Ant-Trap. (open access)

Ant-Trap.

Patent for a new type of ant trap that captures ants by having them crawl up a wooden central chamber and then fall into a sheer metal pit. Includes illustrations.
Date: December 8, 1891
Creator: Walker, Stephen A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Churn. (open access)

Churn.

Patent for improvements on a churn design, in particular for churns with a vertical dasher that have reciprocating motion.
Date: October 27, 1891
Creator: Henderson, Henry Thomas
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cloth Bucket or Vessel. (open access)

Cloth Bucket or Vessel.

Patent for a cloth bucket or vessel to place milk or water in to keep it cool when ice is not available. One places the bucket in the shade and the air circulates freely through the bucket. The bucket is thick enough that it will not drip, but is breathable to allow aeration and evaporation.
Date: January 14, 1896
Creator: Slack, Robert A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Combined Barrel Truck and Support. (open access)

Combined Barrel Truck and Support.

Patent for "a combination of devices for hoisting and hauling and supporting barrels and other receptacles for use in stores and other places" (lines 8-11).
Date: February 9, 1897
Creator: Hoff, John P.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Design for Cam Wheel. (open access)

Design for Cam Wheel.

Patent for A Cam-Wheel that has opposite reversely disposed duplicate lobes of segmental form.
Date: March 8, 1898
Creator: Wheeler, Andrew Jackson
System: The Portal to Texas History
Insect-Destroyer. (open access)

Insect-Destroyer.

Patent for an insect destroyer consisting of a steam-generator used with "removable drawers forming the fire-box and ash-pan of the generator, a safety-valve connected with the steam-boiler, and a novel form and construction of flexible discharge-tube, the same being provided with a cut-off device and with a socket-piece adapted to receive a handle by means of which the discharge end of the flexible tube may be elevated and conducted to any desired point" (lines 12-21).
Date: March 24, 1896
Creator: Maddux, Richard Calvin
System: The Portal to Texas History
Pan or Lid Lifter. (open access)

Pan or Lid Lifter.

Patent for a new and useful pan or lid lifter, including instructions and illustrations.
Date: September 5, 1899
Creator: Jones, George W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Pneumatic Conveyer. (open access)

Pneumatic Conveyer.

Patent for pneumatic conveyer using cars, cylindrically-shaped runners, tracks, and lubrication device, including illustrations.
Date: January 3, 1893
Creator: Vernon, William E.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Vehicle-Hub. (open access)

Vehicle-Hub.

Patent for improvements to vehicle wheel hubs, with instructions and illustrations.
Date: January 12, 1892
Creator: Jones, George W. & Green, Furney F.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Wash Boiler (open access)

Wash Boiler

Patent for improvement on boiler washing machines so that steam is produced in conical chambers underneath a false bottom thus producing steam in less time and stirring the clothes as steam is vented upward and out of said chambers.
Date: January 24, 1893
Creator: Medley, John Alfred
System: The Portal to Texas History
Washing-Machine (open access)

Washing-Machine

Patent for improvements on washing machines in order "to simplify and improve the construction of washing-machines and to provide one which will remove the dirt from fabrics without inj uring the latter and which may be conveniently operated with a minimum amount of exertion on the part of the operator" (lines 10-16).
Date: October 4, 1892
Creator: Elkins, William Franklin
System: The Portal to Texas History
Water-Motor (open access)

Water-Motor

Patent for water motors that aides in "the transmission of the power generated by the revolution of two or more water-wheels to a single driving-shaft" (lines 8-10).
Date: January 28, 1890
Creator: Vernon, William E.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Wire - Fence Machine. (open access)

Wire - Fence Machine.

Patent for a new and useful wire-fence machine. This design is to "provide a simple, compact, light, and comparatively inexpensive machine adapted to be transported with facility to enable a single operator to readily distribute" (line 10 - 13).
Date: January 25, 1898
Creator: Allen, John W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Wire-Stretcher. (open access)

Wire-Stretcher.

Patent for improvements in wire-stretchers by using a combination of two jaws coupled together and carrying pulleys, a cord to draw the jaws together passing around the pulleys, and a gripping device connected with the jaws to secure the wires. (Illustration is included.)
Date: July 7, 1891
Creator: Bigham, James Oliver
System: The Portal to Texas History