Animal-Trap. (open access)

Animal-Trap.

Patent for a new and useful animal trap, including instructions and illustrations.
Date: November 14, 1899
Creator: Johnson, Joshua J.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Apparatus for Bleaching Seed-Cotton (open access)

Apparatus for Bleaching Seed-Cotton

Patent for a machine for bleaching seed cotton before it ginned.
Date: April 14, 1908
Creator: Brennan, John B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Acetylene-Gas Generator (open access)

Acetylene-Gas Generator

Patent for a generator that runs on acetylene gas with a component that releases excess gas in the event the gasometer is overcharged, including illustrations.
Date: November 14, 1905
Creator: Menczer, Samuel A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Check Hook. (open access)

Check Hook.

Patent for a new and improved check-hook. This design is "composed of the U-shaped frame having a threaded stem projecting from its lower end, and having the lugs extending from its vertical branches, the spring, and the cross-bar pivoted at one end between the lugs, and having side depressions near its other end to receive the lugs, and having its end adapted to be engaged by the spring and provided with the thumb-piece or horse-head" (lines 90-100).
Date: August 14, 1888
Creator: Matchette, James S.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Apparatus for Washing and Draining Dishes. (open access)

Apparatus for Washing and Draining Dishes.

Patent for a new and improved dishwasher. This design consists in "[t]he combination, with a pan provided near its top on the inner side with rigidly-attached brackets, with a tray in the form of a pan whose side and bottom portions are perforated . . . the tray being of less diameter and height than the pan and provided on its outer side near the bottom with brackets and on its upper edge with handles" (lines 94-101).
Date: January 14, 1890
Creator: Caradine, Virginia C.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Baling-Press. (open access)

Baling-Press.

Patent for a new improvement in baling presses that improves strength, durability and handling and is cheap to manufacture, including instructions and illustrations.
Date: June 14, 1887
Creator: Mansfield, James Edward.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Wood Pavements. (open access)

Improvement in Wood Pavements.

Patent for a new and improved construction of Bois D'Arc Pavement, which uses two layers of planks that cross at right angle as a base, sand to hold bois d'arc blocks in place and fill gaps in between, and coal-tar covering planks to prevent sand from shifting. It includes illustrations.
Date: January 14, 1879
Creator: Shellenberger, Samuel Luther
System: The Portal to Texas History
Attachment for Vehicle-Seats. (open access)

Attachment for Vehicle-Seats.

Patent for "a vehicle seat and more particularly to a device securable to the under portion of a seat and engaging the side walls of the wagon body so that the seat will be prevented from shifting transversely of the vehicle" (lines 9-14).
Date: July 14, 1914
Creator: Jackson, George
System: The Portal to Texas History
Machine for Mixing Mortar. (open access)

Machine for Mixing Mortar.

Patent for a new and improved machine for mixing mortar. This design "consists in a cylinder composed of bars set into open heads and rotating beneath a hopper . . . so that the material to be mixed rests upon the cylinder, and is rasped or grated off by the motion of the cylinder and received on the inside of the cylinder between the bars. . . . When the material is received inside the cylinder it is carried around by the rotary motion, and is turned over and forced out" (lines 7-22).
Date: September 14, 1880
Creator: Schellenberger, Samuel L.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Punching-Machine. (open access)

Punching-Machine.

Patent for a simple and durable punching-machine for metalworking that punching metal and feeds it forward. The invention is made up of " a carriage adapted to support the sheet to be punched, and provided with a toothed bar, a rock shaft carrying a pawl adapted to engage the said toothed bar to move the carriage forward, and a punch lever adapted to receive a swinging motion from the said shaft, the said lever being connected with the punch to move the latter downward to punch the sheet" (lines 14-22).
Date: August 14, 1894
Creator: Walsh, Richard
System: The Portal to Texas History
Nut Lock. (open access)

Nut Lock.

Patent for an improved nut lock that prevents nuts from loosening. The invention is a combined nut lock and washer with spring plate, including illustrations.
Date: January 14, 1919
Creator: Teague, Isaac E.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Dry Closet (open access)

Dry Closet

Patent for a dry closet.
Date: April 14, 1903
Creator: Davis, Samuel & Hanson, A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Gland or Swab-Holder (open access)

Gland or Swab-Holder

Patent for a holder for swabs used for lubricating pistons, valve rods, and other similar devices. Illustrations included.
Date: January 14, 1908
Creator: Slaydon, William
System: The Portal to Texas History
Grading-Machine. (open access)

Grading-Machine.

Patent for improvement in grading machines in which the speed of the drum, the speed of the drive wheels and the distance of the axis of the drive wheels can all be adjusted. Illustration is included.
Date: October 14, 1913
Creator: Foley, Charles H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Heel-Attaching Means. (open access)

Heel-Attaching Means.

Patent for a new means of using screws and plates to securely attach wooden heels to women's shoes, including illustrations.
Date: May 14, 1918
Creator: Dickerson, Harry P.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Plant-Protector. (open access)

Plant-Protector.

Patent for a plant protector, which forms a canopy over young plants to protect them from the weather.
Date: July 14, 1908
Creator: Caruthers, Martha J.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Draft-Equalizer (open access)

Draft-Equalizer

Patent for "a draft-equalizer that the draft will be equally distributed among each of the animals attached thereto, so that one may travel in the furrow, if desired, and the remainder permitted to move over the unplowed ground" (lines 22-27).
Date: May 14, 1901
Creator: Anderson, Samuel Cornelious
System: The Portal to Texas History
Sawing Machine (open access)

Sawing Machine

Patent for a wood sawing machine which allows for a portable wood sawing apparatus. The device is capable of adjusting the saw to create a feed, and allows for cutting diagonally, horizontally, or vertically.
Date: December 14, 1920
Creator: Arnold, James A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Brick-Presses. (open access)

Improvement in Brick-Presses.

Patent for a "new and useful improvement in brick-presses by which bricks may be quickly and cheaply pressed by hand power from clay taken direct from bank or mixer" ( Lines 1-3 )including instructions and illustration.
Date: May 14, 1878
Creator: Moore, Andrew A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Churning-Machines (open access)

Improvement in Churning-Machines

Patent for improvement in mechanisms in operating churns. Includes a crank wheel and spindles for churning, as well as a better balanced upright position.
Date: October 14, 1879
Creator: Haile, James T.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Furniture and Automobile Body Polish. (open access)

Furniture and Automobile Body Polish.

Patent for furniture and automobile polish made with an asphalt base for varnished and enameled surfaces such as automobile bodies, pianos, linoleum, stained floors, leather, and rubberized fabrics.
Date: November 14, 1922
Creator: Lomax, Thornton G.
System: The Portal to Texas History