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Converting Reciprocating into Rotary Motion (open access)

Converting Reciprocating into Rotary Motion

Patent for converting reciprocating into rotary motion by using “two vertically moving racks with a cog wheel on a small shaft between them which gears into the teeth of the racks” (lines 16-19), includes illustration.
Date: November 1, 1859
Creator: Harper, C. A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Hats (open access)

Improvement in Hats

Patent for "a new and improved ventilated hat...which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification" (lines 3-5). including instructions and an illustration.
Date: September 1, 1868
Creator: Watkins, M. S.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Band-Cutting Feeder for Thrashing-Machine. (open access)

Band-Cutting Feeder for Thrashing-Machine.

Patent for a new and improved band-cutting and feeding attachment for thrashing machines. This design receives grain bundles "upon an endless traveling apron provided with teeth or claws, and by it conveyed under rotary cutters, which sever the bands, the grain being then scattered or spread out by a vibrating rake into a thin sheet as it passes to the toothed cylinder. The invention relates more particularly to the construction and arrangement of parts" (paras. 3-4).
Date: November 27, 1877
Creator: O'Neall, James Madison
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Farm Gates. (open access)

Improvement in Farm Gates.

Patent for "a gate herein I dispense with the use of hinges and other similar devices and prevent sagging; also that the operation of opening or shutting the gate, owing to its balanced and suspended condition, is attended with little or no exertion on the part of the operator..." (lines 84-90) including instructions and illustrations.
Date: June 15, 1875
Creator: Snider, Tunis
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Wheel-Cultivators. (open access)

Improvement in Wheel-Cultivators.

Patent for "a new and useful machine for Plowing"
Date: October 10, 1876
Creator: Hodges, Ludia H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Wagon-Brakes. (open access)

Improvement in Wagon-Brakes.

Patent for a foot operated wagon braking mechanism, including illustrations. Patent for a better alternative to lever brakes on buggies and wagons as the braking mechanism is "out of the way, and not noticeable or prominently visible from the sides of the vehicle".
Date: June 19, 1877
Creator: O'Neall, James M.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Tents. (open access)

Improvement in Tents.

Patent for certain new and useful improvements in military tents that relates to folding tents including illustrations.
Date: April 8, 1873
Creator: Turner, Ephraim M.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Smoothing and Fluting Irons. (open access)

Improvement in Smoothing and Fluting Irons.

Patent for improvement in smoothing and fluting irons, which combines a sad-iron smoothing-plate and mechanical fluting iron in one device which includes a heat shield and rollers through which fabric is advanced. The rollers are mechanized via a latch and rack-wheel that are actuated by moving the handle of the device up and down.
Date: June 1, 1875
Creator: Mayfield, William Dudley
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Fences. (open access)

Improvement in Fences.

Patent for improvement in fences, with description and illustrations.
Date: April 11, 1876
Creator: Ingalls, Alfred
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Scrapers. (open access)

Improvement in Scrapers.

Patent for improved road scraper with two-wheel vehicle and scoop pulled by a chain.
Date: July 15, 1873
Creator: Mayfield, William Dudley
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Road-Scrapers. (open access)

Improvement in Road-Scrapers.

Patent for an improvement in road-scrapers, illustration included.
Date: March 17, 1874
Creator: Mayfield, William Dudley
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Convertible Wagon-Bed and Hay-Rack. (open access)

Improvement in Convertible Wagon-Bed and Hay-Rack.

Patent for "an ordinary wagon-bed with sides and a rear end board or gate, which are both adjustable and removable, and attach slats or bars to said sides and end-board in such manner that they may be extended laterally when requires, to practically increase the width of the wagon-bed." (Lines 12-18) Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: March 20, 1877
Creator: O'Neall, James M.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Plows (open access)

Improvement in Plows

Patent for an improvement on plows specifically designed to turn black Texas soil.
Date: April 7, 1874
Creator: Payne, Joseph Mott
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Broom-Handles. (open access)

Improvement in Broom-Handles.

Patent for improving a spring-hinge joint that secures the broom during transportation.
Date: July 26, 1873
Creator: Turner, Ephraim M. & Turner, John W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Pump-Buckets (open access)

Improvement in Pump-Buckets

Patent for new and improved pump-buckets, which are more cheaper and much more durable. The much improved pump-buckets fasten together with chains as well as metal plates.
Date: October 9, 1877
Creator: William, Mayfield D.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Baling-Press. (open access)

Baling-Press.

Patent for "baling-presses, and has for its objects to provide a simple and efficient apparatus embodying a rebounding plunger; to provide means for regulating the resistance offered to the advance movement of the forward head-block; to provide improved means for tucking the material during the advance movement of the plunger; to provide means for regulating the length of a bale; to provide means for automatically inserting a head-block when a bale of the desired length has been formed; and to provide means whereby the raising and lowering of the press-box or baling-chamber is accomplished by the draft-horses through the sweep, and without the use of jacks or other analogous devices." (Lines 8-24) Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: December 24, 1895
Creator: Keith, George A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car-Coupling (open access)

Car-Coupling

Patent for "an automatic car-coupling which may be uncoupled from the sides of the cars, and which will allow of a car on which it is provided being coupled to a car provided with the ordinary link-and-pin coupling" (lines 7-12).
Date: October 30, 1888
Creator: Eddleman, Thomas J.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Band-Cutter and Feeder (open access)

Band-Cutter and Feeder

Patent for "new and useful improvements in band-cutters and feeders" (lines 6-7).
Date: February 26, 1889
Creator: King, Charlie C. & Trimble, Alonzo D.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car-Seat (open access)

Car-Seat

Patent for "an inexpensive form of car-seat, wherein the parts are so arranged that the back of the seat may be adjusted to almost any angle desired, a leg or foot rest, which also may be adjusted to suit the convenience of the occupant of the seat" (lines 7-13).
Date: April 2, 1889
Creator: Goelet, Edward B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car Door. (open access)

Car Door.

Patent for a new and improved door for railroad cars. This design consists in "a car having a door-opening, top and bottom tracks, and perpendicular door-posts, one post provided with a series of recesses in its side next to the opening and the other having recesses in its outer side or side nearest the end of the car . . . the door sliding on said tracks and having forwardly-projecting cleats on its front edge to enter the recesses in the first-named post, and provided on its inner side at its opposite end with cleats projecting toward its front edge to enter the recesses in second-named strip" (lines 83-95).
Date: April 2, 1889
Creator: Goelet, Edward B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car Axle and Wheel (open access)

Car Axle and Wheel

Patent for a new and improved wheel and axle for cars. This design calls for "providing each of the axle with a fixed ratchet-wheel and providing the car-wheels with spring-pawls adapted to engage with the ratchets" (lines 21-24). This overcomes the strain that the wheels place on the axles when making turns, which reduces the chance of the car leaving its tracks.
Date: May 16, 1882
Creator: Pendleton, William S.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Brush. (open access)

Brush.

Patent for a brush used with pressurized water to clean floors, walls, ceilings, horses, buggies, animal carcasses, etc. The brush can have a hose hooked up to it and has a valve. The water goes into the top of the brush and is distributed evenly throughout with holes in the top of the brush, and the water is sprayed through the bristles.
Date: March 24, 1896
Creator: Zandt, Luther H. van
System: The Portal to Texas History
Coin-Controlled Apparatus. (open access)

Coin-Controlled Apparatus.

Patent for a simple, inexpensive, and durable coin-controlled apparatus that is "designed to indicate by the varying positions occupied by the spheres, the nature of a dream, the apparatus being designed primarily as a dream-revealer" (lines 17-20). The operator pulls a lever which forces the dice inside the glass container to move into holes. The operator reads a key on the outside of the device that indicates what he will dream.
Date: July 18, 1893
Creator: Taylor, James P.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cattle-Guard. (open access)

Cattle-Guard.

Patent for a cattle guard that prevents cattle from blocking railroad tracks. It consists of sharp edged cross ties that sit on the bottom of a shallow pit, guard rails that cover the cross ties, bolts that hold the rails together, and end planks forming v-shaped serrations.
Date: October 10, 1893
Creator: Lynch, Michael L.
System: The Portal to Texas History