Improvement in Plows. (open access)

Improvement in Plows.

Patent for improved plow-stock applying multiple plow-irons to the same plow-frame.
Date: February 11, 1873
Creator: Love, John
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Portable Fences. (open access)

Improvement in Portable Fences.

Patent for portable fencing with sections that can be connected and set up in a particular area, or removed and put elsewhere at will.
Date: April 21, 1874
Creator: Griffin, James Lee
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Plows. (open access)

Improvement in Plows.

Patent for a new and improved turn-plow which "consists in several features of improvement, by which the preparation and tillage of soil may be done at less the usual expense, and more than the usual convenience to the farmer." (lines 13-18) including instructions and illustrations.
Date: July 28, 1874
Creator: White, Moses F. & Blankenship, Augustus J.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Plows. (open access)

Improvement in Plows.

Patent for the invention of a new and improved type of adjustable plow, including illustrations.
Date: March 31, 1874
Creator: White, Moses F.
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 lever pivoted in the front of the top of the draw-head and provided at its outer end with an aperture, through which the coupling-pin is passed into the aperture in the draw-head, below which lever another lever is pivoted, hanging vertically across the front-opening of the draw-head, and provided at the upper part of its inner edge with a projection, so that when the coupling-link pushes the lower lever inward the upper lever and the pin are raised, and drop as soon as the link has passed into the draw-head" (lines 10-21).
Date: January 31, 1882
Creator: Griffin, James Lee
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car-Coupling. (open access)

Car-Coupling.

Patent for a new and improved coupling for railroad cars. This design "relates to a car-coupling constructed with draw-heads having stationary hooks and recesses in their sides, and provided with pivoted hooks held in place by springs, and provided with a trip plate and lever, and with chains and a lever, whereby the cars will couple themselves when run together, can be readily uncoupled, will uncouple themselves when thrown from the track, and can be prevented from coupling when run together" (lines 23-32).
Date: May 5, 1885
Creator: Griffin, James Lee
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car Coupling. (open access)

Car Coupling.

Patent for a new and improved coupling for railroad cars. This design's "objects are, first, to couple cars of various altitudes; second, to couple the cars automatically; third, to uncouple from the top or side of the car; [and] fourth, to dispense with pins" (lines 16-20). It consists in a "draw-head [that] is provided with an elastic cover having a link-lifting arm secured thereto, a lever for oscillating said cover, performing the duplex function of disengaging the link and permitting its egress, a sloping projection from the base of said draw-head engaging the link on contact, and the bent link" (lines 51-58).
Date: November 11, 1890
Creator: Burns, John Calvin
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cotton-Chopper. (open access)

Cotton-Chopper.

Patent for a device by which cotton can be easily, quickly and accurately chopped, "leaving cotton stands the distance apart for future cultivation and to insure the most rapid and satisfactory growth," (lines 13-16) including illustrations.
Date: November 10, 1891
Creator: Henderson, Neely Trimmier & Smith, William F.
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
Combined Cotton, Corn,and Pea Planter and Fertilizer Distributer (open access)

Combined Cotton, Corn,and Pea Planter and Fertilizer Distributer

Patent for "new and useful Improvements in Combined Mowers and Seed Planter"(lines 5-6), including instructions and illustrations.
Date: December 4, 1883
Creator: Nelson, John B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car Coupler. (open access)

Car Coupler.

Patent for a new and improver coupler for railroad cars. This design "consists, first, in a transversely-arranged bar supported by suitable hangers secured to the end of the car a suitable distance above the draw-bar, each end of said transverse bar being provided with hand-wheels having a notch on their outer periphery, with which engage weighed pawls suitably pivoted to the side of the car; secondly, in an arm extending from said transverse bar for supporting the link" (lines 22-31).
Date: July 12, 1881
Creator: Farnam, Stephen
System: The Portal to Texas History
Bale Tie. (open access)

Bale Tie.

Patent for a new and improved bale tie. This design is of a metal band with several slots, so that the accompanying metal button can pass through any two overlapping slots, securing the bale within the band.
Date: July 19, 1881
Creator: Griffin, James Lee
System: The Portal to Texas History
Wagon Brake. (open access)

Wagon Brake.

Patent for a new and improved wagon-brake. This design consists "of a suitable support which is attached to the rear axle-tree, the brake which is pivoted to this support, the connecting-rod pivoted to the brake, and the operating lever pivoted upon a supporting bar which extends from one standard to the other . . . The object of [the] invention is to produce a wagon-brake which is simple in construction, effective in operation, and by means of which the driver can instantly apply the brake with great power" (lines 14-25).
Date: May 7, 1889
Creator: Griffin, William Sidney
System: The Portal to Texas History
Indicator for Scales. (open access)

Indicator for Scales.

Patent for a new and improved indicator for scales. This design "consists in a weighted rocker and indicating-arm combined with a scale-beam for operation thereby . . . [it has] for [its] object to dispense with the slides heretofore used and provide for an automatic indication of weight" (lines 8-14).
Date: January 17, 1882
Creator: Fulcher, Valentine M.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Lumber-Carrier (open access)

Lumber-Carrier

Patent for an improved lumber carrier which, as the cart travels down hill with the weight of the lumber it is prevented from rolling backwards if it were to lose speed by engaging of pawls with notches to hold it in place. It can then be manually pushed to get it started again.
Date: November 15, 1892
Creator: Chauvin, Phillip A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Lumber-Drier (open access)

Lumber-Drier

Patent for "means adapted to superheat steam and supply it to a drying-chamber, substantially" (lines 28-30).
Date: February 4, 1890
Creator: Hooton, James M.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Steam-Engine. (open access)

Steam-Engine.

Patent for a steam-engine that has "no dead-center" (lines 15-16), and "a volume of one full port will always be exerted on a piston" (lines 18-19). "The full power of the steam will be applied when the crank is on the quarter and there is the greatest leverage in favor of the engine" (lines 21-24). Steam supply is regulated automatically and has a shutoff system in case anything breaks.
Date: November 10, 1896
Creator: Barton, James
System: The Portal to Texas History
Watchmaker's Tool. (open access)

Watchmaker's Tool.

Patent for a watchmaking device that allows for the operator to hold the watch wheel in one hand "while the instrument is fastened upon the roller by the other" (lines 20-22). The invention also has a centering device and auxiliary appliances that make all movements by the extractor accurate and even. This device does not injure the staff or pivot.
Date: January 16, 1894
Creator: Bricker, John A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Corn and Cotton Planters. (open access)

Improvement in Corn and Cotton Planters.

Patent for a new and improved construction and combination of parts used by machines that convert either into a cotton or corn planter, including illustrations.
Date: December 23, 1879
Creator: Rhea, Robert H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Steam-Engine (open access)

Steam-Engine

Patent for "a new and improved steam-engine, in which the pressure of the live steam is completely and very advantageously utilized," (lines 8-10) including illustrations.
Date: August 3, 1886
Creator: Rush, Peter S.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Steam Engine (open access)

Steam Engine

Patent for an "new and improved steam-engine in which a dead center position is obviated and the pressure of the live steam is completely and very advantageously utilized" (line 7-11)
Date: August 30, 1887
Creator: Rush, Peter S.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Mixture For Fish-Baits. (open access)

Mixture For Fish-Baits.

Patent for a coating for fish-bait of any kind which includes ingredients and instructions. The ingredients are water, asafeotida {(foul smelling gum resin from the root of several species of Ferula, a perennial herb) see: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3459456/}, oil of anise, and honey.
Date: October 21, 1884
Creator: Bates, Carol F.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Pump for Oil Cans, &c. (open access)

Pump for Oil Cans, &c.

Patent for a new and improved pump for oil cans. This design "especially relates to means for holding a pump cylinder or barrel within the cask or can, and preventing oil from escaping through the aperture or opening through which the cylinder passes; and to these ends it consists of the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts" (lines 20-26).
Date: October 27, 1885
Creator: Nelson, John Bryon
System: The Portal to Texas History
Hoe. (open access)

Hoe.

Patent for a new and improved hoe. This design consists in "[a] hoe having two blades, the upper blade having a straight cutting-edge projecting from the top of the main blade at an obtuse angle to the inner face of the lower blade and entirely within the plane thereof, and the shank" (lines 79-84).
Date: December 18, 1888
Creator: Hefner, John M.
System: The Portal to Texas History