Clothes Pounder (open access)

Clothes Pounder

Patent for a new and useful improvements in Clothes-Pounders. The invention "has its object to provide a simple and effective clothes pounder in which the air as well as the water is used as an agent in removing the dirt from the clothes" (line 12- 16).
Date: November 9, 1897
Creator: Allen, William Robert
System: The Portal to Texas History
Claw-Bar. (open access)

Claw-Bar.

Patent for a new and useful claw bar, including instructions and illustrations.
Date: October 18, 1898
Creator: Wiggs, Zeph
System: The Portal to Texas History
Baling-Press. (open access)

Baling-Press.

Patent for "baling-presses of that class wherein motion is communicated to the plunger from a sweep operated by horse or similar power, and the object in view is to improve the construction of the baling-chamber and attachments, and, furthermore, to provide a simple and efficient construction of plunger-operating mechanism" (lines 8-15)
Date: January 5, 1897
Creator: Pearce, William J.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cotton Elevator and Distributer. (open access)

Cotton Elevator and Distributer.

Patent for a cotton elevator and distributor meant to "provide certain improvements in apparatus of this character whereby cotton may be conveniently and readily elevated from the store house or wagon, and evenly distributed to any number of gins which may be arranged successively in the same row" (lines 11-16).
Date: October 30, 1894
Creator: Moffitt, William E. & Williams, James L.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Bill File. (open access)

Bill File.

Patent for a new and improved bill file. This design "is to provide a cheap and simple file, upon which the papers may be strung and from which they may be removed with the least amount of trouble, and which is adapted to be locked to securely retain the papers thereon in such manner that they are readily accessible for inspection. To this end [the design] provide[s] . . . a wire loop having ends adapted to lap, fit snugly, and lock the one upon the other, and which may be opened for the ready reception and removal of papers, said loop being fitted to turn or swivel about an axis" (lines 11-23).
Date: February 4, 1890
Creator: Seaman, Milton L. B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Attachment for Disk Harrows. (open access)

Attachment for Disk Harrows.

Patent for improvements in disk harrows, including instructions and illustrations.
Date: June 10, 1889
Creator: Moffitt, William E.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cotton-Handling Device. (open access)

Cotton-Handling Device.

Patent for "an apparatus for elevating and distributing cotton from wagons or other receptacles and feeding the same to cotton-gins or storage-bins." (Lines 9-12) Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: August 27, 1891
Creator: Moffitt, William E.; Williams, James L. & Bennett, Levi W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Wire Tightener. (open access)

Wire Tightener.

Patent for a new and improved wire-tightener. This design consists, "with a curved metallic bar having a central groove in its convex side, and aligned openings of different diameters in the sides of the groove, of the looping-pin having two tapering arms at an angle to each other and of different sizes" (lines 78-83).
Date: December 9, 1890
Creator: Austin, John W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Wire-Stretcher. (open access)

Wire-Stretcher.

Patent for a wire-stretcher meant for making barbed wire fences that is more efficient than other wire-stretchers. It has a bent plate, a split hook swiveled to the plate, a rotatable rod that goes through the plate, stretching wire that is secured to the rod, and the split hook is attached to the wire.
Date: October 9, 1894
Creator: Austin, John W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Stalk-Cutter. (open access)

Stalk-Cutter.

Patent for certain new and useful improvements in stalk cutters to "product chopper in which the cutter-wheels may be adjusted with relation to each other to accommodate rows of varying widths" (line 13 - 16).
Date: August 15, 1899
Creator: Terrell, Joseph E.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Metal-Cutting Shears. (open access)

Metal-Cutting Shears.

Patent for simple and effective metal-cutting shears that cuts hot or cold metals. The shears are mounted on a frame, and a hand-operated lever forces the upper shear down.
Date: November 20, 1894
Creator: Autrey, Benjamin P.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Plow-Cleaner. (open access)

Plow-Cleaner.

Patent for certain new and useful improvements in plow cleaners, including instructions and illustrations.
Date: November 1, 1898
Creator: Yeagley, Jacob B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Muzzle. (open access)

Muzzle.

Patent for a muzzle for horses that can be easily applied. It prevents the animal from eating while its head is upright, and opens while the horse lowers its head to graze. This prevents the horse from damaging orchards.
Date: February 5, 1895
Creator: Lipscomb, Cicero D.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Hay-Press. (open access)

Hay-Press.

Patent for an inexpensive and efficient hay-press that has an improved plunger mechanism. The mechanism is simple, inexpensive, durable, and easily operated.
Date: May 1, 1894
Creator: Pearce, William J.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Suspension-Bridge. (open access)

Suspension-Bridge.

Patent for a suspension-bridge “which will permit the main cable to expand and contract in different temperatures without materially affecting the principal parts and causing them to become displaced by reason of the slack of increased camber” (line 24-29, p.1), illustration is included.
Date: February 10, 1891
Creator: Runyon, Edwin Elijan
System: The Portal to Texas History
Gate. (open access)

Gate.

Patent for centrally pivoting gates that can "be readily opened and closed from a vehicle or from on horseback" (lines 13-14).
Date: April 26, 1892
Creator: Pearce, William J.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Strainer for Coffee-Pots. (open access)

Strainer for Coffee-Pots.

Patent for a strainer "by which the steam from the fluid coffee which has passed through the percolating-cloth to the base of the coffee-pot can rise above the strainer, there condense, and then return again through the strainer, thus causing a thorough extraction of the strength of the coffee" (lines 9-15).
Date: May 5, 1896
Creator: Massey, Andrew J. & Stallings, James W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Railway Stock-Guard. (open access)

Railway Stock-Guard.

Patent for railroad stock guard "which when stopped upon will rise up from the center in front of the stock, scare them off, and prevent them from passing over it." (Lines 15-18) Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: March 23, 1897
Creator: Wiggs, Zeph
System: The Portal to Texas History
Side Rail for Suspension-Bridges. (open access)

Side Rail for Suspension-Bridges.

Patent for a side rail for suspension bridges that is meant "to provide an improved side railing constituting a truss, which will be light, durable, and of structural simplicity" (lines 20-23).
Date: March 21, 1893
Creator: Runyon, Edwin Elijah
System: The Portal to Texas History
Folding Wagon-Box Step (open access)

Folding Wagon-Box Step

Patent for a new and useful folding wagon-box steps. This design is to "provide a novel, simple, and safe device of the character indicated which is adapted for compact and convenient folding into a close package when not in use" (line 11-14).
Date: January 25, 1898
Creator: Brown, Marvel C.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Plow Slide. (open access)

Plow Slide.

Patent for a new and improved plow slide. This design consists in "[a] combination tool for use with plows, consisting of a suitable bar having one end turned upward, provided with a beveled edge at the other end, a suitable cross-strap, and having openings at the sides, and bent ends adapted to the nuts used in a plow" (lines 70-75).
Date: October 7, 1890
Creator: Bowers, Thomas Martin
System: The Portal to Texas History
Photographer's Changing and Developing Box. (open access)

Photographer's Changing and Developing Box.

Patent for an apparatus that aids in changing and developing photographic plates. It is portable, convenient, easy to use, and safety.
Date: October 10, 1893
Creator: Snapp, James F.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Penholder. (open access)

Penholder.

Patent for a new and useful improvement in penholders, including instructions and illustrations.
Date: August 1, 1899
Creator: Thurman, William
System: The Portal to Texas History
Railway Cattle - Guard (open access)

Railway Cattle - Guard

Patent for a new and useful railway cattle guard to "improve the construction of cattle-guards and to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efficient one which will eventually prevent stock from passing from one field or in-closure into another by way of a railroad-track, roadway, or the like" (line 10-16).
Date: November 23, 1897
Creator: Wiggs, Zeph
System: The Portal to Texas History