Car-Coupling. (open access)

Car-Coupling.

Patent for a car coupling that consists of a draw head with two separable jaws, a hand wheel mounted on the car, pitmen connected to the wheel and the jaws, springs pressing the jaws together, and a shaft that has a crank arm.
Date: November 7, 1893
Creator: Cassidy, William A. & McGee, Thomas F.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car-Coupling. (open access)

Car-Coupling.

Patent for an improved car coupling that consists of a hollow drawhead with a pivoting knuckle, a hook on one side of the knuckle, a catch on the other side of the knuckle, a latch pivoted in the drawhead that engages the catch, a spring that presses the latch against the knuckle, a rod attached to the latch, a double crank attached to the rod, hand rods and cranks on either side of the car, and a buffer above the drawbar.
Date: November 28, 1893
Creator: Darrow, Nicholas & Roosevelt, James A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Combined Car and Air-Brake Coupling. (open access)

Combined Car and Air-Brake Coupling.

Patent for a simple, practical, and easy to use car coupling and in air brake coupling that automatically couples cars together. It can be easily uncoupled from the top or sides of cars. When it couples, it also connects the cars' air pipes together.
Date: November 14, 1893
Creator: Rohrbach, Gabriel
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cooking Utensil. (open access)

Cooking Utensil.

Patent for a cooking utensil that is used to cook cereal and similar food articles "that are boiled, steamed, or heated by the agency of boiling water, the objects being to provide a sauce-pan or other suitable vessel, with novel interior parts, that will facilitate the cooking of oatmeal, mush, grits, rice, or other cereals, without danger of their burning, dispensing with need of constant attention, and effecting the operation in a speedy, thorough manner" (lines 11-19).
Date: November 14, 1893
Creator: Nicholls, George Habberton
System: The Portal to Texas History
Copy-Holder. (open access)

Copy-Holder.

Patent for a copy-holder that is "especially designed for type-writing machines, of any of the prevalent forms, and it has for its object to facilitate the holding of the copy; also to aid the reader or operator to readily retain his "place," in reading the copy line by line, in the usual way, to insure accuracy in copying the same; also to provide for its adaptation to the machine, irrespective of the size of the latter" (lines 16-24).
Date: November 14, 1893
Creator: Bramlette, William A. & Evans, William H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cotton-Press. (open access)

Cotton-Press.

Patent for an improved, inexpensive, and simple cotton press that is "adapted to compress cotton at the initial point of ginning and in a continuous operation with that of ginning, whereby [the inventor] avoid[s] the expense and labor occasioned by the handling of the cotton during its storage and transportation to the neighboring compress and the expense of said compression, and at the same time produce such compression or condensation of the cotton that I am enabled to secure the cheap rates of transportation accorded cotton which has been compressed to the standard degree of density" (lines 11-22).
Date: November 21, 1893
Creator: Bessonette, William T.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cotton-Sack Carrier. (open access)

Cotton-Sack Carrier.

Patent for a carrying sack meant to carry cotton to and from the field. It is not carried on a worker's back or dragged on the ground. The sack is on an adjustable axle and "may be arranged at an inclination to cause the truck to travel upon a curved line to facilitate the guiding of the same in operation; and furthermore, to provide a fender to prevent objects from falling between the cotton sacks and the wheels of the truck" (lines 14-20).
Date: November 28, 1893
Creator: Laird, Archibald F. & Hill, John M.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Digging-Machine. (open access)

Digging-Machine.

Patent for an improved, simple, effective, and durable excavator meant to remove sand-bars. It consists of a hollow drum that is drug across the sandbar, and it picks up sand with shovels on the drum.
Date: November 21, 1893
Creator: Bentinck, Eliza J. & Renner, Julia A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Electric-Current Meter. (open access)

Electric-Current Meter.

Patent for an electric-current meter that measures "the amount of electricity passing over a given branch of derived or (if desired) line circuit, thereby indicating the amount of electricity used for the translating or other consuming devices in the circuit, having for its object the construction of an apparatus which will respond more accurately to the variations in the said currents and indicate more exactly upon a dial or dials provided for the purpose, the quantity of electricity which passes" (lines 10-20). The meter's range can be extended.
Date: November 28, 1893
Creator: Mottram, William T.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Feed-Regulator for Cotton-Gins. (open access)

Feed-Regulator for Cotton-Gins.

Patent for a simple feed-regulator attachment for cotton gins with circular saws separating the cotton from the seeds. It regulates the rate that cotton is fed into the roll box and automatically stops and starts depending on the size of the roll.
Date: November 28, 1893
Creator: Hollingsworth, Joseph & Banister, Charles
System: The Portal to Texas History
Gate. (open access)

Gate.

Patent for a gate that is meant "to facilitate the opening of the gate without the intervention or use of the hands; to strengthen and brace the gate so as to prevent any possible sagging thereof, the braces being extended to form part of the hinge joint; to provide and dispose a latch so that it can be easily actuated by the foot from either approach for the purpose of releasing and opening the gate; lastly, to provide a gate that will close automatically without the use of springs and which will be simple, cheap, light and give satisfactory results" (lines 14-26).
Date: November 14, 1893
Creator: Jester, Andrew Edmond & Alexander, John Gilaspie
System: The Portal to Texas History
Hand-Stamp. (open access)

Hand-Stamp.

Patent for a simple, inexpensive, simple, and durable hand stamp that uses the minimum number of parts.
Date: November 7, 1893
Creator: Dysart, Marby P.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Harrow-Disk Sharpener. (open access)

Harrow-Disk Sharpener.

Patent for a device that puts disk harrows back into working condition after becoming worn. The invention consists of a socket, frames, a rod with an end-bearing, a handle, and a sharpener.
Date: November 14, 1893
Creator: Ingle, Jacob Oden, Jr.; Stedman, Thomas R. & Lawson, Robert J.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Invalid-Bed. (open access)

Invalid-Bed.

Patent for an improved, simple, and inexpensive bedstead meant for use by disabled people. "The hinged head section of the bed may be adjusted to any desired angle of elevation" (lines 14-16). The bed can be adjusted with little exertion. The parts can be easily removed and replaced.
Date: November 28, 1893
Creator: Ottinger, Benjamin
System: The Portal to Texas History
Load Lifter and Carrier. (open access)

Load Lifter and Carrier.

Patent for an improved, simple, efficient, and inexpensive load lifter and carrier meant to be used in warehouses in order to load and unload barrels, bales, and other loads.
Date: November 14, 1893
Creator: Butcher, Tilman H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Mail-Bag Fastener. (open access)

Mail-Bag Fastener.

Patent for a mail-bag fastener that consists of a mail bag with a flap, slots, a double upper portion next to the flap, a channel cut into the portion, guides with slots across the channel, a leather strap that slides into the channel, staples on the inside of the flap, and a tag holder attached to the back of the strap.
Date: November 14, 1893
Creator: Roosevelt, James Albert
System: The Portal to Texas History
Milk-Cooler. (open access)

Milk-Cooler.

Patent for a milk cooler meant to keep milk cool while it sets for cream raising. "The objects in view are to utilize the currents of air, cooling the same to the proper temperature by passing them over a body of water, bringing said currents in contact with the milk and in connection with it and the surrounding water cooling the milk" (lines 11-16).
Date: November 7, 1893
Creator: Blanton, Tillius B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Nut-Lock. (open access)

Nut-Lock.

Patent for a strong, durable, and inexpensive nut lock that securely locks a nut onto a threaded bolt and can be easily unlocked. It also is simply constructed. It consists of a plank-like spring tongue that fits over the bolt and under the nut.
Date: November 28, 1893
Creator: Taini, John
System: The Portal to Texas History
Process of Ginning Cotton. (open access)

Process of Ginning Cotton.

Patent for a process of ginning cotton that is "based upon the principle of a gradual or successive ginning of the seed, somewhat analogous to the gradual reduction process of grinding wheat or other grain" (lines 28-61). This process improves ginning by over thirty-three percent.
Date: November 7, 1893
Creator: Bachman, Joseph A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Provision-Safe. (open access)

Provision-Safe.

Patent for a provision safe that keeps food cool that uses "a jacket of absorbent material inclosing a suitable frame provided with shelves for supporting the articles of food, and a vat for containing water and supplying it to the jacket by capillary action whereby the temperature is reduced through the process of evaporation" (lines 15-21). This patent improves the design of provision safes.
Date: November 21, 1893
Creator: Stephens, James Howell
System: The Portal to Texas History
Refrigerator. (open access)

Refrigerator.

Patent for a refrigerator that consists of a rectangular chest with "the inclosing casing provided at its upper end with a compartment or ice-chest having a space surrounding the same" (lines 28-30), a gap between the ice chest and the opening, a valved opening, and a food container below the ice chest.
Date: November 21, 1893
Creator: Baggett, Thomas A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Seed-Cotton Feeder. (open access)

Seed-Cotton Feeder.

Patent for a gin feeder that carries "the cotton forward, and is provided with some one or more of many additional devices to regulate the amount delivered by the conveyer, independently of the amount that may be in the feeder, provided only that the supply be not to scanty" (lines 13-18). Other feeders do this, but the patent is for an especially simply designed and does not use a belt conveyer. It also does not wear out easily.
Date: November 7, 1893
Creator: Elam, William Erwin
System: The Portal to Texas History
Suspenders. (open access)

Suspenders.

Patent for suspenders that have the minimum number of straps, buckles, and buttons. The suspenders can be easily attached and the wearer can move freely and be comfortable while wearing them.
Date: November 7, 1893
Creator: Post, Charles W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Thatch Roof. (open access)

Thatch Roof.

Patent for a simple, cheap, and effective thatched roof for temporary storage of goods or animal pens. It has "overlapping layers of straw or like material secured or fastened in place by running wires attached to the foundation on which the said thatching or covering is arranged" (lines 15-19).
Date: November 28, 1893
Creator: Mandeville, Charles
System: The Portal to Texas History