Cattle Guard. (open access)

Cattle Guard.

Patent for improvements and new features to cattle guards on railways, including illustrations.
Date: September 16, 1902
Creator: Miller, Martin L.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Case for Eyeglasses. (open access)

Case for Eyeglasses.

Patent for a new and improved glasses case. This design "consists of a case for eyeglasses provided at the back with a pin or other device, for attaching the same to the vest or coat, said case being provided at the upper end with a retaining device that prevents the dropping of the eyeglasses from the case" (lines 11-17).
Date: September 16, 1884
Creator: Hawkes, Albert K.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Baby-Protector. (open access)

Baby-Protector.

Patent for a protective device designed to keep an infant from sufficiently bending their arms and reaching their mouth, thereby preventing the child from potentially ingesting dangerous foreign articles.
Date: September 16, 1913
Creator: Dodd, Jacob Everette
System: The Portal to Texas History
Lamp-Burner. (open access)

Lamp-Burner.

Patent for improved lamp burners, which reduces explosion risk, improves wick trimming, and maintains chimney positioning.
Date: September 16, 1913
Creator: Mills, Virgil H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Well-Cylinder. (open access)

Well-Cylinder.

Patent for well-cylinder improvements, specifically pumps with "special reference to a pump having a reciprocating piston and being adapted for use in a deep well, where the pump cylinder is difficult to access" (lines 11-14).
Date: September 16, 1913
Creator: Ligon, Arthur Lee
System: The Portal to Texas History
Folding Umbrella. (open access)

Folding Umbrella.

Patent for folding umbrella that consists of: improved construction, easy to open and close, as well as folding small upon collapse.
Date: September 16, 1913
Creator: Beaver, John Mitchell
System: The Portal to Texas History
Auto Body (open access)

Auto Body

Patent for an invention made for the improvements of the auto body and provide a way to convert a motor vehicle body to a comfortable bed with a foldable cushion for the back seat.
Date: September 16, 1919
Creator: Lawrence, John & Whitton, Orvil C.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Antiskidding Device (open access)

Antiskidding Device

Patent for an anti-skidding device to be used in tires and other traction wheels.
Date: September 16, 1919
Creator: Weatherly, W. G. & Weatherly, E. M.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Apparatus for Fusing Sulfer from Low Grade Ores (open access)

Apparatus for Fusing Sulfer from Low Grade Ores

Patent for the Apparatus for Fusing Sulfer from Low Grade Ores. This machine makes the extraction of sulfur from ores containing less than 20% sulfur, while also removing the impurities.
Date: September 16, 1919
Creator: Austin, Paul P. Jr.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Junction-Bracket (open access)

Junction-Bracket

Patent for a junction box for automobile wiring. This junction box attempts to place wiring connections that are prone to break due to vibrations from the vehicle in one place. The location of the junction box should allow for less stress on the vehicles wiring as well as provide for easier replacement of connections and wires when servicing is required.
Date: September 16, 1919
Creator: Teachworth, William H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Vegetable-curing plant (open access)

Vegetable-curing plant

Patent for vegetable-curing plant and the purpose of the invention is to provide means for supplying tempered air under pressure to storage bins.
Date: September 16, 1919
Creator: Emerson, Arthur W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Liquid Toilet Preparation. (open access)

Liquid Toilet Preparation.

Patent for scented 2 in 1 hair and body wash which includes ingredients and their measurements and instructions. “It is designed to remove dandruff, and to prevent the hair from falling out. It has great cleansing properties, and will be found excellent for washing fine jewelry, nursing-bottles, and in fact all articles upon which the action of free acids or alkalies is not desirable” (lines 30-38).
Date: September 16, 1884
Creator: Bicksler, William Henry
System: The Portal to Texas History
Tying Device for Hay-Balers (open access)

Tying Device for Hay-Balers

Patent for improvement to the former patent by the same creator for a tying device for hay-balers. These improvements increase productivity and efficiency of the previous tying device design.
Date: September 16, 1913
Creator: Leavitt, William, H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in the Manufacture of Hydraulic Stone. (open access)

Improvement in the Manufacture of Hydraulic Stone.

Patent for improvement in the manufacture of Hydraulic Stone to furnish and improved artificial stone for use in different purposes that can resist weather changes without being affected.
Date: September 16, 1879
Creator: Dimelow, John
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Medical Compounds. (open access)

Improvement in Medical Compounds.

Patent for a medical compound consisting of magnesia, soda, potassium oxide, manganese, sodium chloride, acid phosphate of iron, sulfuric acid, and phosphoric acid. The compound is said to treat a wide variety of ailments.
Date: September 16, 1879
Creator: Coleman, George S.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Double-Acting Force-Pumps. (open access)

Improvement in Double-Acting Force-Pumps.

Patent for a double-acting force pump that has "single cylinder and hollow piston-rod operate in connection with the upper and lower cylinder-valves, and with a valved piston adapted to have a reciprocal motion independent of and upon the hollow piston-rod, to discharge the water from both sides of the piston with a double action and in a continuous stream through said hollow piston-rod" (para. 2).
Date: September 16, 1879
Creator: Newman, Charles Elijah
System: The Portal to Texas History
Velocipede (open access)

Velocipede

Patent for a vehicle that is powered by foot and guided by hand by the occupants and is for the purpose of transporting one or more persons or articles over streets or smooth roads.
Date: September 16, 1884
Creator: Ellis, Robert Fuller & Norman, Cornelius Asbury
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Bale-Ties. (open access)

Improvement in Bale-Ties.

Patent for a bale-tie designed to "provide a simple, strong, durable, and easily adjustable tie for bales of cotton, hay, etc." (para. 4), using a hook, a band, and a beveled eye. The hook has a barb attached to the end, and is described as a double hook.
Date: September 16, 1879
Creator: Hill, William
System: The Portal to Texas History
Tire for Vehicle-Wheels. (open access)

Tire for Vehicle-Wheels.

Patent for a vehicle-wheel tire with illustrations included. It is expected to provide "simple, inexpensive, and efficient construction adapted to increase the strength and durability of vehicle-wheels" (lines 12-14) and allow for easy replacements.
Date: September 16, 1902
Creator: Carter, Mansion C.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Surgical Instrument. (open access)

Surgical Instrument.

Patent for improvements to a device to perform an operation known as a perrineorhaphia, including an illustration of the device. This device stabilizes the edges of a wound on the perineum so the surgeon can place sutures and close the wound.
Date: September 16, 1902
Creator: Simpson, Richard H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Hat-Fastener. (open access)

Hat-Fastener.

Patent for a device to securely fasten a hat to the head of a person. The device is hidden from sight when worn, may easily be removed, and engages both the use of the hair and the shape of the head in it's operation.
Date: September 16, 1913
Creator: Miller, Emma T.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Rotary Boring-Drill (open access)

Rotary Boring-Drill

Patent for rotary boring-drill attachment for a rotary drill stem for drilling oil or water wells.
Date: September 16, 1919
Creator: Hughes, Howard R
System: The Portal to Texas History
Power Transmission. (open access)

Power Transmission.

Patent for a power transmission that has a gear that can provide different speeds. This transmission is a simple construction that allows for the driver to easily choose the gear, which allows high efficiency in operation.
Date: September 16, 1919
Creator: Cook, William A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Rail-Tie. (open access)

Rail-Tie.

Patent to describe and illustrate the construction of metallic rail ties. The improvements include a metallic tie that fits so that it will "firmly engage the bases of two rails" (line 15), keep them from spreading, and add support as well as contain two sections of lugs that extend "in opposite directions" (line 21) and prevent the two rails from "spreading or slipping, while the bodies of the sections bear upon [each other], and are provided with bases at their lower edges, thus causing the two sections to reinforce each other" (lines 23-27). This describes and includes illustrations of the practical form of construction and assembly of said rail tie.
Date: September 16, 1919
Creator: Cole, Henry J.
System: The Portal to Texas History