Stovepipe (open access)

Stovepipe

Patent for an improvement to stovepipes, specifically for cooking and heating purposes, that reduces the possibility of house fires or internal stovepipe damage. Instructions and illustrations are included.
Date: September 7, 1897
Creator: McPhaill, Robert
System: The Portal to Texas History
Corner-Planter and Fertilizer-Distributer. (open access)

Corner-Planter and Fertilizer-Distributer.

Patent for improvements in corn-planters and fertilizer-distributers is to combine the two into one machine by dividing the hopper into two compartments; one for fertilizing material and the other for corn-seeds. The bottom of these two compartments, each has its own opening design to dispense the seeds and fertilizers. Illustration is included.
Date: July 7, 1891
Creator: Davis, William Haywood
System: The Portal to Texas History
Middle Breaker. (open access)

Middle Breaker.

Patent for improvements in middle breakers is to “combine a middle-breaker plow with a sweep-stock so that it may be made to run at different depths without adjusting the beam-clevis.” (Lines 15-18) Illustration is included.
Date: July 7, 1891
Creator: Schoenfelder, August
System: The Portal to Texas History
Railroad Tie. (open access)

Railroad Tie.

Patent for a new and improved railroad tie. This design "has reference to improvements in railroad-ties of that class in which two metallic pot-sleepers connected transversely by a brace-rod are employed in place of wooden ties for supporting the rails; and the invention consists of two transversely-connected iron pot-sleepers, which are provided with a longitudinal box-shaped center portion, upon which the rail rests, said center portion being made in one piece with the sleeper, and adapted for storing therein signal telegraph wires" (lines 7-17).
Date: February 7, 1882
Creator: Herbst, Charles F.
System: The Portal to Texas History