Ditching-Machine (open access)

Ditching-Machine

Patent for "a machine for digging ditches or trenches of any desired depth or width, for purposes of irrigation or drainage or pipe-laying, or for building earth fences on lands, or throwing up fortifications, or for making other excavations of like general nature" (lines 7-13).
Date: December 18, 1888
Creator: Edwards, Charles Clark
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
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.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Clevis. (open access)

Clevis.

Patent for a simple, inexpensive, and improved clevis that can be easily manufactured and employed to a draft-beam. It can be used without a lapring in order to connect to a singletree. The singletree can have its "staple or eye...disposed in a plane with the said singletree" (lines 16-17).
Date: January 30, 1894
Creator: Word, Aaron Matthias
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Quilting Attachment for Sewing-Machines. (open access)

Quilting Attachment for Sewing-Machines.

Patent for a quilting attachment for sewing machines that has all its parts adjustable. This allows the attachment to operate with a quilt of any pattern.
Date: February 13, 1894
Creator: Cassidy, William A.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car-Coupling. (open access)

Car-Coupling.

Patent for "improvements in car couplings and it has for its general object to provide a coupling embodying such a constructions that two cars may be connected together or disconnected without the objectionable necessity of a trainman going between them." (Lines 11-17) Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: November 6, 1894
Creator: Tunnell, John D.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Design for a Bridle-Bit. (open access)

Design for a Bridle-Bit.

Design patent for a bride-bit that contains a novel design within the cheeks.
Date: June 20, 1899
Creator: Jackson, Claude D.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Window Frame And Sash. (open access)

Window Frame And Sash.

Patent for new and useful improvements in window frames and sashes, including instructions and illustrations.
Date: February 6, 1900
Creator: Wood, Alpheus H. & Tunnell, John D.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Spur. (open access)

Spur.

Patent for a new and improved spur; including illustrations.
Date: August 7, 1900
Creator: Jackson, Claude D.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Lock-Plate (open access)

Lock-Plate

Patent for improvements in lock-plates for the stays of wire fences.
Date: March 22, 1900
Creator: Wood, Alpheus H.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Riding-Spur. (open access)

Riding-Spur.

Patent for improvement in riding-spurs for horsemen by “using an open-ended socket, a shank having limited sliding movement in the socket, a rowel freely journaled at the outer end of the shank, and a spring inclosed within the socket and serving to hold the shank normally outward, the tines or points of the rowel being adapted to engage the socket and secure the rowel against rotation when the shank is pressed inward.” (P. 2, lines 6-14.) Illustration is included.
Date: March 4, 1902
Creator: Ridings, John G.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Stock Tank (open access)

Stock Tank

Patent for an improved water tank for livestock, connecting an elevated reservoir to a trough at ground level.
Date: August 19, 1902
Creator: Wright, Wayne C.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Telephone System. (open access)

Telephone System.

Patent for improvements to an automatic switchboard "to provide a construction of board and a connected system of wiring which will permit a subscriber at a telephone in one town to call up the operator or central at a distant point and converse with him without operating the other instruments in his town and at the same time preventing other subscribers from breaking into the line" (lines 12-20).
Date: December 23, 1902
Creator: Wright, Wayne C.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Header and Shredder (open access)

Header and Shredder

Patent for a header and shredder for the use of maize, cane, and wheat. Illustration included.
Date: February 14, 1905
Creator: Giles, William
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Pile Structure. (open access)

Pile Structure.

Patent for piling structures used in bridges and other structures built in sandy areas that allows for digging the piling hole to any depth desired and prevents cave-ins of the interior of the piling before it is filled with concrete.
Date: April 23, 1907
Creator: Pyle, Jesse Theodor
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Sheet-Piling. (open access)

Sheet-Piling.

Patent for sheet piling, which has closely fitting joints to make it watertight and can be varied in width.
Date: January 7, 1908
Creator: Pyle, Jesse Theodor
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Veterinary Tool (open access)

Veterinary Tool

Patent for a veterinary tool designed to drenching, floating or treating animal teeth. Illustration included.
Date: July 14, 1908
Creator: Jenkins, Thomas E. & Cator, Bert O.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Valve Setting Machine (open access)

Valve Setting Machine

Patent for a valve setting machine. This invention is a machine for "revolving the main driving wheel of a locomotive to set the valves (11-12). Illustration included.
Date: August 4, 1908
Creator: Wyllie, Robert E. & Twohig, John D.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Grab for Pump and Drill Rods. (open access)

Grab for Pump and Drill Rods.

Patent for a grabbing device for pump and drill rods in wells to lift them out of the well.
Date: May 11, 1909
Creator: Law, Eddie P.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Egg Beater (open access)

Egg Beater

Patent for an egg beater. Illustration included.
Date: January 11, 1910
Creator: Nichols, Charles A.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Tire-Tightener (open access)

Tire-Tightener

Patent for a tire tightener for wagons. Illustrations included.
Date: February 15, 1910
Creator: Ryan, George A.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Fruit Selling Slot Machine (open access)

Fruit Selling Slot Machine

Patent for
Date: April 19, 1910
Creator: Tatum, John H.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Vending-Wagon (open access)

Vending-Wagon

Patent for a wagon used for selling and distributing goods. Illustrations included.
Date: June 7, 1910
Creator: Boyle, Dad
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Water-Sprinkler. (open access)

Water-Sprinkler.

Patent for a water sprinkler with adjustable nozzles and pipes.
Date: July 5, 1910
Creator: Alden, James M.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Driving-Gear for Vehicles. (open access)

Driving-Gear for Vehicles.

Patent for a driving gear for cars, which allows various amounts of power to be used in different gears.
Date: August 23, 1910
Creator: Byars, Edgar
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History