Resource Type

Baling-Press (open access)

Baling-Press

Patent for "a simple, light, and durable press, which may be conveniently manipulated in either a vertical or horizontal position and readily transported in a field from stack to stack of hay. . .wherein the hay may be expeditiously and effectively baled by two persons" (lines 9-16).
Date: December 11, 1888
Creator: Freytag, Anton
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car Uncoupling Device. (open access)

Car Uncoupling Device.

Patent for a new and improved uncoupling device for railroad cars. This design consists in "a draw-head provided with a vertically-movable coupling-pin support and lifting frame, a spring holding the coupling-pin support in raised position, a catch for holding the pin-support in lowered position, and a lever mechanism for releasing the catch and effecting the uncoupling of a car" (lines 7-14).
Date: December 11, 1888
Creator: Rutledge, William O.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Billiard Table Leveler. (open access)

Billiard Table Leveler.

Patent for a new and improved billiard-table leveler. This design consists in "the vertical case having the closed bottom, the open upper end, and provided with the removable plate, the vertical guide-rods extending through openings in the plate, the follower in the upper end of the case and having openings to receive the guide-rods, and provided with an interiorly-threaded opening, the vertical shaft having its lower end stepped in the bottom of the case and journaled in the plate, the said shaft having the miter-pinion and the threaded upper end working in the threaded opening of the follower" (lines 58-70).
Date: May 11, 1886
Creator: Himes, Frank
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car Truck. (open access)

Car Truck.

Patent for a new and improved car-truck. This design "relates to railway-car trucks; and it consists in providing the axle inside the wheel with a supplementary journal and shoulder and a supplementary journal-box supported above the inside journal by the truck-frame, said supplementary journal-box being immediately over the inside journal and arranged so as to support the truck on the inside journal should the outside journal become broken or inoperative by means of a hot box or otherwise" (lines 10-20).
Date: September 11, 1888
Creator: Tull, Francis Shalis
System: The Portal to Texas History
Anti-Freezing Tank Valve. (open access)

Anti-Freezing Tank Valve.

Patent for a new and improved tank valve. This design consists in "[t]he combination, with the tank, its valve and lever, and valve-rod, of the frost-chamber having an annular space to receive the non-freezing compound, the stuffing-box around the rod and screw-threaded at the ends, and the screw-threaded caps . . . having necks and flanges" (lines 7-13).
Date: June 11, 1889
Creator: Barrett, William Henry
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cotton Carrier. (open access)

Cotton Carrier.

Patent for a new and improved cotton-carrier. This design consists in "the bottom having the ridged portion and the oppositely-inclined portions, said bottom being provided with a hook in front, the upright post in front for holding the lines, the posts upon the sides near the front, to which the mouth of the bag is secured to be held open, and the upright posts on the sides in the rear of the posts for holding the bags when filled" (lines 78-85).
Date: June 11, 1889
Creator: Smith, Robert Toumbleson
System: The Portal to Texas History
Blind Stop. (open access)

Blind Stop.

Patent for a new and improved blind stop. This design consists in "[t]he combination, with a shutter provided with pivotal slats, of a flat spring-metal fastening-plate provided with a slot for clearing the slat-pivot, and projections upon its surface for engaging with the end of the slat, and having its rear end secured to the shutter-frame and its front end projecting beyond the plane of the shutter-frame and forming a thumb-piece for operating said spring-plate" (lines 59-67).
Date: June 11, 1889
Creator: Wesson, Miley B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Clinical Thermometer. (open access)

Clinical Thermometer.

Patent for a new and improved thermometer. This design has "[u]pon the body of the instrument a scale, preferably equivalent to the centigrade . . . in which the zero-sign is placed at the normal temperature of the body, each degree being divided into five or ten parts according to the size of the instrument and reading supernormal and subnormal degrees" (lines 20-26).
Date: June 11, 1889
Creator: Hunstock, Robert H. & Chávez, Emigdio
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car Ventilator. (open access)

Car Ventilator.

Patent for a new and improved car-ventilator. This design consists in "an eduction pipe arranged lengthwise of the car" (lines 103-104). It further consists in a casing "at the end of the pipe, the fan-wheel mounted upon a shaft within said casing, [another] casing arranged adjacent to the [first] casing, a fan-wheel arranged within [a third] casing upon an extension of the shaft, and valves in the eduction pipe, to be opened and closed by the air" (lines 1-7).
Date: October 11, 1887
Creator: Tull, Francis Shalis
System: The Portal to Texas History
Churn. (open access)

Churn.

Patent for a new and improved churn. This design "relates to improvements in churn-powers in which suitable gearing and frame-work operate in conjunction with a vertically-reciprocating dasher; and the objects of [the] improvements are, first, to provide for the quick and convenient detaching of the churn from the driving mechanism; and, second, to afford facilities for the proper adjustment of the device to the different sizes of churns" (lines 7-16).
Date: November 11, 1884
Creator: Turner, Hiram O.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Button. (open access)

Button.

Patent for a new and improved button. This design consists "[i]n a detachable button, the combination, with the hollow threaded shank of the button-head, having end serrations, and the base-disk, having a central screw, of the loose clamp-disk, applied on the screw, and having a spring-pawl or projection to engage the serrations of the shank" (lines 70-76).
Date: March 11, 1884
Creator: Matthews, William H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Apparatus for Trimming Hooves of Animals. (open access)

Apparatus for Trimming Hooves of Animals.

Patent for a new and improved hoof trimmer. This design "consists in an upright standard or support having a concaved supporting-recess adapted to receive the animal's hoof, with parallel guide-ways arranged in rear thereof, a trimming implement moving in said guides, and so constructed as to operate upon the hoof without injury to the frog, and means for reciprocating the trimming device from either side of the animal" (lines 16-25).
Date: December 11, 1883
Creator: Mullins, Joshua C.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Mailing-Box. (open access)

Mailing-Box.

Patent for a mailing box with curves and grooves to fit the cover and securing string with illustrations and assembly instructions.
Date: May 11, 1880
Creator: Sabin, Chauncey Brewer
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car Coupling. (open access)

Car Coupling.

Patent for a new and improved design for freight car coupling. This design calls for a sliding block, with the assistance of metal pins, to lock the link between two freight cars firmly in place. This eliminates the possibility of accidental disconnect.
Date: January 11, 1881
Creator: Upson, Bolivar J.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Bed Attachment for Invalids. (open access)

Bed Attachment for Invalids.

Patent for a new and improved bed attachment for bed-ridden persons. This design "consists, principally, of a frame, hinged between the side boards of the bedstead, said frame having a removable seat and adapted to be brought to a vertical position for supporting the [bed-ridden person] in a sitting position. The invention also consists in the construction and arrangement of parts" (lines 10-16).
Date: October 11, 1881
Creator: Brown, Joshua Perry
System: The Portal to Texas History
Bale Tile. (open access)

Bale Tile.

Patent for a new and improved bale-tie. This design "consists, principally, of a bale-tie jaw stamped from sheet metal and formed with an open hook at one end standing in front of a curved edge, with an opening at the other for attachment to the bale-hoop, said opening being shaped to permit the jaw to have a pivotal side motion upon the hoop. The invention also consists of the combination of two of such jaws applied to the bale-hoop to form a complete tie" (lines 7-16).
Date: January 11, 1887
Creator: Rylander, William P.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car-Coupling (open access)

Car-Coupling

Patent for an improved car-coupling, including illustrations.
Date: January 11, 1887
Creator: Young, James D.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car Coupling. (open access)

Car Coupling.

Patent for a new and improved coupling for railroad cars. This design consists in "a draw-head having a slotted top and a recessed bottom, of a transverse slotted bar journaled in bearings, one end being extended for the attachment of a handle, and the headless coupling-pin having the reduced or flattened portion to permit of its ready insertion and withdrawal from the transverse bar" (lines 73-80).
Date: January 11, 1887
Creator: Dial, Augustus A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Lock (open access)

Lock

Patent for "improvements in locks, having special reference to locks for the doors of freight-cars; and it has for its object to provide a strong lock so constructed as to be comparatively safe from the attacks of lockpickers" (lines 8-13).
Date: September 11, 1888
Creator: Bergman, John
System: The Portal to Texas History
Induction Coil. (open access)

Induction Coil.

Patent for a new and improved induction coil. This design consists in "[t]he combination of the bent core, the primary and secondary coils wound thereon, the adjustable armature connected to one pole (to form an extension thereof) and extending over the opposite pole, and the set-screw for moving the free end of the armature toward or from the disconnected pole to establish or break the magnetic circuit" (lines 5-12).
Date: June 11, 1889
Creator: Brown, Fred H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Insecticide (open access)

Insecticide

Patent for a compound for destroying weevils, rats and mice.
Date: July 11, 1882
Creator: Wheeler, John H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Vehicle Hub. (open access)

Vehicle Hub.

Patent for a new and improved vehicle wheel. This design "consists in the peculiar construction, combination, and arrangement of the parts, whereby a single damaged spoke may be removed and a new spoke inserted without releasing the several spokes comprising the wheel" (lines 11-16).
Date: November 11, 1884
Creator: Miller, Thomas S.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Knockdown Barrel. (open access)

Knockdown Barrel.

Patent for a new and improved knockdown barrel. This design "is to provide a cheap and easily constructed knockdown barrel for shipping fruit and other commodities. [The] improvement consists of the construction and arrangement of parts" (lines 7-11).
Date: November 11, 1884
Creator: Miller, James Harison
System: The Portal to Texas History
Two Wheeled Vehicle. (open access)

Two Wheeled Vehicle.

Patent for a new and improved vehicle. This design "is to provide a vehicle in which a person can ride over rough ground without serious inconvenience or discomfort incident to travel over such roads. . . . [and] to so construct a gig that a person can get into the same without serious inconvenience, and to this end it is made low, the rear of the shafts being extended in line with the axle and the step secured to the shaft and extending somewhat below it. . . . [and] to provide a gig with springs that will work in two directions—laterally and vertically" (lines 20-34).
Date: May 11, 1886
Creator: Buckel, Charles
System: The Portal to Texas History