Improvement in Rotary Cultivators. (open access)

Improvement in Rotary Cultivators.

Patent for a machine for "opening ditches to drain land and form fences, and to grade railroads, &c." (lines 15-17) including illustrations and instructions.
Date: October 10, 1876
Creator: Tadlock, Sevier
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Ironing Apparatus. (open access)

Improvement in Ironing Apparatus.

Patent for "a machine for ironing clothing by means of a revolving heated roller, under which is passed a reciprocating table, on which the clothing is placed." (Lines 7-11) Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: October 24, 1876
Creator: Bailey, Charles F. & Perrenot, George F.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Pessaries. (open access)

Improvement in Pessaries.

Patent for an improved uterine supporter with changes to the arrangement of the wings, with illustrations and instructions.
Date: October 31, 1876
Creator: Barnett, Jonathan P.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Neck-Yokes. (open access)

Improvement in Neck-Yokes.

Patent for "an improvement in the class of neck-yokes having a swivel-joint connection with a carriage or wagon pole; and it consists in providing the neck-yoke with a central enlargement or boss, and connecting the tube which slips on the end of the carriage-pole with the yoke by means of rings having perforated ears to receive the ends of a pivoted bar, to which the pole ring or tube is swiveled." (Lines 11-20) Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: October 31, 1876
Creator: Hannig, Frank
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Screw-Taps. (open access)

Improvement in Screw-Taps.

Patent for "a tool that shall combine the features of an expanding tap and reamer for reaming and tapping holes of different sizes" (lines 29-32) with illustrations and instructions.
Date: November 7, 1876
Creator: Melvin, Josiah Walter
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Dining-Tables. (open access)

Improvement in Dining-Tables.

Patent for an improved dining table with a rotating food service, a water reservoir and fountain, and an elevated wine bucket. Includes illustrations and instructions.
Date: November 14, 1876
Creator: Cassiano, I. Ygnacio
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Earth-Boring Apparatus. (open access)

Improvement in Earth-Boring Apparatus.

Patent for improvement in well-boring machines in which it can be “rapidly bore through earth or rock holes of any desired size or depth, for the purpose of procuring water.” (P. 1, lines 9-12) Illustration is included.
Date: November 21, 1876
Creator: Yarborough, William H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Cultivator and Chopper. (open access)

Improvement in Cultivator and Chopper.

Patent for an improvement in cultivators and choppers which will allow for the adjustment by height and width.
Date: October 7, 1876
Creator: Killough, William B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Farm-Fences. (open access)

Improvement in Farm-Fences.

Patent for "a new and useful improvements in Fences"
Date: November 28, 1876
Creator: Sullivan, J. L.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Mixing Mineral and Fossil Substances with Bituminized Clay to Form a Plastic Material. (open access)

Improvement in Mixing Mineral and Fossil Substances with Bituminized Clay to Form a Plastic Material.

Reissued patent for a chemical process to create a plastic material made of bitumen, clay, and mineral and/or fossil substances.
Date: September 26, 1876
Creator: Lea, Pryor
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Bale-Tie Buckles. (open access)

Improvement in Bale-Tie Buckles.

Patent for an improved bale-tie buckle which will not slip or break under great strain.
Date: September 5, 1876
Creator: Bunker, Thaddeus
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Combined Spading, Plowing, and Stalk-Cutting Machines. (open access)

Improvement in Combined Spading, Plowing, and Stalk-Cutting Machines.

Patent for an earth working machine that can be used for spading, plowing and stalk-cutting by arranging “a series of spades in a plane parallel with the axis of the machine and interposed spades in planes at right angles thereto, all attached to a reciprocating cross-bar.” (P. 2, lines [29]-[33].) The spades are adjustable in height and, it can be removed to use as a cultivator. For stalk-cutting, the plows may be removed. Illustration is included.
Date: September 5, 1876
Creator: Mathes, William McConnell
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Automatic Detaching Hook. (open access)

Improvement in Automatic Detaching Hook.

Patent for "a new and useful improvements Hooks"
Date: September 12, 1876
Creator: Wyckoff, Cornerius P.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Bee-hives (open access)

Improvement in Bee-hives

Patent for an improvement of a bee-hive enabling inspection of bees, protection of bees from moths, ventilation of the hive, and removal of honey without disturbing the brood-chamber.
Date: September 12, 1876
Creator: Hayden, Noah Dunken & Clapp, Amasa O.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Portable Fences (open access)

Improvement in Portable Fences

Patent for an improvement to portable fences so that they can be "easily and cheaply constructed in sections, and then quickly put together and firmly braced and supported." (lines 14-17) Illustration included.
Date: October 3, 1876
Creator: Martin, Josiah
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Bale-Ties. (open access)

Improvement in Bale-Ties.

Patent for "a perfectly-tight fastening - one that will not slip or give, and one that can be easily and quickly unfastened without cutting the band, or in any way injuring the part." (Lines 16-20) Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: October 10, 1876
Creator: Krieg, Christian
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Plows. (open access)

Improvement in Plows.

Patent for "an improved plow, which shall be so constructed that it may be readily adjusted for use as a subsoil-plow, as a turning-plow, as a scraper and cultivator, and as a scraper, cultivator, and hiller, and which shall be simple in construction and effective in operation in either capacity." (Lines 11-18) Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: October 10, 1876
Creator: Newton, John R.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Cotton-Choppers. (open access)

Improvement in Cotton-Choppers.

Patent for "an improved machine for scraping, chopping, and cultivating corn and cotton" (lines 10-12) with illustrations and instructions.
Date: November 14, 1876
Creator: McCormick, John R.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Combined Seed-Planter, Fertilizer-Distributer, and Cultivator. (open access)

Improvement in Combined Seed-Planter, Fertilizer-Distributer, and Cultivator.

Patent for improvement in a combined seed-planter, fertilizer-distributer, and cultivator by attaching some prongs to a dropping-wheel for the purpose of taking hold of the cotton-seed and draw it out of the hopper. This dropping-wheel can be covered with a case when planning seeds and, removed if fertilizer is to be distributed with small seeds. Illustration is included.
Date: November 21, 1876
Creator: Flatau, Louis
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Compound Tools. (open access)

Improvement in Compound Tools.

Improvement in Kitchen-Utensil for lifting pots, kettles, plates, and as a means for holding a device for mangling meats.
Date: December 5, 1876
Creator: Mayfield, Samuel B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Bale-Band Stretchers (open access)

Improvement in Bale-Band Stretchers

Patent for improvement of bale-band stretcher design "for the purpose of taking out the slack of the band that cannot be taken out by hand." (lines 18-20). Included illustration shows bale-stretcher in both open and closed positions.
Date: December 12, 1876
Creator: Pearre, Charles M.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Animal-Traps. (open access)

Improvement in Animal-Traps.

Patent for improvement in animal-traps, with description and illustrations.
Date: December 26, 1876
Creator: Anderson, Zachariah J.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Churns. (open access)

Improvement in Churns.

Patent for the improved design of churns "in which the dasher-shaft is vertical and receives rotation by gearing at the top of the churn" (2nd para.), including illustrations.
Date: January 25, 1876
Creator: Davis, Henry T.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Grain-Binders (open access)

Improvement in Grain-Binders

Patent for improved design of grain-binders.
Date: December 6, 1875
Creator: Postley, Charles A.
System: The Portal to Texas History