Automatic Danger-Signal for Railroads. (open access)

Automatic Danger-Signal for Railroads.

Patent for a "device for indicating at railroad crossings and other points, the approach or departure of trains within any given distance of such crossing or with relation to any point where persons might come into dangerous proximity to the train if they were left unadvised by some such signal as this." (Lines 19-26) Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: February 26, 1895
Creator: Lee, Horatio Grooms; White, John P.; Ball, Thomas & White, James L.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Box-Corner Protector. (open access)

Box-Corner Protector.

Patent for a metal corner protector for boxes. The protector covers both the inner and outer corners of boxes to enhance grip and prevent protruding edges from damaging goods.
Date: February 10, 1914
Creator: Black, Katherine Mary
System: The Portal to Texas History
Chain-Steamer. (open access)

Chain-Steamer.

Patent for a chain steamer that has an improved means of propulsion with a uniform speed despite a changing current. It does not allow the boat to laterally deflect. It is especially meant to be used with tow boats that travel on fast-moving, shallow streams. It can be used to move ferry boats across fast-moving rivers as well.
Date: February 7, 1893
Creator: Pfeifer, Edmund I. & Pfeifer, Eduard A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Combined Turning and Leveling Plow. (open access)

Combined Turning and Leveling Plow.

Patent for an improved combined turning and leveling plow.
Date: February 9, 1901
Creator: Collins, Frank
System: The Portal to Texas History
Copy Holder (open access)

Copy Holder

Patent for a copy holder. This device is to hold copy for typewriters, compositors, etc. It also provides a copy holder possessing an adjustable indicating bar. Illustrations included.
Date: February 11, 1913
Creator: Newton, Marvin G.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cotton-Chopper (open access)

Cotton-Chopper

Patent for a cotton chopper designed so that the blade moves "transversely across a standing row of plants" (lines 15-16). Illustrations included.
Date: February 23, 1909
Creator: Ellis, Thomas Henry
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cotton Chopper (open access)

Cotton Chopper

Patent for a cotton chopper. Illustration included.
Date: February 23, 1909
Creator: Hogan, Samuel Thomas; Knetsch, Ferdinand, Jr. & Oatman, John B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cultivator. (open access)

Cultivator.

Patent for a new and improved cultivator. This design consists in "[t]he combination, with a blade arranged for connection with a beam and formed with cutting-edges . . . , of a wing in a horizontal plane formed with a cutting-edge and rigidly connected to the blade at some distance above its lower edge" (lines 60-65).
Date: February 18, 1890
Creator: Henry, Leroy Bell
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cultivator Attachment. (open access)

Cultivator Attachment.

Patent for an invention "whereby a wheel-cultivator of any style, pattern, or make can be readily converted into a land-marker or planter." (Lines 8-11) Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: February 23, 1897
Creator: Dayton, William L.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cultivator-Sweep. (open access)

Cultivator-Sweep.

Patent for a cultivator sweep that cuts weeds close to the crops.
Date: February 14, 1911
Creator: Lundghren, Charles & Anderson, Gus E.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Delivery Apparatus for Printing-Presses. (open access)

Delivery Apparatus for Printing-Presses.

Patent for "an endless band or apron paper-delivery apparatus, for printing presses, which will automaticall take the sheets of paper from the cylinder and deliver them upon the usual table, in an orderly pile" (lines 24-28).
Date: February 21, 1893
Creator: Sandel, Sam D.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Device for Cleaning Gun Barrels, Flues, &c. (open access)

Device for Cleaning Gun Barrels, Flues, &c.

Patent for a new and improved gun-barrel cleaner. This design consists in "[t]he combination of a flat shank having a hole in its intermediate portion, a pivot-bolt having its middle round and its ends square, and a cleaning-head secured upon said bolt, said head consisting of two parts, one part being secured upon each end of said bolt" (lines 4-9).
Date: February 22, 1887
Creator: Simpson, John Speake
System: The Portal to Texas History
Device for Ringing Bells. (open access)

Device for Ringing Bells.

Patent for improvements in the construction of devices for ringing bells, including illustrations.
Date: February 25, 1879
Creator: Perry, Elton
System: The Portal to Texas History
Electric Time Switch (open access)

Electric Time Switch

Patent for electric time switch. Illustration included.
Date: February 14, 1905
Creator: Gerhard, William H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Fan Attachment for Rocking Furniture. (open access)

Fan Attachment for Rocking Furniture.

Patent for a new and improved rocking-chair fan. This design consists in "[t]he combination, with the fan-frame and fan, sleeve, cord, and the rocker, of the double clamping device for uniting the fan-frame to the rocker . . . and the connecting cord or wire" (lines 24-31).
Date: February 16, 1886
Creator: McComas, Arthur William & Fitzhugh, Alexander
System: The Portal to Texas History
Fly-Trap. (open access)

Fly-Trap.

Patent for a fly trap that is simple to make and use.
Date: February 13, 1912
Creator: Wallace, William Simpson
System: The Portal to Texas History
Fountain Attachment for Inkstands. (open access)

Fountain Attachment for Inkstands.

Patent for a new and improved fountain attachment for inkstands by using a hollow float, having a central vertical aperture on the bottom, the float is placed in a vessel filled with ink. After ink is being drawn from the hollow opening of the float, the float is forced into an uppermost position thus closing the vessel to prevent the air from passing the ink contained in the vessel. The ink is confined in an air and dust proof stand, which can be easily cleaned. Illustration is included.
Date: February 10, 1891
Creator: Bergen, James V.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Grate For Boiler Furnaces, &c (open access)

Grate For Boiler Furnaces, &c

Patent for a grate for boiler furnaces. This invention can be used for steam-boiler furnaces, stoves, or any device to "produce a higher degree of heat than is obtained by the usual grates" (line 11-12). Illustration included.
Date: February 26, 1907
Creator: Spiller, Philip S. & Brenizer, Nelson, O.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improved Water-Wheel. (open access)

Improved Water-Wheel.

Patent for the improvement of the water-wheel using curved buckets over a spiral water passage to increase power and volume, including illustration.
Date: February 8, 1859
Creator: Littlepage, C. V.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Grain-Binders (open access)

Improvement in Grain-Binders

Patent for improved design of grain-binders.
Date: December 6, 1875
Creator: Postley, Charles A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Machines for Extracting Cotton and Corn Stalks. (open access)

Improvement in Machines for Extracting Cotton and Corn Stalks.

Patent for the improvement of pulling the roots of cotton and corn stalks while minimizing the damage to the soil, including illustration.
Date: February 19, 1861
Creator: Bishop, Josiah
System: The Portal to Texas History
Kettle Attachment. (open access)

Kettle Attachment.

Patent for a new and improved kettle attachment. This design "provides an attachment to be used with the kettle, whereby the "boiling over" of the material and the consequent running of the same down the sides of the said kettle are prevented. The material that would ordinarily flow over the sides of the kettle and waste is by the use of [a] device . . . saved, and any and all danger of fire from the overflowing sugar in candy manufacture is prevented" (lines 11-20).
Date: February 17, 1885
Creator: Lamme, William W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Life-Preserver (open access)

Life-Preserver

Patent for Life-Preserver. Can be used in any emergency situation but mostly in the water.
Date: February 29, 1916
Creator: Carlson, Carl O.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Locking Device for Baling Press Doors. (open access)

Locking Device for Baling Press Doors.

Patent for a new and improved lock for baling-press doors. This design "is to provide a . . . locking device for the doors of the baling chamber of a baling-press, which locking device is so constructed that all the doors can be locked in a single operation and by means of the same device, and may be loosened simultaneously" (lines 8-14).
Date: February 16, 1886
Creator: Clark, Frank S.
System: The Portal to Texas History