Car-Coupling. (open access)

Car-Coupling.

Patent for a new and improved car coupler, including instructions and illustrations.
Date: July 25, 1899
Creator: Smith, Thomas Henry
System: The Portal to Texas History
Apparatus for Elevating and Cleaning Seed-Cotton. (open access)

Apparatus for Elevating and Cleaning Seed-Cotton.

Patent for a steam-powered device for cleaning seed-cotton. Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: October 10, 1891
Creator: Robinson, Albert S.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car-coupling. (open access)

Car-coupling.

Patent for a new and improved car coupling of the Janney type that increases "efficiency in service and enable[s] an operator at the side of the train to readily and with safety set the improved car-coupling to disconnect it from another of the same style" (lines 11-14), including instructions and illustrations.
Date: September 21, 1897
Creator: Smith, Thomas Henry.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Wire - Stretcher. (open access)

Wire - Stretcher.

Patent for a new and improved wire-stretcher to "attached to the wires direct or have bearing against the post, as stated, but wherein when the device is placed in engagement with the post it need not be secured thereto" (line 22 - 26).
Date: December 28, 1897
Creator: McNeill, William T.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Wire Tightener. (open access)

Wire Tightener.

Patent for a new and improved wire tightener. This design "has for its object to provide a novel, simple, economical, and efficient implement or tool for tightening wire fences by forming twists or loops in the fence-strands to take up the slack, and to provide a novel implement of this type wherein a rod or bar can be conveniently applied to increase the leverage in turning the implement to form the twists or loops" (lines 8-16).
Date: July 15, 1890
Creator: Bellah, William N.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Wire Stretcher and Tightener. (open access)

Wire Stretcher and Tightener.

Patent for a wire stretcher and tightener meant for wire fence rails. It is easy and convenient to use, and consists of a lever with a fixed pulley on one end, a rope or chain passes through the pulley, and the rope or chain has hooks attached to its ends.
Date: November 5, 1895
Creator: Farmer, Francis Marion
System: The Portal to Texas History
Wire Twister and Tightener. (open access)

Wire Twister and Tightener.

Patent for a wire twister and tightener for wire fences. With this invention, "the fence-wire is caused to be contracted, twisted, and made taut" (lines 17-18). It is a set of toothed ratchet wheels that have v-shaped slots for the wire. Pawls act on the teeth, and springs and levers move the pawls.
Date: March 17, 1896
Creator: Stafford, George A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Washing-Machine (open access)

Washing-Machine

Patent for "certain new and useful Improvements in Washing-Machines" (lines 4-5) including instructions and illustrations.
Date: November 29, 1892
Creator: Wilson, Lucindia Jane
System: The Portal to Texas History
Machine for Driving Horses. (open access)

Machine for Driving Horses.

Patent for an improved, simple, and efficient horse-whipping or driving machine that is meant to whip horses that are connected to machines that are powered by horses, such as thrashers, fans, and bark-mills. "The invention comprises a whip-carrying lever pivotally mounted on one end of the sweep-lever of a draft horse power, and means for moving said lever so that the whip will be caused to strike the draft horses" (lines 18-22).
Date: June 27, 1893
Creator: Williams, Samuel
System: The Portal to Texas History
Machine for Sharpening and Gumming Saws. (open access)

Machine for Sharpening and Gumming Saws.

Patent for a machine that sharpens and gums saws for cotton-gins. It does so quickly and does not fatigue the operator. It automatically feeds "the saws so as to bring the teeth successively into position to be operated upon, and which will cut the teeth uniformly, thereby preserving the circular outline of the saws and preserving the teeth of a uniform length and appearance" (lines 15-20).
Date: July 14, 1896
Creator: Hulme, William A. & Hulme, Thomas B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Insecticide. (open access)

Insecticide.

Patent for certain new and useful improvements in insecticides, including instructions and illustrations.
Date: June 14, 1898
Creator: Carmichaelm, Joseph B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Stirrup. (open access)

Stirrup.

Patent for certain new and useful improvements in stirrups, including instructions and illustrations.
Date: June 20, 1899
Creator: Dickerman, Daniel Frederick.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Stirrup (open access)

Stirrup

Patent for a new and useful improvement in stirrup. This design is " an improvement in stirrups, and has for an object to so construct the stirrup as to prevent the strap-bar" (line 7-9).
Date: December 7, 1897
Creator: Wilson, William Henry
System: The Portal to Texas History
Milk-Cooler. (open access)

Milk-Cooler.

Patent for a new and useful milk cooler, including instructions and illustrations.
Date: October 31, 1899
Creator: Stephens, James E.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Pneumatic Conveyer for Unloading Cotton. (open access)

Pneumatic Conveyer for Unloading Cotton.

Patent for a new and improved pneumatic conveyer. This design "relates to improvements in pneumatic conveyers of that class or style adapted for unloading cotton from a wagon and depositing it on the gin-stand or other place; and the object is to provide a machine whereby cotton may be readily, conveniently, and expeditiously taken from the wagon or other vehicle or dumping-platform and carried or conveyed through a pneumatic tube and deposited on the gin-stand or similar floor for ginning" (lines 9-19).
Date: August 23, 1892
Creator: Stafford, George A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Mowing-Machine. (open access)

Mowing-Machine.

Patent for improvements in mowing-machines by “providing a simplified means of applying the power direct to the cutter-bar by means of levers and connections,” (lines 16-18) in which will result in an easily run and quieter machine. Illustration is included.
Date: September 8, 1891
Creator: Rich, Benjaman F.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Musical Notation (open access)

Musical Notation

Patent for a notation which provides "a sheet in which the tones in their successive order of degrees by septenaries comprising the limit of the human voice from low to high pitch or from base to treble will be graphically indicated, and also to furnish a means whereby mechanical transposition of the notated characters may be effected" (lines 14-20).
Date: September 13, 1892
Creator: Robberson, John W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Gate. (open access)

Gate.

Patent for a gate that is meant "to facilitate the opening of the gate without the intervention or use of the hands; to strengthen and brace the gate so as to prevent any possible sagging thereof, the braces being extended to form part of the hinge joint; to provide and dispose a latch so that it can be easily actuated by the foot from either approach for the purpose of releasing and opening the gate; lastly, to provide a gate that will close automatically without the use of springs and which will be simple, cheap, light and give satisfactory results" (lines 14-26).
Date: November 14, 1893
Creator: Jester, Andrew Edmond & Alexander, John Gilaspie
System: The Portal to Texas History
Rotary Engine. (open access)

Rotary Engine.

Patent for an improved, simple, and durable rotary engine that operates effectively and fully utilizes the motive. It consists of a central driving shaft, a cylinder with an annular bore, a piston that fits in the bore, an arm in the driving shaft, a divided packing-ring, a gate that slides in the bore, a cam mechanism, and a piston valve.
Date: September 19, 1893
Creator: Stone, Charles H. & Stone, Alonzo
System: The Portal to Texas History
Safety Attachment for Railway Rolling - Stock. (open access)

Safety Attachment for Railway Rolling - Stock.

Patent for a new and useful safety attachment for railway rolling stock.
Date: March 8, 1898
Creator: Densler, Nat
System: The Portal to Texas History
Quilting Mechanism for Sewing-Machines. (open access)

Quilting Mechanism for Sewing-Machines.

Patent for a quilting mechanism for sewing machines that attaches to a sewing table that extends "over and above and parallel with the overhanging arm of the machine" (lines 20-22), the arm is adjustable and detachable, a track-rail is attached to the end of the arm, and a quilting-frame hangs from the sheaves.
Date: September 25, 1894
Creator: Stafford, George A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Pruning Implement. (open access)

Pruning Implement.

Patent for a simple, inexpensive, and efficient pruning implement meant to prune trees, cutting brush, and trimming hedges. It has a reciprocating knife, an improved hatchet-blade, and an extensible saw-blade "which is seated within a groove or recess in the shank of the implement and capable of being extended and held in operative position by means of a retaining-spring" (lines 16-20).
Date: November 12, 1895
Creator: Baiey, George M.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Railway Cattle-Guard. (open access)

Railway Cattle-Guard.

Patent for a new and improved railway cattle guard, including instructions and illustrations.
Date: November 8, 1898
Creator: Mathis, Charles H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Return-Envelop. (open access)

Return-Envelop.

Patent for certain new and useful improvements in return envelops, including instructions and illustrations.
Date: May 31, 1898
Creator: Carter, Jessee M.
System: The Portal to Texas History