Bobbin Winder for Sewing Machines. (open access)

Bobbin Winder for Sewing Machines.

Patent for a new and improved bobbin winder. This design consists in "the combination, with the main driving-shaft carrying a disk and rotated by the driving-belt of the sewing-machine, of a second shaft in axial line with the said driving-shaft and having a longitudinal movement, a disk held on the said second shaft, a bobbin held by its flanges in said disks, and rollers pressing against the bobbin in the front and rear" (lines 50-58).
Date: October 30, 1888
Creator: Lewis, Annie
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car Uncoupling Device. (open access)

Car Uncoupling Device.

Patent for a new and improved uncoupling device for railroad cars. This design consists in "a draw-head provided with a vertically-movable coupling-pin support and lifting frame, a spring holding the coupling-pin support in raised position, a catch for holding the pin-support in lowered position, and a lever mechanism for releasing the catch and effecting the uncoupling of a car" (lines 7-14).
Date: December 11, 1888
Creator: Rutledge, William O.
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
Combination-Lock. (open access)

Combination-Lock.

Patent for improvement upon a combination-lock.
Date: May 1, 1888
Creator: Bergman, John
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car Coupling. (open access)

Car Coupling.

Patent for a new and improved coupling for railroad cars. This design "relates to an improvement in car-couplings, and has for its object to provide a coupling by means of which the link will be held up and guided into the draw-head, and the coupling-pin held in position to be coupled and automatically thrown into engagement with the link" (lines 7-13).
Date: June 5, 1888
Creator: Rutledge, William O.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car Truck. (open access)

Car Truck.

Patent for a new and improved car-truck. This design "relates to railway-car trucks; and it consists in providing the axle inside the wheel with a supplementary journal and shoulder and a supplementary journal-box supported above the inside journal by the truck-frame, said supplementary journal-box being immediately over the inside journal and arranged so as to support the truck on the inside journal should the outside journal become broken or inoperative by means of a hot box or otherwise" (lines 10-20).
Date: September 11, 1888
Creator: Tull, Francis Shalis
System: The Portal to Texas History
Lock (open access)

Lock

Patent for "improvements in locks, having special reference to locks for the doors of freight-cars; and it has for its object to provide a strong lock so constructed as to be comparatively safe from the attacks of lockpickers" (lines 8-13).
Date: September 11, 1888
Creator: Bergman, John
System: The Portal to Texas History
Windmill. (open access)

Windmill.

Patent for a new and improved windmill. This design is "to combine with a windmill a horse-power, so that when the wind ceases to operate the wheel, horse-power may be brought into use for the purpose of continuing the revolution of the wheel, so as to enable the windmill to be used like an ordinary horse-power, and to place the slides or doors upon suitable supports, so that they can be moved back and forth in relation to the wheel for the purpose of cutting off the wind from it" (lines 14-23).
Date: October 30, 1888
Creator: Watkins, William
System: The Portal to Texas History
Sleeping-Car (open access)

Sleeping-Car

Patent for a combined train car that can "be adapted for day use a parlor or chair car, and may be readily converted into a sleeping-car with independent state-rooms, thus insuring privacy and comfort to passengers" (lines 16-20) thus saving achieving maximum efficiency of space.
Date: September 11, 1888
Creator: Tull, Shalis Francis
System: The Portal to Texas History
Railroad Switch. (open access)

Railroad Switch.

Patent for a new and improved railroad switch. This design "has for its object to provide a simple, inexpensive, efficient, and safe switch adapted for operation by trip-bars on a locomotive engine or car to open or close the switch, and without injury to the rails or actuating mechanism of the switch or danger of derailing the cars" (lines 7-14).
Date: February 21, 1888
Creator: Peetz, John J.
System: The Portal to Texas History