Cotton-Chopper. (open access)

Cotton-Chopper.

Patent for a cotton chopper with an adjustable swinging arm.
Date: April 12, 1910
Creator: Lang, Leo Albert
System: The Portal to Texas History
Conductor's Train-Book (open access)

Conductor's Train-Book

Patent for a conductor's train-book. This invention if for a conductor to log train movements. Illustration included.
Date: April 12, 1910
Creator: Crane, James C. A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Pitman Rod. (open access)

Pitman Rod.

Patent for a new and improved pitman-rod. This design "consists in the combination of the flywheel, made heaviest upon one side, with the wrist-pin, connecting-rod, and the part which is to be attached to the reaper or mower knife" (lines 14-18).
Date: May 12, 1885
Creator: Brooks, Ambrous Adam & Brooks, Andrew Jackson
System: The Portal to Texas History
Adjustable Device for Dressing Down Bearings (open access)

Adjustable Device for Dressing Down Bearings

Patent for a tool that dresses down bearings. Railroad engine journals and their corresponding bearings show wear over time. When replacing bearings into such a journal, without adaptation of the bearing there will be an improper fit, resulting in "hot journals" or "hot boxes". This tool adapts a bearing to a proper fit for the journal into which it will be installed.
Date: December 12, 1922
Creator: Mitchell, William A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Hot Box Cooler dated November 12, 1918 (open access)

Hot Box Cooler dated November 12, 1918

Patent for the implementation of improvements to hot box coolers. This will assist in the cooling of hot bearings in railway cars.
Date: November 12, 1918
Creator: Edward W. Hartough
System: The Portal to Texas History
Vulcanizing Apparatus (open access)

Vulcanizing Apparatus

Patent for an apparatus used during the process of retreading tires that updates the manufacture of rubber tire patches.
Date: July 12, 1918
Creator: Rasor, James, E.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Wheel Scraper. (open access)

Wheel Scraper.

Patent for a new and improved wheel scraper. This design "is to provide a . . . device for scraping mud and adhesive soil from the outer edges and sides of the fellies of vehicle wheels to prevent an accumulation of mud or adhesive soil on the wheel rim or felly and between the spokes" (lines 7-13).
Date: August 12, 1884
Creator: Whipp, John W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Nut-Lock. (open access)

Nut-Lock.

Patent for a simple, inexpensive, and effective nut-lock that can be easily installed and locks the nuts on rail joints into place and can be easily removed.
Date: December 12, 1893
Creator: Doane, Stephen Olin
System: The Portal to Texas History
Fraud-Preventing Means For Commercial Papers (open access)

Fraud-Preventing Means For Commercial Papers

Patent for new format of bank checks in order to deter fraud.
Date: October 12, 1920
Creator: Tackett, William Albert
System: The Portal to Texas History
Sliding Gate. (open access)

Sliding Gate.

Patent for a new and improved sliding gate. This design "consists in the combination of the two posts between which the gate moves back and forth, the roller placed between them and upon which the gate moves, the gate provided with an extension on its rear edge, a top rail, and pulleys on the top rail, a post provided with rollers, and through which the extension passes, operating-cords provided with stops, and the posts provided with guides for the ropes to pass through" (lines 13-22).
Date: May 12, 1885
Creator: Graves, William W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Bee-Hives (open access)

Improvement in Bee-Hives

Patent for an improved design for bee-hives with the sloped V shaped interior designed to aid in warmth for the hive and reducing debris entering the comb. Illustrations included show several cross-sections of the hive construction.
Date: December 12, 1876
Creator: Snider, George W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cultivator. (open access)

Cultivator.

Patent for a riding cultivator, which has beams that can be swung from side to side.
Date: October 12, 1909
Creator: Upshaw, Foy
System: The Portal to Texas History