Railroad Tie (open access)

Railroad Tie

Patent for an improved railroad tie. The improved railroad tie will be more resilient, with a housing made of pressed metal.
Date: November 18, 1919
Creator: Autrey, Benjamin P.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Dipping-Vat. (open access)

Dipping-Vat.

Patent for dipping vat used on live animals to remove insect infestation with a reduced risk of injury to the animal.
Date: October 18, 1919
Creator: Mullins, Thomas L.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Fruit-Jar and Bottle Cleaner. (open access)

Fruit-Jar and Bottle Cleaner.

Patent for a cleaning device that navigates narrow openings of containers, such as bottles and jars, and opens to clean the interior walls of the receptacle.
Date: March 4, 1919
Creator: Hunter, Walter L.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Motor-Driven Header and Binder (open access)

Motor-Driven Header and Binder

Patent for a mechanically driven header and binder tool that can be mounted to a tractor for use in large-scale agricultural harvesting, with illustrations and instructions.
Date: April 16, 1918
Creator: Swofford, Marvin L.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Rail Fastener (open access)

Rail Fastener

Patent for rail fasteners. This invention is meant to eliminate the use of railroad spikes in railroad construction.
Date: March 19, 1918
Creator: Gee, Alexander H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Detergent Device. (open access)

Detergent Device.

Patent for a washing machine (detergent device) that contains a tank that can hold hand and cold water. This means that the device can be set to have either cold or hot water.
Date: May 8, 1917
Creator: Robinson, Olinthus B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Plow Foot (open access)

Plow Foot

Patent for a plow or cultivator foot.
Date: December 19, 1916
Creator: Williams, Budicille B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Automatic Gas Valves (open access)

Automatic Gas Valves

Patent for automatic gas valve that will close if the pressure is detected to be too low.
Date: December 5, 1916
Creator: Chism, Sylvester J.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Gravel Conveyor and Roller (open access)

Gravel Conveyor and Roller

Patent for gravel, sand, or rubble conveyor to use in grading, repairing, and surfacing roads.
Date: November 28, 1916
Creator: Whitfield, William
System: The Portal to Texas History
Power Clothes-Press. (open access)

Power Clothes-Press.

Patent for a "manually operated clothes press which is provided with a self-heating iron and a self sprayer" (lines 11-14). Includes a pressure release feature that removes iron from clothing to prevent burning when foot pedal is not engaged.
Date: November 21, 1916
Creator: Mundy, Edmund
System: The Portal to Texas History
Engine-Starter (open access)

Engine-Starter

Patent for improving the performance of starter mechanisms for internal combustion engines.
Date: July 6, 1915
Creator: Everly, William D.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Peanut-Harvester. (open access)

Peanut-Harvester.

Patent for a peanut harvester which would loosen peanuts and beat the dirt from them, includes illustrations.
Date: July 6, 1915
Creator: Warren, William M. & Carpenter, Solomon L.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Churn (open access)

Churn

Patent for a churn having two dashers for reciprocation.
Date: February 15, 1915
Creator: Jarnigan, Thomas J.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cotton-Picker's Receptacle. (open access)

Cotton-Picker's Receptacle.

Patent for a cotton picker's receptacle that enables the user to save time picking cotton. This invention is secured on the wrist of the cotton picker and serves as a receptacle for several handfuls of cotton, which are placed in said receptacle in one slight motion.
Date: December 8, 1914
Creator: Easley, Dennis J.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Farm-Gate. (open access)

Farm-Gate.

Patent for improvements to pivoted farm gates to open and close the gate at a distance.
Date: November 24, 1914
Creator: Hancock, Ferdinand M.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Seed Chute Valve Mechanism (open access)

Seed Chute Valve Mechanism

Patent for a new seed chute valve mechanism with illustrations and instructions.
Date: August 25, 1914
Creator: Cantrell, Isaac D.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Seed Planter. (open access)

Seed Planter.

Patent for a "seed planting machine mounted upon a wheeled frame adapted to form a furrow and drop a predetermined quantity of seed at predetermined intervals" (lines 14-19), including instructions and illustrations.
Date: August 25, 1914
Creator: Cantrell, Isaac D.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Milling-Machine. (open access)

Milling-Machine.

Patent for a milling machine that executes thorough removal of dirt and other substances.
Date: February 3, 1914
Creator: Lakey, William Ray.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Valve (open access)

Valve

Patent for a valve for rotary steam engines.
Date: November 26, 1912
Creator: Faulkner, Thomas F.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Blotting Pad (open access)

Blotting Pad

Patent for an ink blotting pad. Illustration included.
Date: November 5, 1912
Creator: Smith, Charles A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cultivator-Standard (open access)

Cultivator-Standard

Patent for a cultivator standard which allows the pitch and angle of the cultivator to be adjusted.
Date: July 2, 1912
Creator: Yeatts, Edward D.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Engine-Starter (open access)

Engine-Starter

Patent for an engine starter that prevents backfiring.
Date: April 23, 1912
Creator: Everly, William D.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Aeroplane (open access)

Aeroplane

Patent for an improvement to aeroplanes which includes movable horizontal and vertical planes (or curtains).
Date: February 25, 1911
Creator: Blewett, Baxter W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Framing-Tool (open access)

Framing-Tool

Patent for a framing tool designed to ease the laying of "rafters, stair carriages and the like" (lines 14-15). The tool assists in measuring proper "dimensions of cuts to be made in timber to accomplish desired construction" (lines 19-20).
Date: September 26, 1911
Creator: Whitlock, John N.
System: The Portal to Texas History