Ant-Trap (open access)

Ant-Trap

Patent for an ant trap,with illustrations. Purpose of the invention was to be efficient more efficient in both cost and use in comparison to other ant traps being sold at the time.
Date: July 30, 1889
Creator: Davis, Edwin E.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Sleigh-Runner. (open access)

Sleigh-Runner.

Patent for a new adjustable sleigh runner designed to be easily applied and removed from wheeled vehicles, including illustrations.
Date: January 1, 1889
Creator: Lewis, Thomas E.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Water Elevator. (open access)

Water Elevator.

Patent for a new and improved water-elevator. This design consists in "a supporting frame, a drum journaled therein, a rope wound on the drum, a bucket attached to the rope, mechanism for turning the drum to lift the bucket, and a fork journaled below the drum and provided with a central arm adapted to catch under the raised bucket resting in the fork to discharge its contents as the fork is tilted" (lines 21-28).
Date: July 19, 1887
Creator: Mefferd, George Washington
System: The Portal to Texas History
Head Rest for Chairs. (open access)

Head Rest for Chairs.

Patent for a new and improved head-rest for chairs. This design consists in "[a] head-rest for chairs, comprising a top support . . . a plate fixed thereto and provided with a socket and guides . . . a ball, fitting socket, and retaining-jaws held in the guide of the plate around the ball" (lines 81-86).
Date: August 3, 1886
Creator: Ashby, Daniel S.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Insecticide. (open access)

Insecticide.

Patent for an inflammable compound for exterminating destructive insects and animals that contains alkanet-root, arsenious acid, gum-camphor, iodine resubl., phosphorus, sulphur resubl., and bisulphide carbon.
Date: January 8, 1886
Creator: Shugart, T. Woodward. & Clifton, Charley D.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Slat Fastening. (open access)

Slat Fastening.

Patent for a new and improved slat fastener. This design consists in "[t]he combination, with the eyes, of the notched slats adapted to receive said eyes in the end notches and the hooks pivoted to the slats and adapted to engage the eyes" (lines 64-67).
Date: July 14, 1885
Creator: Keith, Stephen Perry
System: The Portal to Texas History
Churn Dasher. (open access)

Churn Dasher.

Patent for a new and improved churn dasher. This design, "[a]s an article of manufacture, [consists in] the conical or concavo-convex churn dasher having a circular rim, the air cups or cells, the arms, and the raised nave or center portion, all of concavo-convex shape in their transverse sections" (lines 28-33).
Date: May 5, 1885
Creator: Hale, James F.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Band Cutter and Feeder for Thrashers. (open access)

Band Cutter and Feeder for Thrashers.

Patent for a new and improved feeder and band cutter for thrashers. This design consists "[i]n a band-cutter for a thrasher, the combination with the main frame, main shaft, platforms, and mechanism adapted and arranged to cut the bands, of the crank, rod, oscillating shaft provided with the crank arms . . . reciprocating rod, and depending rod" (lines 38-44).
Date: March 31, 1885
Creator: Cook, Emmanuel Thomas
System: The Portal to Texas History
Boot and Shoe Box. (open access)

Boot and Shoe Box.

Patent for a new and improved shoe box. This design "has relation to store-boxes for boots and shoes, designed to open automatically when drawn forward, and to close automatically when pushed back into place on the shelf or on the floor; and the invention consists in the construction and novel arrangement of a swinging hanger pivoted to a bearing above the box, and a slideway secured to the cover, which is hinged to the back of the box" (lines 18-27).
Date: July 22, 1884
Creator: Cook, Emmanuel T.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Boot and Shoe Box. (open access)

Boot and Shoe Box.

Patent for a new and improved box for boots and shoes. This design is "to be arranged beneath the counter, between the guide-strips upon the floor, and mounted on wheels, and provided with mechanism connected to the hinged lids of the boxes to raise the lid as the box is pulled out, and to close it when the box is pushed back to place again. This may be accomplished in several ways" (lines 26-33).
Date: November 20, 1883
Creator: Cook, Emmanuel Thomas
System: The Portal to Texas History
Churn. (open access)

Churn.

Patent for a new and improved churn. This design "provide[s] a cheap, durable, and easily-operated motor for dash-churns, and one the length of stroke of which can be varied to suit the size of the churn and the quality of the cream to be churned. [The] invention consists of a dash-lever, connecting-rod, crank and pulley shaft, and large drive-wheel, the dash-lever being made adjustable as to its length of stroke" (lines 7-15).
Date: March 14, 1882
Creator: Blackstock, John Lafayett
System: The Portal to Texas History
Tire Tightener. (open access)

Tire Tightener.

Patent for a new and improved tire tightener. This design calls for a wheel with a gap rather than a continuous ring, so a double-threaded bolt in the gap may be tightened or loosened to contract or expand the wheel and subsequently the tire.
Date: November 8, 1881
Creator: Jones, James Daniel
System: The Portal to Texas History
Wagon Bow Socket. (open access)

Wagon Bow Socket.

Patent for new and improved wagon-bow sockets. This design "furnishes a firm support for the [wagon] bow at both top and bottom of the socket, by which it is evident it will be rigidly secured against all lateral motions" (lines 38-41). This eliminates the "unsightly appearance, leaking, and other defects of the uneven height of bows so often resulting from the use of ordinary staples" (lines 44-47).
Date: December 28, 1880
Creator: Williams, Richard P.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Wind Wheel. (open access)

Wind Wheel.

Patent for a new and improved windmill. This design "consists in a novel arrangement and combination of wings or gates in a casing outside and independent of the wheel, whereby provision is made for adjusting the position of said wings, and consequently regulating the speed of the wheel, according to the force of the wind" (lines 7-13).
Date: September 21, 1880
Creator: Smith, Hilliard Bonaparte.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Grain Toller. (open access)

Grain Toller.

Patent for a new and improved grain toller. This design "consists in a novel construction of a revolving cylinder provided with cavities representing certain measures . . . separating a certain portion [of grain] to be retained as toll, and whereby, also, provision is made for varying the size of the toll-measure, so as to enable it to separate different proportions from the main body of the grain, according to the amount of toll to be taken" (lines 7-19).
Date: July 20, 1880
Creator: Wilson, William John
System: The Portal to Texas History