Chuck. (open access)

Chuck.

Patent for chucks that secure pipes, preventing movement when being cut or threaded, including illustrations.
Date: December 27, 1921
Creator: Castanie, William
System: The Portal to Texas History
Traveling Block. (open access)

Traveling Block.

Patent for a traveling block construction. The invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction that provide a novel form of nut to be positioned on the ends of the supporting shaft of the block, the nuts being hollowed out to provide oil chambers for supplying the shaft with a lubricant.
Date: December 16, 1920
Creator: Boykin, Burwell Jr.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Power-Hammer. (open access)

Power-Hammer.

Patent for a power hammer that can utilize any power source and only needs one person to operate it. The design also uses less parts, making it more affordable.
Date: December 13, 1921
Creator: Karlson, Eric Fritjof
System: The Portal to Texas History
Vehicle-Wheel. (open access)

Vehicle-Wheel.

Patent for an improved vehicle wheel with a demountable tire rim, so that tires can be easily placed on and taken off the wheel.
Date: December 27, 1921
Creator: Larson, Christian H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Trunk-Strap Fastener. (open access)

Trunk-Strap Fastener.

Patent for a device "whereby a trunk-strap after having been tightly drawn around a trunk or other article of baggage can be fastened without the use of the usual buckle," (lines 10-14) including instructions and illustrations.
Date: February 13, 1891
Creator: Webb, William James
System: The Portal to Texas History
Lawn Mower (open access)

Lawn Mower

Patent for a lawn mower in which the means for adjusting the intermediate blade has been created so that a groove for a predetermined depth can be cut, and easy removal of the blade when it is desired to sharpen the same. Additionally, a ground-engaging roller is included to keep the machine at the same level so that the knife will cut into the ground at an even depth.
Date: December 5, 1919
Creator: Coniglio Carmelo
System: The Portal to Texas History
Lubricating Appara (open access)

Lubricating Appara

Patent for a lubricating apparatus used for internal combustion engines, whereby the lubricant or oil is forced, as by a pump, to a distributing tank containing oil under predetermined pressure, and from said tank permitted to drop by gravity or flow under pressure, as desired, to the elements of the engine to be lubricated.
Date: December 12, 1916
Creator: Shaw, Robert J.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Log-Carrier. (open access)

Log-Carrier.

Patent for a log-carrier with an improved construction from a previous patent (No. 539,380). Improvements include a change in "the angle of strain of the draft-chain as the lever approaches the horizontal position...when the load is elevated" (lines 34-37). It also maintains "a uniform leverage without the use of guide-rollers or other means" (lines 54-56), and balances the sliding tongue so that "the team is relieved of the weight thereof" (line 62).
Date: December 8, 1896
Creator: Carroll, Joseph Alexander
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improving Oils. (open access)

Improving Oils.

Patent for a method of improving the quality of more volatile petroleum oils, such as gasoline and burning oils.
Date: December 23, 1919
Creator: McAfee, Almer M.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Shingle-Bolting Machines. (open access)

Improvement in Shingle-Bolting Machines.

Patent for a shingle-bolting machine.
Date: December 1, 1874
Creator: Fletcher, William A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Hydraulic Swivel (open access)

Hydraulic Swivel

Patent for the hydraulic swivel. This is an improvement to the hydraulic swivel that already exists. It involves "the rotary well-drilling machines, to permit the flow of water to the point of the drill." (Black)
Date: December 1, 1914
Creator: Black, Lee J.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Spudding and Pipe Driving Machine (open access)

Spudding and Pipe Driving Machine

Patent for a spudding and pipe driving machine. This invention comprises "two oppositely disposed engines, a block and tackle for supporting either the spudding or driving mechanism, and means for imparting a jogging movement to the well rope to operate the drill or hammer" (line 13-18). Illustration includes.
Date: December 15, 1903
Creator: Higgins, Pattillo
System: The Portal to Texas History
Smoke-Separator. (open access)

Smoke-Separator.

Patent for "a new and improved smoke separator designed for use in connection with smelter furnaces and other apparatus, and arranged to effectively prevent poisonous or obnoxious gases from passing into the atmosphere, at the same time retaining and saving valuable matter contained in the smoke" (lines 9-16); including instructions and illustrations.
Date: December 9, 1913
Creator: Holmes, Clayton Floyd
System: The Portal to Texas History
Expanding Device For Can Bumping Presses (open access)

Expanding Device For Can Bumping Presses

Patent for expanding device for can bumping presses including the illustrations.
Date: December 14, 1915
Creator: Drake, Rollin L.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Piston-Rod Packing. (open access)

Piston-Rod Packing.

Patent for a piston packing device to decrease the wear on pistons in oil pumps.
Date: December 31, 1907
Creator: Martin, Robert Edward Lee
System: The Portal to Texas History
Ice-Making Apparatus (open access)

Ice-Making Apparatus

Patent for an ice-making apparatus that both cools the brine and makes the ice.
Date: December 31, 1912
Creator: Bell, Samuel Robert
System: The Portal to Texas History
Refrigerating Machine. (open access)

Refrigerating Machine.

Patent for a refrigerating machine that works with a double jacketed brine cylinder with a self-contained expansion tank for the coolant. It is meant to provide cooling with small displacement of the cylinder, but with great circulation of the brine.
Date: December 31, 1918
Creator: Bell, Samuel R.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Street-Cleaner. (open access)

Street-Cleaner.

Patent for a connection with the suction-head portion of pneumatic street sweepers that provides a dust or dirt disturbing element in the form of a brush or broom.
Date: December 26, 1905
Creator: Duke, Holmes
System: The Portal to Texas History
Fastening and Releasing Device for Logging-Car Chains. (open access)

Fastening and Releasing Device for Logging-Car Chains.

Patent for a fastening and releasing device for logging car chains that is strong and easy to use.
Date: December 27, 1910
Creator: Proctor, Joseph W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oil Burning and Steam Generating Apparatus (open access)

Oil Burning and Steam Generating Apparatus

Patent for an oil burning and steam generating apparatus. Illustration included.
Date: December 14, 1909
Creator: Spurrier, John Wallace
System: The Portal to Texas History
Heel-Sweep. (open access)

Heel-Sweep.

Patent for a "heel sweep for a plow. The invention aims to provide a sweep which will possess great strength..."
Date: December 16, 1919
Creator: Kelly, George Dudley
System: The Portal to Texas History
Pipe Wrench. (open access)

Pipe Wrench.

Patent for a new and improved pipe-wrench. This design consists in "the handle having the integral L-shaped foot at its end forming the rigid jaw of the wrench, said foot or jaw having its inner face curved, so as to receive and provide a bearing for the pipe, and its outer face at right angles to the handle, and said face being serrated, combined with the C-shaped swinging jaw pivoted at one end to the handle by a single bolt, and having its entire inner face serrated from the pivot-point to the outer end, and the teeth along the outer edge of the handle in close proximity to the rigid foot" (lines 12-24).
Date: December 17, 1889
Creator: Smith, James R.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Polishing-Machine (open access)

Polishing-Machine

Patent for a metal polisher. Illustrations included.
Date: December 10, 1907
Creator: Nichols, Charlie M.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Refrigerator (open access)

Refrigerator

Patent for a refrigerator. This design is for use with blocks of ice. Illustrations included.
Date: December 28, 1909
Creator: Mitchel, Elias Walter
System: The Portal to Texas History