Bridge. (open access)

Bridge.

Patent for a bridge of "simple and strong construction in metal of very low cost and light weight, using only such materials as are easily available, being also of easy construction and well adapted to resist washouts" (lines 9-13).
Date: July 5, 1892
Creator: Kosure, Thomas H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Collecting, Conveying, and Unloading Apparatus. (open access)

Collecting, Conveying, and Unloading Apparatus.

Patent for "a new and improved apparatus for collecting, conveying, and unloading feed and water for stock and water for private use and for conveying and unloading lumber or merchandise of any kind." (Lines 12-16) Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: February 14, 1891
Creator: Rowe, Isaac N.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Churn-Dasher. (open access)

Churn-Dasher.

Patent for "reciprocating churn-dashers with rotary heads." (Lines 11-12) Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: August 5, 1891
Creator: Sterling, Isaac F.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Animal Trap. (open access)

Animal Trap.

Patent for a new and improved animal-trap. This design consists "[i]n a trap comprising a well having ingress-openings in diametrically-opposite sides, the combination, with a cage constructed to move vertically in the said well, of plates mounted in ways and constructed to slide past and cover the said openings and having connection with the cage to counterbalance the same" (lines 86-93).
Date: April 5, 1892
Creator: McLeod, Charlie Mike
System: The Portal to Texas History
Apparatus for Boring Artesian Wells. (open access)

Apparatus for Boring Artesian Wells.

Patent for a new and improved artesian-well borer. This design "has for its object to furnish a combination tool which will wear or cut the harder grades or rock frequently met with in boring wells of this class, and also to furnish a tool which will be harder than the common steel too or auger, thereby dispensing with the necessity of taking out and sharpening" (lines 13-20). It consists in "[a] fluted hemispherical mass of corundum for boring Artesian wells, said mass being provided with cutting-edges which extend from the apex to the base, [and] a metallic core embedded within the mass" (lines 16-20).
Date: April 5, 1892
Creator: Brown, Frank O.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Liquid-Transferring Device for Vessels. (open access)

Liquid-Transferring Device for Vessels.

Patent for an "improved apparatus in position for transferring liquid from one vessel to another," (lines 10-12) with instructions and illustrations.
Date: October 24, 1890
Creator: Franklin, Edward A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Mechanical Motor. (open access)

Mechanical Motor.

Patent for a new and improved motor. This design "is to produce a simple, convenient, and efficient foot-power having a single pedal accessible from each side of the motor or a double pedal accessible at the end to an operator facing the machine" (lines 14-19). It consists "of a horizontal rock-shaft extending lengthwise of the machine, a horizontal connecting-piece running diagonally of and rigidly secured to said shaft, a seat for the operator, a pedal rigidly secured to said rock-shaft, said pedal serving as a single or double pedal and so arranged that the operator shall face the device" (lines 94-101).
Date: July 5, 1892
Creator: Cochins, George
System: The Portal to Texas History
Post Hole Auger. (open access)

Post Hole Auger.

Patent for a new and improved post-hole auger. This design "is adapted to be attached to a cart or wagon and moved from place to place thereon in line with the proposed operating fence and operated to bore post-holes without the necessity of detaching it from the wagon, whereby the machine may be readily transported and arranged in position for use" (lines 14-20). It consists, "with a wagon having brackets secured to one side thereof, of a vertically-sliding frame moving within said brackets and carrying an earth-auger and gearing for actuating said auger" (lines 14-18).
Date: April 5, 1892
Creator: Cryer, Henry M.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Gate. (open access)

Gate.

Patent for an improvement to the construction of sliding gates that will "enable them to be readily opened by persons on horses and in vehicles and to be closed by them after passing through the gate." (Lines 12-15) Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: October 6, 1891
Creator: Shannon, Jefferson C.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Sash Fastener. (open access)

Sash Fastener.

Patent for a new and improved sash fastener. This design consists, "with the sliding latch provided with a handle, of a pivoted stop having a portion to engage said handle and a cam portion at its pivot end and an elongated hole in which the pivot works" (lines 18-22).
Date: July 5, 1892
Creator: Bomar, Thomas B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Road Graveling and Grading Machine. (open access)

Road Graveling and Grading Machine.

Patent for "an improved machine which will distribute gravel upon the road and level the same at one time," (lines 9-11) including instructions and illustrations.
Date: May 25, 1891
Creator: Huebner, George
System: The Portal to Texas History
Roller-Index. (open access)

Roller-Index.

Patent for "improvements in combined spring-rollers and cabinet for ledger-index sheets," (lines 10-12) with instructions and illustrations.
Date: July 6, 1891
Creator: Nance, John D.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Sad Iron Heater. (open access)

Sad Iron Heater.

Patent for a new and improved iron heater. This design "consists of an elliptical iron-receiver adapted to fit within a stove-opening, the upper edge of which is provided with a surrounding flange adapted to rest upon the edge of the opening and thus support the receiver depending below said opening, a pair of openings formed in the top of the receiver, each of said openings being provided at opposite edges with iron handle-receiving pairs of notches, a pin extending from the top of the receiver opposite one of the notches" (lines 90-100).
Date: April 5, 1892
Creator: Thomason, Sue
System: The Portal to Texas History
Seed-Cotton Receiver (open access)

Seed-Cotton Receiver

Patent for seed cotton receivers so that each gin receives a specific amount of cotton, allowing it to self-regulate.
Date: July 5, 1892
Creator: Schulze, Andrew
System: The Portal to Texas History
Poise for Scale-Beams. (open access)

Poise for Scale-Beams.

Patent for scale-beams to balance "for the poise or its suspending attachment to move on when being adjusted to weight" (lines 10-13) including illustration.
Date: January 5, 1892
Creator: Wilkening, Gustav
System: The Portal to Texas History
Plow. (open access)

Plow.

Patent for improvements to double plows, so that they are pivotally connected and can move independently of the other. Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: August 27, 1891
Creator: Payne, Hiram Ezkiel
System: The Portal to Texas History
Rein Holder. (open access)

Rein Holder.

Patent for a new and improved rein holder. This design consists in "[a] rein-holder made from a piece of spring sheet metal, having a base-plate provided with means for attachment to a flat surface and having projections struck up at each side of the tongue and extending lengthwise the base, and a spring tongue bent upward from the lower end of the plate and normally lying between the line of the projections to hold a rein" (lines 56-64).
Date: July 5, 1892
Creator: Shurmon, James D.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oscillating Gate. (open access)

Oscillating Gate.

Patent for "rotary oscillating gates, in which the gate oscillates to close the way or open the same, as may be desired by the operator." (Lines 9-11) Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: August 18, 1891
Creator: Terry, Cyrus
System: The Portal to Texas History
Pea or Bean Thrasher. (open access)

Pea or Bean Thrasher.

Patent for a new and improved pea or bean thrasher. This design consists, "with the main frame, having a removable top and an inclined bottom containing the thrashing concave and cylinder, of the fan-chamber and fan, the air-chamber having an aperture intermediate of the fan-chamber and concave, and means . . . for rotating said cylinder and fan" (lines 5-12).
Date: April 5, 1892
Creator: Grayson, William Henry
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cake-Baking Pan. (open access)

Cake-Baking Pan.

Patent for a device "which will afford the means to bake form-cakes of different varieties in a perfect manner in the oven," (lines 9-11) including instructions and illustrations.
Date: May 11, 1891
Creator: McDaniel, Mary E.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cradle. (open access)

Cradle.

Patent for a new and improved cradle. This design "has for its object to provide a hanging cradle suspended from its [frame] . . . being arranged in such a manner whereby the cradle is capable of being moved . . . in an easy, uniform, and steady motion without the danger of tilting over" (lines 8-16). It consists in "[a] swinging cradle comprising the folding end bars, the cross-bar having a depressed portion and end projections forming the pivotal axes for the bars, the catches pivoted to the end bars and adapted to engage the depressed part of the bar . . . and the spring-suspensions" (lines 12-18).
Date: July 5, 1892
Creator: Meek, James H.
System: The Portal to Texas History