Resource Type

Bale-Tie. (open access)

Bale-Tie.

Patent for a new and improved bale-tie that eliminates the need for buckles. This design achieves this with a hook and a U-shaped piece of iron to be riveted to the band, thus fastening the bale without buckles.
Date: January 29, 1878
Creator: Lenard, William R.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Horse-Power. (open access)

Horse-Power.

Patent for a new and improved "horse-power" (motor). This design utilizes a central pinion and a counter-wheel to accelerate the rest of the motor with minimal friction and minimal complicating of design.
Date: January 29, 1878
Creator: Randall, John C.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improved Bridge. (open access)

Improved Bridge.

Patent for an invention that "is to provide certain improvements in the construction of bridges, whereby the parts thereof, of wood, may be readily removed for the substitution of others, when decayed or broken, without interfering with the use of the bridge or weakening it (lines 10-15)". The patent includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: January 11, 1870
Creator: McDowell, H. S.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improved in Medical Compounds or Liver Invigorators. (open access)

Improved in Medical Compounds or Liver Invigorators.

Patent for a new medical compound to improve liver function.
Date: January 9, 1872
Creator: Simmons, William L.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Adjustable Hammers for Fire-Arms. (open access)

Improvement in Adjustable Hammers for Fire-Arms.

Patent for "the particular construction and arrangement of such swiveling striker with its locking devices, and its combination with a double-barreled gun, whereby a single hammer may be employed for both barrels, the striker being capable of such adjustment as to bring it within the range of either nipple, or into an intermediate position between the two, for the prevention of accidents." (Lines 17-26) Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: January 8, 1878
Creator: Toepperwein, Emil A. F.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Apparatus for Cooling the Air of Buildings. (open access)

Improvement in Apparatus for Cooling the Air of Buildings.

Patent for improvements to cooling apparatus for buildings, especially distilleries and breweries. Illustration included.
Date: January 6, 1874
Creator: Mühl, Andrew
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Apparatus for Preserving Meat, &c. (open access)

Improvement in Apparatus for Preserving Meat, &c.

Patent for "an improved apparatus for use in fumigating substances used as food; and also for impregnating water with sulphurous-acid gas, for the purpose of preserving such substances by the antiseptic quality of sulphur" (lines 9-14). Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: January 15, 1878
Creator: Ames, Theodore George
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Apparatus for Preserving Meats and Vegetables (open access)

Improvement in Apparatus for Preserving Meats and Vegetables

Patent for "improvement in apparatus" for the use of "preserving meats, vegetables, fruits &c." (lines 5, 16-17) including construction specifications and illustrations.
Date: January 30, 1872
Creator: Maxwell, William
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Bailing-Presses. (open access)

Improvement in Bailing-Presses.

Patent for an improved bailing press consisting of "a novel arrangement of levers, connecting-bars, and cords, in combination with the follower and windlass, whereby the follower is worked in the downward direction for pressing, and in the opposite direction for elevating it to recharge the press, by the said windlass" (lines 5-11).
Date: January 2, 1872
Creator: Randolph, Jeremiah
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Bale-Ties. (open access)

Improvement in Bale-Ties.

Patent for "an improved fastening or tie for cotton-bales, &c.; and it consists of two angular plates, secured at the rear part to one end of the band generally used in baling cotton, &c., and the front part thereof being provided with V-shaped jaws, which engage with angular slots in the opposite end of the band." (Lines 12-19) Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: January 30, 1877
Creator: Hanson, Asbury J.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Bale-Ties (open access)

Improvement in Bale-Ties

Patent for an improved bale-tie whose frame is provided with an end bar having wedge-shaped catch.
Date: January 29, 1878
Creator: Andrews, Thomas S.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Bale-Ties. (open access)

Improvement in Bale-Ties.

Patent for a new and improved bale-tie design with different buckle and band. It includes illustrations.
Date: January 14, 1879
Creator: Johnson, Jordan
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Bale-Ties (open access)

Improvement in Bale-Ties

Patent for a new and improved cotton bale tie utilizing a simple and fast pronged buckle tie which is simple and cheap to manufacture.
Date: January 30, 1875
Creator: Jones, Henry Bradley
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Band-Cutting Feeders for Thrashing-Machines. (open access)

Improvement in Band-Cutting Feeders for Thrashing-Machines.

Patent for improvements in the design of band-cutters and feeders for thrashing machines, including instructions and illustrations.
Date: January 15, 1878
Creator: Andrews, Henry K.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Blow-Guns and Arrows. (open access)

Improvement in Blow-Guns and Arrows.

Patent for an improved design of the blow-gun and arrows consisting of the broader boar for the blow gun, an arrow fastening cord, and arrow-shafts with grooves. Illustrations included.
Date: January 23, 1877
Creator: White, Luther C.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Broom-Handles. (open access)

Improvement in Broom-Handles.

Patent for improving a spring-hinge joint that secures the broom during transportation.
Date: July 26, 1873
Creator: Turner, Ephraim M. & Turner, John W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Car-Couplings. (open access)

Improvement in Car-Couplings.

Patent for an improvement in railroad-car couplings, including illustration.
Date: January 13, 1874
Creator: Jackson, Thomas Rivers
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Churns (open access)

Improvement in Churns

Patent for a geared mechanism to attach to existing churns to aid in the production of cream into butter. Illustrations include front and side elevations.
Date: January 23, 1877
Creator: Gray, Whitley F.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Churns. (open access)

Improvement in Churns.

Patent for improvements in churns with specific improvements in dasher-rods and lids. This patent includes illustrations.
Date: January 1, 1878
Creator: Davis, Henry T.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Churns. (open access)

Improvement in Churns.

Patent for a better churn which makes butter faster, releases butter from the churn more easily, and is simple to create and use. Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: January 1, 1878
Creator: McConnell, John A. & McConnell, William V.
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 Combined Wrench and Saw-Set. (open access)

Improvement in Combined Wrench and Saw-Set.

Patent for improvements in the "combination of a wrench with a saw-setting device attached to the sliding jaw thereof" (lines 17-19). Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: January 22, 1878
Creator: Backer, Jacob
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Compounds for Destroying Caterpillars. (open access)

Improvement in Compounds for Destroying Caterpillars.

Patent for an insecticide compound that combines Paris green, flour, and lime, which allows the poison, arsenic, to better adhere to cotton plants. Includes instructions.
Date: January 14, 1873
Creator: Whisenant, Green F.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Compounds for Destroying Worms in Cotton-Plants. (open access)

Improvement in Compounds for Destroying Worms in Cotton-Plants.

Patent for using a solution of water and arsenic for killing cotton pests.
Date: January 2, 1871
Creator: Mitchell, Thomas W. & Briscoe, Robert P.
System: The Portal to Texas History