Curtain Roller (open access)

Curtain Roller

Patent for a curtain roller. The invention is designed to slow the curtains movement so that the curtain can be adjusted. Illustration included.
Date: October 12, 1909
Creator: Tripp, Hamilton
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cultivator Attachment (open access)

Cultivator Attachment

Patent for cultivator attachment. Illustration included.
Date: October 18, 1910
Creator: Luttrell, William Jackson
System: The Portal to Texas History
Coffee Pot. (open access)

Coffee Pot.

Patent for a new and improved coffee pot. This design "consists in securing a wire diagonally down the side of the pot, and to which wire is attached the cover of the pot in such a manner that the cover can be dropped down out of the way when the condenser is put on without detaching the cover from the pot" (lines 13-18).
Date: October 4, 1881
Creator: Cummings, James K.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Safety-Razor. (open access)

Safety-Razor.

Patent for a safety razor with innovations for effective use, convenient features (including for beard combing), and thorough cleaning of all components. Notable is a spring action mechanism controlled by the user's thumb, which causes the blade to move back and forth "to carry out a satisfactory cutting action" (lines 45-46).
Date: October 25, 1921
Creator: Catron, John J.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Wire Stretcher. (open access)

Wire Stretcher.

Patent for a new and improved wire-stretcher. This design "has for its object to provide a device of simple, durable, and economical construction and capable of carrying the roll taut a sufficient distance beyond the post to conveniently nail the wire thereto, and whereby any amount of slack can be taken up by repeated operation. The further object of the invention is to provide a machine which will also be able to draw together the broken ends of a wire and take up the slack between the posts" (lines 8-18).
Date: October 22, 1889
Creator: Hickman, Thomas P.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvements in Compounds for Destroying Trees, Roots, &c. (open access)

Improvements in Compounds for Destroying Trees, Roots, &c.

Patent for a new and useful improvements to compouds used in the destroying of trees. Lists ingredients and dosages.
Date: October 21, 1879
Creator: Buchanan, William T.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Step-By-Step Elevator. (open access)

Step-By-Step Elevator.

Patent for an invention relates to a new and useful step-by-step elevator. Its object is broadly stated to provide means for ascending or descending from one of a building to another.
Date: October 27, 1914
Creator: Barrett, Eli B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Measuring Instrument. (open access)

Measuring Instrument.

Patent for caliper style measuring instrument which may be used as a micrometer. This measuring instrument features legs that may be used for measuring the inside or outside dimensions of an object.
Date: October 23, 1917
Creator: Taylor, Albert J.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Stirrup and Connections therefor. (open access)

Stirrup and Connections therefor.

Patent for a stirrup which remains perpendicular to the horse and does not become twisted.
Date: October 6, 1903
Creator: May, William J.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Driving Mechanism For Gins. (open access)

Driving Mechanism For Gins.

Patent for a new and improved driving mechanism for gins, including instructions and illustrations.
Date: October 10, 1899
Creator: Brown, Colber W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Spring-Motor for Fans (open access)

Spring-Motor for Fans

Patent for "a device for operating a fan or other object to which it is desirable to give a continuous reciprocating motion" (lines 12-15).
Date: October 2, 1888
Creator: Houston, George Webster
System: The Portal to Texas History
Telephone-Transmitter. (open access)

Telephone-Transmitter.

Patent for a telephone-transmitter "with a diaphragm and carbon button carried thereby, of a spring-supported flaring conical carbon-cell provided with a flange covered with soft material and resting on the carbon button carried by the diaphragm, the carbon-cell being filled with granulated carbon resting in contact with the carbon button" (lines 13-19). This is meant to optimize the volume of sound being transmitted.
Date: October 20, 1896
Creator: Alexander, Horace C.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Mosquito Bar Frame. (open access)

Mosquito Bar Frame.

Patent for a new and improved mosquito netting. This design "relates to mosquito-bar frames, and its object is to provide a device possessing superior advantages in point of simplicity, inexpensiveness, ease of adjustment, and general efficiency" (lines 9-13).
Date: October 16, 1883
Creator: Williams, Gilbert L.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Cotton Planters (open access)

Improvement in Cotton Planters

Patent for "a new and useful improvement in Cotton-Planter" (lines 3-4) with "construction and means to adjust the furrow-opener" (lines 6-8) including instructions and illustrations.
Date: October 13, 1874
Creator: Troat, Oliver H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Rail-Joint. (open access)

Rail-Joint.

Patent for improvements in rail-joint fastenings by providing “curved fish-plates with bearing-surfaces adapted to receive rubber washers, and the bolt has a slot through which the tapered split key is passed and the thin portion thereof turned up against the bolt to prevent displacement.” (Lines 20-25) Thus it will “securely retain in position, easily removed when desired, and [will] prevent rattling sounds as the cars pass over the rails.” (Lines 16-19) Illustration is included.
Date: October 13, 1891
Creator: Wiley, John Martin
System: The Portal to Texas History