Breech-Loading Fire-Arm (open access)

Breech-Loading Fire-Arm

Patent for a new and improved breech-loading firearm. This design "consists in the devices for opening the breech-block and ejecting the cartridge-shell by one and the same motion that cocks the gun, and also in a spring and pitman arranged with the breech-block" (para. 2).
Date: December 4, 1877
Creator: Petmecky, Joseph C.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement on Corn and Cotton Planters. (open access)

Improvement on Corn and Cotton Planters.

Patent for a combined corn and cotton planter.
Date: June 23, 1874
Creator: Domschke, Carles
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Corn and Cotton Planters. (open access)

Improvement in Corn and Cotton Planters.

Patent for improvement in corn and cotton planting machinery, including illustrations.
Date: August 20, 1872
Creator: Svenson, Bengt Johan
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Water-Wheels. (open access)

Improvement in Water-Wheels.

Patent for improvements in the construction of water-wheels, including illustrations.
Date: January 8, 1878
Creator: Cross, David L.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Well-Augers. (open access)

Improvement in Well-Augers.

Patent for an improved well-auger, includes instruction and illustration.
Date: May 21, 1878
Creator: Glass, James T.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Saws. (open access)

Improvement in Saws.

Patent for improvements to circular or straight saws that steady the saw and prevent vibration and buckling. Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: December 19, 1871
Creator: Littlepage, Caleb V.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Saws. (open access)

Improvement in Saws.

Patent for improvement in saws by way of the construction of beveled edged teeth with concave sides.
Date: April 26, 1870
Creator: Littlepage, C. V.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Trusses. (open access)

Improvement in Trusses.

Patent for improvements in the wiring and metal plates in self-adjusting trusses.
Date: September 27, 1870
Creator: Baker, William
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvements in Electric Foot Warmers. (open access)

Improvements in Electric Foot Warmers.

Patent for adjustments in the mechanics of electric foot warmers.
Date: May 17, 1870
Creator: Littlepage, Caleb
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in the Manufacture of Hydraulic Cement (open access)

Improvement in the Manufacture of Hydraulic Cement

Patent for the improvement in the manufacture of hydraulic cement with specifications for the manufacturing process and a description of usage.
Date: June 25, 1878
Creator: Dimelow, John
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in the Manufacture of Hydraulic Stone. (open access)

Improvement in the Manufacture of Hydraulic Stone.

Patent for improvement in the manufacture of Hydraulic Stone to furnish and improved artificial stone for use in different purposes that can resist weather changes without being affected.
Date: September 16, 1879
Creator: Dimelow, John
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Toy Trumpets. (open access)

Improvement in Toy Trumpets.

Patent for improvements in toy trumpets in which in addition to making sound, the movement of air through the instrument also causes a disk on top of the instrument to revolve by the force of the air on paddles that form the bottom of the disk. The top of the disk will have decorative figures such as soldiers.
Date: September 12, 1876
Creator: Sterzing, Fred.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Stalk-Pullers. (open access)

Improvement in Stalk-Pullers.

Patent for an improved stalk-puller for use in pulling cotton-stalks in preparing the land for another crop.
Date: September 19, 1876
Creator: Brown, Robert D.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Flat-Irons. (open access)

Improvement in Flat-Irons.

Patent for improvement in flat-irons, with description and illustrations.
Date: October 11, 1875
Creator: Sterzing, Fred
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Paper Boxes. (open access)

Improvement in Paper Boxes.

Patent for improved techniques in folding paper boxes using a single piece of paper in which the bottom part is safely secured. Illustration is included.
Date: March 7, 1876
Creator: Kuehne, Franz
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Devices For Ringing Bells. (open access)

Improvement in Devices For Ringing Bells.

Patent for an improvement to a mechanism that externally strikes a bell to ring it, "applicable to fire, hotel, school, church, factory and other bells. By it the striking may be performed with great rapidity and regularity" (para. 10).
Date: September 18, 1877
Creator: Perry, Elton
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Saddle-Trees. (open access)

Improvement in Saddle-Trees.

Patent for "an improvement in riding-saddles, designed to secure greater strength in the pommel and fork; and it consists in forming the fork of the saddle-tree and the pommel from malleable cast-iron, and in one and the same piece, the neck of the pommel being cast hollow for greater lightness, with the upper end of the casting open, which opening is closed by a surmounting cap of wood or other material, which finishes the pommel." (Lines 13-23) Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: September 18, 1877
Creator: Still, Henry C. & Still, Joseph R.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Cultivators. (open access)

Improvement in Cultivators.

Patent for the improvement of cultivators, consisting in the construction and arrangement of of a double-sweep plow. It includes a description and illustration.
Date: August 20, 1872
Creator: Svenson, Bengt Johan
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Fire-Lighters. (open access)

Improvement in Fire-Lighters.

Patent for a device which allows the lighting of "fires, lights, blasts, &c., by a person located some distance from the object to be ignited." (lines 7-10) Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: November 18, 1879
Creator: Craig, Samuel M.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Ironing-Tables. (open access)

Improvement in Ironing-Tables.

Patent for ironing tables in use with ironing machines. Consist of adjustable frame for stretching and holding garments for ironing.
Date: April 2, 1878
Creator: Becker, Rudolph
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Paper Bags. (open access)

Improvement in Paper Bags.

Patent for an improvement in paper bags with design specifications and a description of their functionality and usage, including illustrations.
Date: June 18, 1878
Creator: Alexander, Newton J.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Eyeglasses. (open access)

Improvement in Eyeglasses.

Patent for improvements to eyeglasses to accommodate facial differences.
Date: July 9, 1878
Creator: Hawkes, Albert K.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Elevators. (open access)

Improvement in Elevators.

Patent for improvements in elevators, for lifting heavy objects. It includes a description and illustration.
Date: June 13, 1871
Creator: Bishop, Josiah
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Methods of Forming Saw-Teeth. (open access)

Improvement in Methods of Forming Saw-Teeth.

Patent for "a rule for giving to the backs of saw-teeth such an angle as will allow the teeth to be made of proper strength and at the same time to be chambered out and pointed so that they will cut the wood like chisels instead of scraping or tearing the wood." (Lines 14-19) Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: December 19, 1871
Creator: Littlepage, Caleb V.
System: The Portal to Texas History