Acetylene Gas Machine (open access)

Acetylene Gas Machine

Patent for a new and useful improvement in gas-machines.
Date: December 14, 1897
Creator: Bryant, Henry
System: The Portal to Texas History
Animal-Poke. (open access)

Animal-Poke.

Patent for an animal-poke that is "placed over the animal's neck and provided with spurs, whereby the animal is pricked when he attempts to pass a fence or other barrier" (lines 9-12). This invention doesn't prick the animal while it is grazing and is more comfortable to wear than similar animal-pokes.
Date: January 14, 1896
Creator: Dickey, John S.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Animal-Trap. (open access)

Animal-Trap.

Patent for a new and useful animal trap, including instructions and illustrations.
Date: November 14, 1899
Creator: Johnson, Joshua J.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Apparatus for Stretching Fence-Wires. (open access)

Apparatus for Stretching Fence-Wires.

Patent for a portable manually operated apparatus that is designed to stretch wire-fence strands at right angles to tighten the full length of the strand without "kinking or twisting the fence-strand or driving staples or analagous fastenings into the fence-post" (lines 16-21) while the fence strand is tight. Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: September 14, 1897
Creator: Pyeatt, Jessie Newton.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Apparatus for Washing and Draining Dishes. (open access)

Apparatus for Washing and Draining Dishes.

Patent for a new and improved dishwasher. This design consists in "[t]he combination, with a pan provided near its top on the inner side with rigidly-attached brackets, with a tray in the form of a pan whose side and bottom portions are perforated . . . the tray being of less diameter and height than the pan and provided on its outer side near the bottom with brackets and on its upper edge with handles" (lines 94-101).
Date: January 14, 1890
Creator: Caradine, Virginia C.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Automatic Railway-Gate. (open access)

Automatic Railway-Gate.

Patent for an automatic railway-gate or cattle-guard for use "at crossings, the entrances to tunnels, bridges or trestles, or at other places where it is desirable to guard the tracks" (lines 11-13). The invention is a simple and effective way for closing gates, can be operated from a distance, and is controlled by the wheels of passing trains.
Date: August 14, 1894
Creator: Baade, John
System: The Portal to Texas History
Awning. (open access)

Awning.

Patent for a new and improved awning. This design consists in "[t]he awning frame, consisting of the pivoted curved rods, pivoted sectional braces pivotally connected to said rods, and the holding or suspending bars pivoted to said rods and having series of adjusting-apertures engaging pins or studs of said braces" (lines 74-79).
Date: January 14, 1890
Creator: Allen, William B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Awning-Bracket. (open access)

Awning-Bracket.

Patent for a rigid, strong, and adjustable to different inclinations awning-bracket meant to be permanently attached to a building. It can be folded for shipment or storage.
Date: January 14, 1896
Creator: Harry, Owen K.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Back-Pad. (open access)

Back-Pad.

Patent for an inexpensive and simple concave back-pad meant to be used between the horse and the saddle. The design of the invention makes saddles stay in place.
Date: May 14, 1895
Creator: Powell, John S.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Bale Tie (open access)

Bale Tie

Patent for a new and improved bale tie. This invention is to "provide a new and improved bale-tie which is simple and durable in construction, not liable to become accidentally unlocked, and arranged to permit its use on ordinary compresses" (line 7 - 11).
Date: December 14, 1897
Creator: Edmonston, Thomax Cole
System: The Portal to Texas History
Baling-Press. (open access)

Baling-Press.

Patent for "a double-acting [screw] baling press...capable of exerting pressure from two directions and operated by two independent mechanisms" (lines 15-18).
Date: February 14, 1893
Creator: Kenner, William Housenton
System: The Portal to Texas History
Ball-Caster. (open access)

Ball-Caster.

Patent for a new and useful ball caster, including instructions and illustrations.
Date: November 14, 1899
Creator: Carraway, Esther P. H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Biblical Game Apparatus (open access)

Biblical Game Apparatus

Patent for a new and useful game apparatus. This design is to "provide a biblical game apparatus adapted to be employed in play by two or more persons" (line 8-10).
Date: December 14, 1897
Creator: James, Will S.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Bicycle-Wheel. (open access)

Bicycle-Wheel.

Patent for an improved rear bicycle-wheel. It has one hub, two rims, two sets of spokes and tires. This invention is meant to be safer and has the qualities of a tricycle. It is meant for a woman's bicycle.
Date: January 14, 1896
Creator: Broers, Henry
System: The Portal to Texas History
Blank Book. (open access)

Blank Book.

Patent for a new and improved blank book. This design "consists in securing blank sheets to a binding forming the back of the book . . . so that the attachment and detachment of the sheets may be conveniently effected. Thus [the design] produce[s] a blank book which is particularly adapted for use of type-writers and other copyists" (lines 11-18).
Date: June 14, 1892
Creator: Burris, James W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Bottle (open access)

Bottle

Patent for a new and useful improvements in bottles. This invention is to "provide an improved vessel of this class the neck of which is formed in such manner and provided with attachments so constructed that when the vessel has been filled and the attachment applied the vessel may be emptied of its contents, but cannot be refilled or reused" (line 12- 18).
Date: December 14, 1897
Creator: Saunders, David Robert
System: The Portal to Texas History
Bridge Construction. (open access)

Bridge Construction.

Patent for a new and useful bridge construction, including instructions and illustrations.
Date: June 14, 1898
Creator: Davidson, James Allen
System: The Portal to Texas History
Broom-Rack. (open access)

Broom-Rack.

Patent for an improvement in a device to hold brooms and items with handles by simplifying the design and making it more resistant to strain.
Date: February 14, 1893
Creator: Jones, Wesley C. P.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Burglar-Alarm. (open access)

Burglar-Alarm.

Patent for a burglar-alarms by constructing “an alarm which would adapted and arranged to sound and to be operated at and by the raising of the window or opening of the door, and simultaneous with the sounding of the alarm to produce an illumination.” (Lines 10-15) Illustration is included.
Date: April 14, 1891
Creator: Canterbury, Crawford R.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cabinet-Bed (open access)

Cabinet-Bed

Patent for "a cheap and simple construction of bed of this class, adapted to be readily folded or unfolded and to provide means for automatically folding and unfolding the legs for supporting the foot of the bed-frame when said frame is raised or lowered" (lines 9-15)
Date: June 14, 1892
Creator: Hayton, John. W. & Swift, Samuel H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car-Brake. (open access)

Car-Brake.

Patent for a car brake that "automatically absorb[s] the slack in car brake connecting rods which slack is induced by the wear of the brake shoes and fastening and the stretching of the parts by the strain in applying the brake" (lines 7-12). It is adjustable, inexpensive, and adjustable.
Date: March 14, 1893
Creator: Ferguson, George J.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car-Coupling (open access)

Car-Coupling

Patent for "car-couplers of the class known as 'link-and-pin' couplers, and has for its object the provision of means whereby the coupling is effected automatically and whereby the coupling-pin is made to actuate the brake-shaft" (lines 14-19).
Date: June 14, 1892
Creator: Acuff, John
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, "with a draw-head and a pin held to slide vertically therein, of a lever pivotally connected with the said link and fulcrumed on the draw-head, a chain connected with the said lever, an eye through which passes said chain, an arm connected with the inner end of the said chain, and a transversely-extending shaft mounted to turn in suitable bearings in the car-body and carrying the said arm" (lines 15-24).
Date: October 14, 1890
Creator: Onzon, François P.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car-Coupling. (open access)

Car-Coupling.

Patent for improvements in automatic car-couplers by providing "the means for automatically coupling cars without exposing the operator to the risk and danger of going between the cars when coupling,” (lines 12-15) includes illustration.
Date: April 14, 1891
Creator: Chandler, Richard
System: The Portal to Texas History