Trace Carrier. (open access)

Trace Carrier.

Patent for a new and improved trace carrier. This design consists, "with the back-band and its depending loop, of the . . . improved trace-carrier, consisting of the inverted-U-shaped carrier-frame terminating in opposite trace-receiving eyes, and the V-shaped bifurcating tongue, the lower end of which is adapted to engage a link of the trace-chain and the upper branches or bifurcations of which are bent to form eyes, loosely receiving the frame intermediate its terminals and at each side of the loop" (lines 72-82).
Date: February 25, 1890
Creator: Strole, James P.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Wagon (open access)

Wagon

Patent for "relates to the construction of wagon beds or bodies; and it has for'its object to provide a simple means for bracing such beds-or bodies to prevent the sides thereof from spreading under a load, and whereby the heavy standards usually employed may be dispensed with" (lines 23-30).
Date: March 18, 1890
Creator: Haupt, William W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Horse Collar Fastener. (open access)

Horse Collar Fastener.

Patent for a new and improved horse-collar fastener. This design "relates to certain new and useful improvements in horse-collar fastenings of that class designed to lock the two sides of the horse-collar and to permit of the ready separation thereof to facilitate the placing and removal of the collar when desired; and it has for its object to provide a simple and cheap device of this character wherein provision shall be made for the retention of the lever against the catch, and also means for preventing the drawing of the screws" (lines 15-26).
Date: April 1, 1890
Creator: Bomar, Thomas B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Wagon Attachment. (open access)

Wagon Attachment.

Patent for a new and improved wagon attachment. This design "relates to hay frames or racks for use with the ordinary box wagon-bodies; and it has for its object to provide a light frame or rack of simple construction adapted for adjustment to wagon boxes or bodies of different width and so constructed as to be folded in a compact form. To these ends the invention consists in a foldable hay frame or rack adapted to fit into a wagon-body and adapted for adjustment to such body; also, in structural features and combination of parts" (lines 19-30).
Date: April 8, 1890
Creator: Haupt, William W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Hay Rack. (open access)

Hay Rack.

Patent for a new and improved hay rack. This design consists "[i]n a hay-frame adapted for application to a wagon-body, the combination of the base-bars, the standards or uprights . . . having outward extensions at their upper ends, provided with stop shoulders or hooks, and the side arms having their inner sections pivoted to said uprights at a point in from the stop shoulders and arranged to rest on said shoulders when turned outward . . . and the fastening bolts engaging said uprights" (lines 77-89).
Date: July 1, 1890
Creator: Wilkerson, John L.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Plow. (open access)

Plow.

Patent for a new and improved plow. This design "has for its object to construct a plow with a detachable point, which may be removed from the plow in an easy and convenient manner and which may be held securely attached to the plow without the use of bolts" (lines 8-13). It consists in "the combination of a pair of clamping-plates, a seat or base-plate having a downwardly-extending flange secured between the front ends of said plates, said base-plate being provided with a transverse slot, the mold-board and point provided at their meeting edges with flanges" (lines 85-91).
Date: August 26, 1890
Creator: Messer, Jeremiah C.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Sash Holder. (open access)

Sash Holder.

Patent for a new and improved sash-holder. This design consists in "[t]he combination, with the wire having an inclined portion and offsets . . . of the plate separate therefrom and having a vertical portion adapted to be secured to a window-frame, a horizontal portion to which the upper end of the wire is secured, a depending portion, and a roller free to ride upon the inclined portion of the wire and formed with a hub and rubber bands, one upon each end of the hub and sprung into grooves in the hub" (lines 84-94).
Date: September 16, 1890
Creator: Stukes, John Marion
System: The Portal to Texas History
Sash Balance. (open access)

Sash Balance.

Patent for a new and improved sash balance. This design consists in "[t]he combination of a window-frame provided with the pulleys . . . sash provided with the grooves, and [the other] pulleys working in said grooves, and cord having one end attached to the upper part of the frame . . . passing thence under [the latter] pulleys in the upper sash, thence over [the second] pulley" (lines lines 81-87).
Date: November 4, 1890
Creator: Cayce, Henry P.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Tire-Tightener. (open access)

Tire-Tightener.

Patent for improvements in tire tighteners by using wedges with longitudinal ridges, longitudinal tapering ridges or webs, together “with a wheel-rim, clamps arranged in pairs upon each side of the felly-joint, the clamps consisting of plates have a fluted or corrugated inner surface …., the extension of the registering plates being connected by transverse bolts.” (lines 37-45) Illustration is included.
Date: March 31, 1891
Creator: Reeves, Alexander Marion
System: The Portal to Texas History
Snap-Hook. (open access)

Snap-Hook.

Patent for improvements in snap-hooks by using just one “single piece of wire, having a stationary arm that bent to form an inwardly-extending shank with its extremity bent in a reverse direction upon itself to form a bearing; the spring-arm and the spring-loop formed by coiling the wire upon itself and crossing, and extending outward at an angle to form shoulders to strengthen the hook immediately in front of the spring-loop.” (Lines 61-70) Illustration is included.
Date: April 28, 1891
Creator: Stukes, John Marion
System: The Portal to Texas History
Quilting-Frame for Sewing-Machines. (open access)

Quilting-Frame for Sewing-Machines.

Patent for improvement in quilting-frames by providing “screw-eyes on the end pieces of the frame for the purpose of holding the frame together and at the same time serving to run in the rollers to carry the frame along,” (Lines 25-31) and an interchangeable roller-gages would enable either straight or curved or fancy quilting to be done. Illustration is included.
Date: July 14, 1891
Creator: Stukes, John Marion
System: The Portal to Texas History
Meat-Cutter. (open access)

Meat-Cutter.

Patent for a meat-cutter designed for making meat tender by "running it back and forth under the knives and cutting the meat both ways," (lines 30-31) including illustrations.
Date: November 17, 1891
Creator: Ricks, Tillmon Perry
System: The Portal to Texas History
Snap-Hook. (open access)

Snap-Hook.

Patent for improvements in snap-hooks in which it “formed of a single blank of wire and consisting of the strap-receiving loop having the long and the short terminal, the latter at its end bent or coiled about the former and the former extended to form an eye and the former extended to form an eye and rear-wardly disposed and terminating in rear of the point of connection between the terminals and opposite said point provided with the inward bend 6, forming a passage narrower than the width of the ring.” (Lines 67-77) Illustration is included.
Date: November 24, 1891
Creator: Whitby, William H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Fumigator. (open access)

Fumigator.

Patent for an improved fumigator that's primary purpose is to kill insects within corn storage units without damaging either the corn or the building. Illustration included.
Date: December 1, 1891
Creator: Bozarth, Stephen P.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Sash-Fastener (open access)

Sash-Fastener

Patent for a new sash fastener, so that the fastener itself is improved upon by the implimentation of a half-hollow cylindar. "The purpose of this cylinder is more for appearance than any actual service, because when the lock is put on the rail of the sash, as shown in Fig. 1, part of it will be seen through the glass from the outside, and the cylinder can be made ornamental and would look much neater than the lock would without it" (lines 87-89)
Date: July 19, 1892
Creator: McClellan, Stephen
System: The Portal to Texas History
Attachment for Pianos or Organs (open access)

Attachment for Pianos or Organs

Patent for "an attachment that can be used on pianos or organs, whereby the manipulation of the keys is greatly facilitated and playing upon the instrument greatly simplified, and the attachment is especially designed for those who do not to any great extent understand music or beginners who find it difficult to make the several chords in any particular key, the device being capable of ready attachment to the keyboard of any piano or organ and removed when not required for use" (lines 27-37).
Date: August 9, 1892
Creator: Stukes, John M.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Permutation-Padlock. (open access)

Permutation-Padlock.

Patent for an improved and simple combination padlock that only opens if the operator knows the combination, and it can be used with watch charms, bracelet locks, valises, trunks, bicycles, tool chests, writing desks, store rooms, and similar articles.
Date: April 18, 1893
Creator: Sanderson, Benjamin A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Fire-Extinguisher for Cotton-Gins. (open access)

Fire-Extinguisher for Cotton-Gins.

Patent for an improved, simple, and durable fire extinguisher that can be used quickly conveniently, and effectively to extinguish a fire in a cotton gin. The extinguisher is built into the gin. The gin has a hole in its top, a lint chute on one side, a valve that closes the hole, a valve that closes the lint chute, a connection between the valves, and a rope that connects the valves to a guide.
Date: May 30, 1893
Creator: Northcraft, Edward
System: The Portal to Texas History
Automatic Drop-Lid for Bins or Boxes. (open access)

Automatic Drop-Lid for Bins or Boxes.

Patent for "boxes or bins for store counters and shelves; and it has for its object to provide certain improvements in the lid devices for boxes or bins, so as to avoid the many objections to hinged lids, which interfere with free access to the interior of the box or bin when the same is used under the counter or on shelves" (lines 8-15).
Date: August 1, 1893
Creator: Dailey, Basil
System: The Portal to Texas History
Brace for Boring Holes, &c. (open access)

Brace for Boring Holes, &c.

Patent for a brace for boring holes through window sashes. It was invented "to enable [the inventor] the more quickly and better to apply my "sash lock", patented July 19, 1892, and numbered 479,152, but may be used for other purposes" (lines 20-23).
Date: February 13, 1894
Creator: McClellan, Stephen
System: The Portal to Texas History
Hose-Coupling. (open access)

Hose-Coupling.

Patent for a hose-coupling that is "simple and economic in construction and which shall be capable of rapid and ready action without use of any tool for manipulating the same" (lines 14-17).
Date: March 19, 1895
Creator: Goodspeed, Henry
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cotton Loading and Weighing Device. (open access)

Cotton Loading and Weighing Device.

Patent for a simple, inexpensive, and efficient cotton loading and weighing device for wagons. It can be easily put onto or removed from any wagon. This invention has a unique way of "clamping-loop or wire support by means of which the main inclined beam or support of the device is firmly and securely upheld and braced with relation to the tail-gate of a wagon with which said clamping frame or loop is adapted to engage" (lines 25-31).
Date: January 7, 1896
Creator: Paolucci, Henry Emanuel
System: The Portal to Texas History
Baling-Press. (open access)

Baling-Press.

Patent for a simple and efficient baling-press that has an improved press-box and plunger-operating power. The connections between the power and the plunger will be lighter and the feed-opening of the press-box will be closed automatically. The machine has a continuously-rotating operating wheel that allows for an easier way to engage and disengage the pitman.
Date: April 7, 1896
Creator: Franks, Lewis W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Hay-Press. (open access)

Hay-Press.

Patent for a hay-press where "the plunger or traverser is arranged in a suitable frame and is drawn toward its rearward position by means of a spring. rods are connected to the opposite sides of the plunger or traverser, and these are in turn connected to a cross-head, which in turn is connected with a pitman provided on its outer end with a hook that engages mechanism to give it a motion which imparts a reciprocating motion to the plunger" (lines 15-25).
Date: September 8, 1896
Creator: McIntosh, Alexander
System: The Portal to Texas History