Resource Type

Band-Cutter and Feeder (open access)

Band-Cutter and Feeder

Patent for "new and useful improvements in band-cutters and feeders" (lines 6-7).
Date: February 26, 1889
Creator: King, Charlie C. & Trimble, Alonzo D.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Combined Cultivator and Planter. (open access)

Combined Cultivator and Planter.

Patent for a new and improved cultivator and planter. This design consists in "the combination of the box having the slot and the three apertures in the side of the slot . . . the reciprocating seed-slide, and the sliding and adjustable plate . . . having the slot near its end and engaging with the free leg of the staple" (lines 100-110).
Date: February 26, 1889
Creator: Carter, Edward D.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Clevis. (open access)

Clevis.

Patent for a new and improved clevis. This design "is to provide a clevis with a series of attaching-loops whereby the line of draft may be changed as circumstances may require, to bring the line of draft to either side of the plow-beam, or above or below the same, and to provide a clevis with a centrally-located attaching-loop, to be used where a direct or central draft is needed" (lines 11-18).
Date: January 26, 1886
Creator: Dunn, Henry Frankling
System: The Portal to Texas History
Buggy Top Support. (open access)

Buggy Top Support.

Patent for a new and improved support for buggy-tops. This design "relates to supports for the tops of buggies or other vehicles, and has for its object to provide a simple, inexpensive, effective, and durable device for attachment to the folding braces of the vehicle-tops to prevent the accidental folding of the top when the vehicles are on the road" (lines 7-13).
Date: January 26, 1886
Creator: Finney, James T.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Apparatus for Cleaning and Handling Seed-Cotton (open access)

Apparatus for Cleaning and Handling Seed-Cotton

Patent for "improved means for conveying seed-cotton from wagons or store-houses to a series of gins, to clean it during its passage, and to avoid clogging the gins or the devices themselves by rapid feeding of the cotton" (lines 14-18).
Date: November 26, 1889
Creator: Elam, William E.; Thomas, Robert S. & Hardwick, Sauny W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Toy Race-Course. (open access)

Toy Race-Course.

Patent for toy race-course.
Date: April 26, 1887
Creator: Cordray, Henry A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Dental Chair. (open access)

Dental Chair.

Patent for a dental chair improvement.
Date: April 26, 1887
Creator: Stiles, Edmund P.
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 shaft journaled at its lower end in the ordinary draw-bar and at its upper end in a bracket . . . and in the combination therewith of a brace . . . adapted to support the lower end of said shaft, a hook placed between the brace and the draw-bar, and a spring surrounding the shaft and arranged to hold the shaft and hook normally . . . It also further consists in . . . the hook, . . . a spring-actuated uncoupling-rod extending through a bracket . . . and a retaining-latch. . . adapted to hold the said rod in a retracted position" (lines 22-37).
Date: July 26, 1887
Creator: De May, Eugene A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Combined Handle and Toilet Case. (open access)

Combined Handle and Toilet Case.

Patent for a new and improved toiletry case. This design consists in "[a] combined hollow parasol or umbrella handle and toilet-case, consisting of an ornamental hollow case having an end opening for the reception of a parasol or umbrella stick, its opposite end provided with a rigid extension-ring, a hinged cover provided with a mirror on its inner face and working against the tension of a coiled spring, and an end lip to said cover to contact with end spring secured to said case, the internal portion of said case divided to receive visiting-cards, face-powder, pads, a curved spring, and cloth-lining" (lines 20-31).
Date: July 26, 1887
Creator: Myers, Ida Louise
System: The Portal to Texas History
Box for Meat and Oil Presses (open access)

Box for Meat and Oil Presses

Patent for box for meat and oil presses. This box prevents meat from adhering to the box by using a lining, preferably sheet metal (p. 2). This keeps the box from breaking.
Date: May 26, 1885
Creator: Culberston, John J., of Paris, Texas; O'Connell, John C., of Montgomery, Alabama & Gaston, Bernard, of Paris, Texas
System: The Portal to Texas History
Bed Clothes Clamp. (open access)

Bed Clothes Clamp.

Patent for a new and improved clamp. This design consists in "[t]he combination, with a suitable clasp for holding the bed-clothes and its link, of the means for adjustably securing it to the bed-rail, consisting of a rod, having its lower end screw-threaded and provided with a nut and washer, and having on its upper end a hook-shaped projection that is adapted to pass over and around the upper edge of the bed-rail, and is provided with an eye . . . for connection with the clamp" (lines 65-74).
Date: May 26, 1885
Creator: Kiam, Benjamin
System: The Portal to Texas History
Churn Motor. (open access)

Churn Motor.

Patent for a new and improved churn motor. This design "consists in [a] novel construction and arrangement of parts . . . The machine . . . is so constructed that it gives to the dasher a perpendicular long or short stroke, and that it may be sunk deep or shallow in the milk; and the machine may be run at the greatest speed with but little friction, and without the danger of its parts becoming loosened, and by means of its apron and attachment . . . it holds the churn in place" (lines 16-26).
Date: February 26, 1884
Creator: Nevel, William A. & Fisher, George W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Burglar Alarm. (open access)

Burglar Alarm.

Patent for a new and improved burglar alarm. This design "consists in the combination of the lock-frame with a pivoted plate which is connected to it at one end, and which plate carries the nipple to receive the catch, and is provided with sharp points to catch in the jamb of the door, with a sidewise-moving trigger, which is operated by the door, and a set-screw for securing the lock-plate in position upon the door" (lines 13-21).
Date: June 26, 1883
Creator: Wright, William Henry
System: The Portal to Texas History
Animal Trap. (open access)

Animal Trap.

Patent for a new and improved animal trap. This design "consists in the combination of a suitable frame upon which a revolver or pistol is secured, a treadle which is secured to the front end of this frame, and a suitable spring and levers, by which the fire-arm is discharged when the animal steps upon the treadle" (lines 14-20).
Date: December 26, 1882
Creator: Williams, James Alexander
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car-Coupling. (open access)

Car-Coupling.

Patent for automatic car-coupling for passenger and freight cars.
Date: April 26, 1887
Creator: Ferguson, George Jones
System: The Portal to Texas History
Latch and Lock Combined. (open access)

Latch and Lock Combined.

Patent for a new and improved latch and lock. This design consists "[i]n a lock, the combination, with the bushing extending through and rigidly secured to the door and having a screw-thread on its inner end, of the lock-case having the circular screw-threaded aperture into which the threaded end of the bushing is screwed, the spring-actuated bolt and knob-spindle connected therewith, and the outer plate having the notch engaging with the lug on the case, and the downwardly projecting side-pieces [and] provided with screw-holes" (lines 75-85).
Date: March 26, 1889
Creator: Overton, Thomas
System: The Portal to Texas History
Vehicle Wheel. (open access)

Vehicle Wheel.

Patent for a new and improved vehicle wheel. This design "consists of a hub formed of a tube provided with an annular shoulder, and having its outer end threaded, on which threaded end a nut is screwed, between the wider inner end of which the nut and the shoulder of the tube the inner ends of the spokes are clamped, cushion bands and rings and metal bands and rings being interposed between the ends and sides of the spokes and the tube, its shoulder, and the inner end of the nut" (lines 11-20).
Date: September 26, 1882
Creator: Drauly, Charles
System: The Portal to Texas History
Kitchen Scale. (open access)

Kitchen Scale.

Patent for a new and improved kitchen scale. This design "introduces a pivoted stirrup into the yoke on the tray-rod, said stirrup being pivoted to and suspended from the beam. By this means, the stirrup and beam can vibrate in the yoke without disturbing the perpendicularity of the tray-rod" (lines 62-67).
Date: June 26, 1883
Creator: Solomon, Thomas Durham
System: The Portal to Texas History
Insect Trap. (open access)

Insect Trap.

Patent for a new and improved ant trap. This design "consists in forming the trough of a quadrangular form, and V-shaped in cross-section, with the plates of the opposite sections of the trough forming wedges adapted to be forced into the ground around the mouth of the ant-hill and securely anchor the trap in the ground" (lines 41-46).
Date: June 26, 1883
Creator: Bunnell, James F.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Umbrella. (open access)

Umbrella.

Patent for a new and improved sun umbrella. This design is "adapted to be attached to the person of the wearer, consisting of the top or cap piece having the projecting studs or pivots, fixed ribs, fastened rigidly in the back part of the cap, fixed supports bent to form the bulge and adapted to be fastened with their lower ends in a suitable brace or support, and moveable ribs arranged in pairs and pivoted upon the studs or pivots" (lines 73-81).
Date: May 26, 1885
Creator: Egan, William
System: The Portal to Texas History
Wire Tightener. (open access)

Wire Tightener.

Patent for a new and improved wire tightener. This design consists in "the combination of the disks or sections connected by the central bar, the oppositely-pointing lever-arms, the transverse pin fitting into corresponding openings in the disks or sections on one side of the central bar, the locking-pin adapted to fit into any two corresponding openings of the concentric series of openings made in the disks, and a rope or similar device connecting the wire to be stretched with the disks and their connections" (lines 93-103).
Date: April 26, 1887
Creator: Boyd, James W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Wire Stretcher. (open access)

Wire Stretcher.

Patent for a new and improved wire stretcher. This design "consists in the combination of a slotted lever provided with points at one end to catch against the side of the post and a hook over which one end of the chain is fastened, a sliding frame, a reel or drum, pawls, a guiding-pulley, a wire or chain, to which the clamp is secured, and a chain for fastening the stretcher to the post . . . [it] is to provide a slotted handle a sliding frame . . . so that when the strain of the wire being stretched is brought to bear upon the frame it will tighten" (lines 13-26).
Date: July 26, 1887
Creator: Dunbar, William E.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Water Elevator Chain. (open access)

Water Elevator Chain.

Patent for a new and improved water-elevator chain. This design "has relation to that class of water-elevators in which the buckets are connected to an endless chain formed of wire, the several links being connected to each other by loops or eyes formed thereon; and the object thereof is to improve the construction of this class of wire chains, whereby the bearings for the links are greatly increased and strengthened and the general construction of the chain rendered more durable, also the links more conveniently coupled together or uncoupled without injury thereto" (lines 17-28).
Date: July 26, 1887
Creator: Mayfield, William Dudley
System: The Portal to Texas History
Well-Drilling Machine (open access)

Well-Drilling Machine

Patent for improvements in the construction and design of well-drilling machines.
Date: June 26, 1888
Creator: Moore, John F.
System: The Portal to Texas History