1905
Creator: Clark, James Thomas & Meyer, Henry L.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Bust-Developer (open access)

Bust-Developer

Patent for a bust developer which is battery operated and attaches cups to the breasts to draw the blood into the breast area and cause them to enlarge.
Date: October 12, 1909
Creator: Eganhouse, John G.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car-Brake. (open access)

Car-Brake.

Patent for a car brake that has independent brake shoes and brake pressure is equally applied to all the wheels of the truck. The invention is meant to "obtain in a car brake of this class a central transmission of the applied brake power to the different groups of brake mechanism whereby the brake power is distributed equally to each wheel and the brakes are not only rendered more stable and certain in their operation, but are better adapted for the application of either hand or air brake or pressure" (lines 22-31). The brake shoes are operated by a lever that is suspended from the truck body and pivots.
Date: December 12, 1893
Creator: McGee, James
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-head, of an L-shaped lever pivoted in the same and provided at its angle with a lug, which L-shaped lever has a coupling-pin suspended from the end of the long arm, and has its short arm passed into an aperture in the inner end of a bar sliding in the bottom of the draw-head, whereby when the lug is depressed the coupling-pin will be raised and the bar in the draw-head will push the link out from the end of the draw-head" (lines 7-17).
Date: June 12, 1883
Creator: Appell, Charles E.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cash-Fare-Slip Holder (open access)

Cash-Fare-Slip Holder

Patent for a cash fare slip holder. Illustrations included.
Date: December 12, 1911
Creator: Thomsen, Herman E. & Rienhardt, William A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Combination Level. (open access)

Combination Level.

Patent for a new and improved combination level. This design "is broadly to provide a combined carpenter's and surveyor's level of a cheap, simple, light, and durable form, and adapted for use as a carpenter's plumb and level or a surveyor's level interchangeably without the removal or change of any of its parts; and to this end in consists in the conformation and arrangement of parts" (lines 19-26).
Date: June 12, 1883
Creator: Sands, James Harley
System: The Portal to Texas History
Concrete Construction (open access)

Concrete Construction

Patent for improved concrete construction methods for creating buildings made of or with concrete. These improvements include lighter walls with an air space that prevents dampening.
Date: September 12, 1913
Creator: Howard, Frances H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Float-Valve. (open access)

Float-Valve.

Patent for a float valve that is easy and inexpensive to manufactured. It may be used in all tanks.
Date: March 12, 1918
Creator: Lakios, George John
System: The Portal to Texas History
Gas-Valve. (open access)

Gas-Valve.

Patent for improvement to gas valve "which is adapted to be used in connection with a water heater" (9, 11-12) including description and illustrations.
Date: October 12, 1915
Creator: Cochran, Harry A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Curing Meat, &c. (open access)

Improvement in Curing Meat, &c.

Patent for curing meat using an air-tight brine vacuum to heat and purify the meat, including illustrations.
Date: September 12, 1846
Creator: Allen, Augustus C.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Furnaces. (open access)

Improvement in Furnaces.

Patent for improvements in furnaces, using steam to create heat. It includes a description and illustration.
Date: April 12, 1870
Creator: Morris, Joseph R.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Standards for Vehicles. (open access)

Improvement in Standards for Vehicles.

Patent for "a stanchion pivoted in a strong metal box adapted to be fastened to the side of the platform of the car or truck, the box being open at the top and at one end, so that the stanchion can be turned down on its pivot by the side of the platform, to be out of the way of loading the car or truck platform with goods which cannot be conveniently loaded when the stanchions are upright." (Lines 6-14) Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: May 12, 1874
Creator: Martin, James J.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Kettle. (open access)

Kettle.

Patent for an improved kettle that can be used for both ordinary kettle purposes and for the purpose of keeping coffee, eggs, or other foods warm.
Date: February 12, 1907
Creator: Redwood, Archibald G.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Lint Separator and Cleaner. (open access)

Lint Separator and Cleaner.

Patent for machine that separates lint cotton and removes dirt and dust from the machine while it pulls cotton in, including illustrations.
Date: August 12, 1919
Creator: Meyers, Frank Wynne
System: The Portal to Texas History
Lubricator (open access)

Lubricator

Patent for a lubricator "in which an atomizing fluid is mixed with the lubricant" (lines 13-14) and provides for "an improved mixing chamber" (lines 15-16) as well as "an inclined surface on which the oil is dropped" (lines 22-23) including instructions and illustrations.
Date: February 12, 1918
Creator: Hebel, John
System: The Portal to Texas History
Machine for Cutting Baled Hay (open access)

Machine for Cutting Baled Hay

Patent for a machine for cutting baled hay. Illustrations included.
Date: May 12, 1908
Creator: Richmond, George E.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Mechanism For Casing Off Water. (open access)

Mechanism For Casing Off Water.

Patent for a mechanism for casing off water in wells so that it does not become mixed with oil or escape into the bore and be discharged to the surface.
Date: January 12, 1915
Creator: Fuqua, William Y. & Johnson, Charles J.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Metallic Train-Pipe Connection. (open access)

Metallic Train-Pipe Connection.

Patent for metal pipes used to allow fluid to travel from train car to train car.
Date: May 12, 1917
Creator: Mooney, Thomas H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Method Of Forming Perforated Tubes and Screens (open access)

Method Of Forming Perforated Tubes and Screens

Patent for a method of forming perforated tubes and screens. Illustration included.
Date: March 12, 1907
Creator: Layne, Nahlon E.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Plow. (open access)

Plow.

Patent for a plow with a convex moldboard and a landside, or shoe, which in combination acts as a turning plow and subsoiler.
Date: June 12, 1883
Creator: Kennedy, George Finlay
System: The Portal to Texas History