Bridle-Rod for Railroad Rails (open access)

Bridle-Rod for Railroad Rails

Patent for a system of attaching railroad rails when the rails are first placed. This device is used to keep the rails a precise distance apart before the railroad spikes are placed into the ground holding the rails firmly in place.
Date: February 10, 1903
Creator: Johnson, John
System: The Portal to Texas History
Combined Street-Car and Air-Brake Coupling (open access)

Combined Street-Car and Air-Brake Coupling

Patent for a combined street-car and air-brake coupling.
Date: February 10, 1903
Creator: Cary, Lewis C.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Annuciator (open access)

Annuciator

Patent for an annunciator. "This invention is designed for use in connection with a complete traction system" (lines 13-14). The design drives instruments via a train air system so that air pressure is constantly maintained. Illustrations included.
Date: February 18, 1908
Creator: Mayo, William C.; Houlehan, John & Briggs, George E.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car-Wheel (open access)

Car-Wheel

Patent for a car wheel made to ease turning on rounding corners and to prevent slipping due to differences in wheel sizes.
Date: February 18, 1908
Creator: Mayo, William C. & Houlehan, John
System: The Portal to Texas History
Air-Brake, Lighting, and Signaling System for Railway-Trains (open access)

Air-Brake, Lighting, and Signaling System for Railway-Trains

Patent for an electrical system which provides air brake, lighting, and signaling mechanisms for trains. Illustrations included.
Date: February 18, 1908
Creator: Mayo, William C. & Houlehan, John
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car-truck. (open access)

Car-truck.

Patent for trucks for railway-cars "of simple and durable construction the parts of which are connected together without the use of bolts" (lines 10-12).
Date: February 26, 1901
Creator: Rouy, Gustave
System: The Portal to Texas History
Automatic Multiple Fuse Block (open access)

Automatic Multiple Fuse Block

Patent for an automatic multiple fuse block. This invention is "provided a normally inactive shunt circuit through which, when a fuse is blown, the current is diverted to an electro-mechanical means which, when the rush of current causing the fuse to blow" (16-21). Illustration included.
Date: February 18, 1908
Creator: Mayo, William C.; Houlehan, John & Briggs, George E.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Aparejo (open access)

Aparejo

Patent for more efficient and durable pack-saddle (aparejo) used by United States Army. Casing involves hollow boot-sticks and rubber-encased steel, with better fitting to prevent fatigue of animal.
Date: February 11, 1902
Creator: Keller, John & Titsworth, Richard
System: The Portal to Texas History
Bicycle. (open access)

Bicycle.

Patent for a bicycle that is safer than other bicycles. It has compensating gearing so that "the variations in leverage in the various positions assumed by the pedal crank are equalized" (lines 12-13).
Date: February 20, 1894
Creator: Lillibridge, Freeman
System: The Portal to Texas History
Air Heating and Regulating Means for Internal Combustion Engines (open access)

Air Heating and Regulating Means for Internal Combustion Engines

Patent for a type of air heater designed to be attached to an internal combustion engine for the purposes of regulating heat.
Date: February 18, 1919
Creator: Brooks, Howard
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cosmetic Lotion. (open access)

Cosmetic Lotion.

Patent for a cosmetic lotion to be used as a treatment for imperfections of the skin by inducing sloughing of the epidermis.
Date: February 28, 1922
Creator: Newlyn, Thomas J.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Metallic Roof. (open access)

Metallic Roof.

Patent for a metallic roof in which section edges are secured so that they do not become disconnected, intentional bracing prevents sagging, and securing the roof does not require the use of nails, which prevents leaks.
Date: February 21, 1922
Creator: Crawford, Hezekiah H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Yielding Power-Coupling (open access)

Yielding Power-Coupling

Patent for a yielding power coupling to connect power units in cars to form a complete system. Illustrations included.
Date: February 18, 1908
Creator: Mayo, William C. & Houlehan, John
System: The Portal to Texas History
Lifter and Turner. (open access)

Lifter and Turner.

Patent for a lifter and turner tool to lift pots, pans, kettles and lids, and for turning and lifting food.
Date: February 12, 1918
Creator: Milliorn, William L.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Lock-Nut. (open access)

Lock-Nut.

Patent for a lock-nut which prevents the nut from accidentally rotating on the bolt, including illustrations. The nut is locked in position when a locking key is introduced to grooves on the lower surface of the nut and the adjacent face of the washer.
Date: February 13, 1906
Creator: Crawford, Hezekiah H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Leather Product and Process for Making the Same. (open access)

Leather Product and Process for Making the Same.

Patent for a process of treating leather that produces leather that is heavier and more durable for shoe soles by coating it in linseed oil and soaking it in a bath of Portland cement, borax, and water for at least 24 hours and then coating it with linseed oil a second time.
Date: February 2, 1909
Creator: Mackay, Hugh
System: The Portal to Texas History
Water-Elevator. (open access)

Water-Elevator.

Patent for a water-elevator that elevates huge amounts of water for ranches and irrigating. The elevator "can be easily operated by the direct pull of a single animal, which passes and repasses the well during the operation of raising and lowering the well bucket, and by this means contemplates dispersing with the necessity of winding drums or windlasses and horse powers, which are usually employed in connection with water elevators" (lines 16-23).
Date: February 13, 1894
Creator: Campbell, George William
System: The Portal to Texas History
Manufacture of Vinegar. (open access)

Manufacture of Vinegar.

Patent for the specifications for manufacturing a certain vinegar using melons.
Date: February 8, 1916
Creator: Page, James Benton
System: The Portal to Texas History
Ticket Vending Machine (open access)

Ticket Vending Machine

Patent for a ticket vending machine. Illustrations included.
Date: February 18, 1908
Creator: Mayo, William C.; Houlehan, John & Briggs, George E.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Split Pulley. (open access)

Split Pulley.

Patent for split pulleys with interlocking parts that can be attached together without pulling the parts longitudinally.
Date: February 5, 1907
Creator: Frank, Henry M.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Nut-Lock. (open access)

Nut-Lock.

Patent for a nut-lock for car wheels, which holds the wheel securely together.
Date: February 18, 1908
Creator: Mayo, William C.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Process for Making Cattle Food (open access)

Process for Making Cattle Food

Patent for providing "a process whereby cattle food may be economically produced from sotol which, when combined with certain other food products, will produce an equivalent to alfalfa and which can be produced at a cost far below that required to provide a feed of the same amount of alfalfa &c., &c." lines 17-23
Date: February 26, 1918
Creator: Thatcher, Frank
System: The Portal to Texas History
Electromagnetic Ore-Separator. (open access)

Electromagnetic Ore-Separator.

Patent for an electromagnetic ore separator, which reduces the risk of any valuable particles falling with the waste mineral material below the magnetic surface.
Date: February 16, 1909
Creator: Charlton, Thomas
System: The Portal to Texas History
Fishing-Reel. (open access)

Fishing-Reel.

Patent for a new and improved fishing reel that allows an angler to control the tension of the line when unwinding.
Date: February 6, 1906
Creator: Dickson, Frederick Lindsay
System: The Portal to Texas History