Curry Comb. (open access)

Curry Comb.

Patent for a new and improved curry-comb. This design "has relation to that class of curry-combs provided with detachable and reversible handles, and has for its object to provide simple and effective means whereby the handle can be readily detached from the comb and replaced in a reverse position, or removed for the purpose of economizing for space in packing for transportation" (lines 17-24).
Date: June 8, 1886
Creator: Johnson, Thomas Jefferson
System: The Portal to Texas History
Mechanical Dentistry. (open access)

Mechanical Dentistry.

Patent for new and improved mechanical dentistry. This design consists in "[a] dental plate provided with a series of holes or perforations and a continuous groove upon the upper surface of the plate communicating with the holes or perforations therein" (lines 62-65).
Date: May 18, 1886
Creator: Mayfield, William Dudley
System: The Portal to Texas History
Safety Valve Attachment for Lamps. (open access)

Safety Valve Attachment for Lamps.

Patent for a new and improved safety attachment for oil lamps. This design is "to permit of the escape of any gas which may be formed in the upper part of the oil-reservoir by the evaporation of its contents; and the object thereof is to provide a simple form of valve stamped from a single piece of sheet metal, with a shank adapted to be inserted through a slot in the lamp-collar and the valve afterward bent down over the valve-opening, thus presenting a valve that will be sensitive to the pressure of gas within the reservoir, and consequently insure its successful operation at all times" (lines 18-29).
Date: May 11, 1886
Creator: Ingle, Ezra William
System: The Portal to Texas History
Magneto-Telephonic Apparatus (open access)

Magneto-Telephonic Apparatus

Patent for an invention to improve transmitting vocals and other sounds. It is a magneto telephonic system based on an magnetic field of high intensity.
Date: May 4, 1886
Creator: Brown, Fred. H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Rein Holder. (open access)

Rein Holder.

Patent for a new and improved rein-holder. This design "has relation to that class of driving rein-holders in which a bracket is employed for attaching to the dash-board of the vehicle, and provided at one end with a standard, to which is pivoted a swinging jaw held down in position to hold the reins by means of a spring coiled around the pivot, the jaw having a convex corrugated face to more securely hold the reins" (lines 16-24).
Date: April 27, 1886
Creator: Winfrey, Edgar M. & Branham, Albert G.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Fence. (open access)

Fence.

Patent for improvement to the cost and strength of fences.
Date: February 16, 1886
Creator: Tillman, William A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Coffee Pot. (open access)

Coffee Pot.

Patent for a new and improved coffee pot. This design "has relation to that class of coffee-pots in which the body of the pot contains a cone-shaped chamber provided at the apex with a tube for the discharge of the boiling water as it passes through the same into a receptacle containing the coffee; and the object thereof is to improve the construction of this class of coffee-pots" (lines 12-19).
Date: December 29, 1885
Creator: Covington, Philip A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Rocking Chair. (open access)

Rocking Chair.

Patent for a new and improved rocking chair. This design "relates to an improvement in rocking chairs; and it consists in a detachable rocker and a clamp for securing the rocker to the legs of an ordinary chair for the purpose of converting the latter into a rocking chair" (lines 9-13).
Date: October 13, 1885
Creator: Brown, Frederick H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Center and Other Tables. (open access)

Center and Other Tables.

Patent for a new and improved table. This design consists "[i]n a table, stool, or other like article of furniture, the combination, with a slotted standard and rods extending across the slots, of the legs having dowel-pins entering holes in the under side of the table-top, and cam-shaped hooks connected to the legs and engaging with the slots and rods of the standard" (lines 73-79).
Date: September 15, 1885
Creator: Burroughs, William Thomas
System: The Portal to Texas History
Magneto-Electric Telegraphy. (open access)

Magneto-Electric Telegraphy.

Patent for a machine that telegraphs messages between distant points by means of induced currents that produce magnets without the use of battery current, including illustrations.
Date: August 18, 1885
Creator: Brown, Fred H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cotton Stalk Chopper. (open access)

Cotton Stalk Chopper.

Patent for a new and improved stalk cutter. This design consists in "[t]he frame mounted upon sled-runners and provided with braces, draft pole, and knives, in combination with the rake having check-bar, the sliding bar, connecting bar, and lever, all co-operating" (lines 89-92).
Date: July 28, 1885
Creator: Woodard, James A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Farm Gate. (open access)

Farm Gate.

Patent for a new and improved farm gate. This design consists "[i]n a swinging-gate, the combination of a plate provided with notches upon its upper outer end and connected to the upper end of the inner gate-post, a lever pivoted to the plate and connected with the upper pintle of the gate, a latch pivoted to the lever and extending down through a slot therein to engage with the notches in the plate, and suitable cords and pulleys for operating the latch and lever" (lines 17-26).
Date: July 7, 1885
Creator: Akin, Leonidas T.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Stirrup. (open access)

Stirrup.

Patent for a new and improved stirrup. This design consists in "[t]he combination, with the upper tubular cross-tie, of the stirrup in open-communication through the sides of the latter and serving for attachment of the stirrup strap, of the fender and the cord, arranged to unite the upper portion of the fender to the stirrup" (lines 76-81).
Date: June 16, 1885
Creator: Turner, Ephraim M.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Whip. (open access)

Whip.

Patent for a new and improved whip. This design "consists in a combination, with a metallic or other rigid handle, of a whip body or core composed of cotton or other vegetable fibrous material, in one or more strands, having wire wrapped about or incorporated with them, and in the combination therewith of a vulcanized rubber covering, the fibrous material giving the necessary flexibility to the body or core of the whip and the wire applied thereto, said material protecting the latter from injury during the process of covering or vulcanizing the rubber covering" (lines 16-28).
Date: June 16, 1885
Creator: Turner, Ephraim M.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Street Car. (open access)

Street Car.

Patent for a new and improved street-car. This design "is an improvement in street-cars, and has for an object to provide a draft attachment by the use of which the necessity of turn-tables will be obviated, and the horses will not have to be unhitched from the car until they have finished their work" (lines 13-18).
Date: May 19, 1885
Creator: Mayfield, William Dudley
System: The Portal to Texas History
Water Wheel (open access)

Water Wheel

Patent for an "iron water-wheel made in sections, which may be readily taken apart for convenience and transportation" (Lines 10-12).
Date: May 12, 1885
Creator: Dunn, William Washington
System: The Portal to Texas History
Fence. (open access)

Fence.

Patent for a new and improved fence. This design consists in "[t]he combination of upright posts having top cross-pieces provided with depending hooks at their ends, hooks pivoted at the bottom portion of the posts and extending laterally in opposite directions, and the panels comprising a series of longitudinal rails, the lower one of which is provided with staples at its ends, and provided with wire strands engaging the ends of the rails and extending longitudinally above the series of rails, the strands being engaged with the hooks upon the cross-pieces" (lines 83-94).
Date: April 7, 1885
Creator: Tillman, William A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Feeding Chute for Stoves. (open access)

Feeding Chute for Stoves.

Patent for a new and improved feeding chute for stoves. This design "is to provide the chute with a pivoted latch or other like device that will securely hold the door closed, the device operating automatically in locking the door closed. A further object of the invention is to provide a pivoted chute with a swinging door, so that the two will act conjointly with each other" (lines 36-43).
Date: February 24, 1885
Creator: Mayfield, William Dudley
System: The Portal to Texas History
Ink Blotter. (open access)

Ink Blotter.

Patent for a new and improved ink blotter. This design "is to facilitate the process and shorten the time of the [writer] in blotting of the ink from his [or her] writing. [The design] attain[s] this object by so constructing the blotter that when in use it is always attached to and worn upon the hand holding the pen" (lines 8-13).
Date: December 30, 1884
Creator: Smith, L. Starr
System: The Portal to Texas History
Pipe Wrench. (open access)

Pipe Wrench.

Patent for a new and improved pipe wrench. This design consists "[i]n a pipe-wrench, the bar or lever having a lower curved and serrated end, in combination with the pivoted arm having reversely-hooked ends, one of said curved ends having a greater curvature than the other said hooked end" (lines 59-64).
Date: December 2, 1884
Creator: Morrison, William S.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Whip. (open access)

Whip.

Patent for a new and improved whip. This design consists in "[t]he combination, with the spring-wire core and rubber-compound covering of the body of the whip, and the metallic coupling of the detachable screw whip-handle constructed to form a clasp-knife" (lines 85-89).
Date: November 11, 1884
Creator: Turner, Ephraim M.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Tramping Attachment for Baling Presses. (open access)

Tramping Attachment for Baling Presses.

Patent for a new and improved attachment for baling presses. This design "consists of a contrivance of trampers and a crank with power mechanism for working them, in a simple arrangement for beating in the cotton on the follower preparatory to closing the press and completing the pressing by the follower, the device being calculated to enable the bales of full size to be made in a smaller case, and with less range of movement of the follower and more economically than they can be made without the tramper" (lines 8-18).
Date: June 10, 1884
Creator: Thompson, Gedeon Philip
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car Coupling. (open access)

Car Coupling.

Patent for a new and improved coupling for railroad cars. This design "has for its object the production of a coupling that can be easily and readily applied to the common construction of draw-heads for cars, in which the ordinary coupling link and pin are used, while combining simplicity and economy in construction and effectiveness in operation" (lines 13-19).
Date: June 3, 1884
Creator: Harrold, Mahlon
System: The Portal to Texas History
Combined Hay Press and Horse Power. (open access)

Combined Hay Press and Horse Power.

Patent for a combined hay-press and horse-power with illustrations.
Date: January 1, 1884
Creator: Randle, William, Sr
System: The Portal to Texas History