Book Carriage and Protector. (open access)

Book Carriage and Protector.

Patent for a new and improved mobile bookcase. This design is "composed of a base-piece having a longitudinally-central raised table-piece adapted to support the leaves of the book, and a depressed-ledge portion outside thereof adapted to support the cover of the book" (lines 20-25).
Date: March 19, 1889
Creator: Leith, Lawrence C.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Clasp. (open access)

Clasp.

Patent for a new and improved clasp. This design "consist[s] of the front plate formed with the integral strap loop or slot at its upper end, the teeth at its lower end, and the opening above said teeth, the rear plate formed with integral teeth at its lower end, side ears at its upper end, and the lugs below said ears and projecting beyond the outer face of the plate, the spindle passing through the ears and provided with a spring throwing the plates apart, and the locking-plate pivoted at its upper end to the lugs and having a [different] lug projecting inward from said upper end" (lines 83-96).
Date: March 27, 1888
Creator: Lewis, Annie
System: The Portal to Texas History
Letter Copying Press. (open access)

Letter Copying Press.

Patent for a new and improved copier. This design consists in "the combination of the dampening-roller . . . with the smoothing-roller at one side of and in close proximity to it and situated between said dampening-roller and the roll of paper, and the roller journaled in the standard, and the smoothing-rollers placed at one side and beyond the rollers . . . and journaled in brackets . . . whereby the paper is evenly and smoothly moistened before the copy-paper is applied and both are kept smooth during the process of copying" (lines 90-104).
Date: March 12, 1889
Creator: Thompson, Charles Albert
System: The Portal to Texas History
Water Cooler. (open access)

Water Cooler.

Patent for a new and improved water cooler. This design consists in "vessels, packing, cross-bars in [a] compartment, connecting tube, coiled pipe, coupling, and faucet . . . [and] the swinging bracket arranged below the faucet, and having stands for two or more glasses," as well as casing and lining (lines 1-7).
Date: March 27, 1883
Creator: Schultze, August J.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Process of and Machine for the Use of Compressed Air as a Motive Power (open access)

Process of and Machine for the Use of Compressed Air as a Motive Power

Patent for "a new and useful Process of Operating Locomotives by Compressed Air," (lines 6-8) including illustrations.
Date: March 16, 1886
Creator: Tull, Francis Shales; Kuehn, Herman & Beers, William Francis
System: The Portal to Texas History
Suspended Safe, &c. (open access)

Suspended Safe, &c.

Patent for a new and improved safe. This design "[has a] top projecting beyond its sides . . . in combination with the upright posts having liquid-cups, the rods, and sleeves for suspending the safe from contact with any object" (lines 79-83).
Date: March 21, 1882
Creator: Mason, Sanford
System: The Portal to Texas History
Washing-Fluid (open access)

Washing-Fluid

Patent for invention has relation to improved detergent and it consists in combining certain ingredients and the manner and proportions as will be here in after fully set forth, and particular pointed out in the claim appended.[10]
Date: March 8, 1887
Creator: Mnnick, Maggie, E.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Music-Leaf Turner. (open access)

Music-Leaf Turner.

Patent for a device for "Turning Leaves of Sheet-Musics, Music-Books and, other Books" (lines 5-7), including instructions and illustrations.
Date: March 16, 1880
Creator: Becker, Francis L.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Sash Fastener. (open access)

Sash Fastener.

Patent for a new and improved sash fastener. This design consists in "[t]he combination, with a window frame and sash, of a fastener consisting of stops secured to the frame and formed with beveled ends and a shoulder . . . and a button pivotally secured to the sash and recessed to form a triangular projection, and a finger-piece extension, which latter serves also as a weight to effect an automatic fastening as the window is lowered" (lines 72-80).
Date: March 4, 1884
Creator: Bendy, Napoleon Bonaparte
System: The Portal to Texas History
Shutter Fastener. (open access)

Shutter Fastener.

Patent for a new and improved shutter fastener. This design consists "[i]n a blind-fastening, the case, constructed . . . and provided with [a] projection in combination with the bolt having recess, the spring, the swinging catch, and the keeper secured in the window sill" (lines 45-49).
Date: March 9, 1886
Creator: Cutter, Martin A.
System: The Portal to Texas History