Coin-Controlled Apparatus. (open access)

Coin-Controlled Apparatus.

Patent for a simple, inexpensive, and durable coin-controlled apparatus that is "designed to indicate by the varying positions occupied by the spheres, the nature of a dream, the apparatus being designed primarily as a dream-revealer" (lines 17-20). The operator pulls a lever which forces the dice inside the glass container to move into holes. The operator reads a key on the outside of the device that indicates what he will dream.
Date: July 18, 1893
Creator: Taylor, James P.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Anti-Oscillating Attachment for Street-Cars. (open access)

Anti-Oscillating Attachment for Street-Cars.

Patent for an improved anti-oscillating attachment for street-cars. It has a car truck, equalizing pivoting bars secured between the truck ends, cushions on either side of the bars, adjustable bolts that hold the bars in place, and springs between the bolts.
Date: July 10, 1894
Creator: Chollar, Benjamin F.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Combined Pessary and Womb-Battery. (open access)

Combined Pessary and Womb-Battery.

Patent for a combined pessary and womb-battery. It is inserted into a woman's vagina and is used to deliver medication "and to stimulate the genitals to a healthy and normal action both mechanically and electrically" (lines 11-13). The device is worn without discomfort and can be worn while pregnant.
Date: July 7, 1896
Creator: Keller, Martha Ellen
System: The Portal to Texas History
Combined Inkstand and Pen-Rack. (open access)

Combined Inkstand and Pen-Rack.

Patent for a inkstand with a magnetized pen-rack. If the pen or pencil isn't metal, a metal sleeve is provided to put around the utensil so it can sit on the rack. There is a space for ink-wells, pen-boxes, and a space for advertisements. It is meant for customers to use in lobbies.
Date: July 14, 1896
Creator: Moyer, Herman
System: The Portal to Texas History
Letter-Box. (open access)

Letter-Box.

Patent for improvements in mail-boxes, where a movable partition is place inside of a mail-box “which is raised by the cover or lid so as to receive the mail and then drop it into the box as soon as the lid is closed, to attach to the lid an apron which rises in the box so as to make connection with the inner edge of the partition when the lid is raised to deposit mail-matter, and thus prevent any possibility of the content of the box from being abstracted when the cover is raised.” (Lines 18-27)Illustration is included.
Date: July 7, 1891
Creator: Wesson, Miley B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Truck or Vehicle for Elevated Railways. (open access)

Truck or Vehicle for Elevated Railways.

Patent for an improved, strong, simple, inexpensive, and durable truck or vehicle for elevated railways that is meant to throw the lateral force of the car-body is exerted vertically downward onto the car's wheels.
Date: July 11, 1893
Creator: Turner, Ephraim M.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Window-Fastener. (open access)

Window-Fastener.

Patent for a new and useful window fastener, including instructions and illustrations.
Date: July 25, 1899
Creator: James, Will S.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Lubricator. (open access)

Lubricator.

Patent for an efficient lubricator apparatus that is made up of a reservoir for lubricating oil, a discharge pipe, another pipe that feeds water or condensed steam into the reservoir to displace the oil, a sediment container that has a valved discharge outlet on the bottom, a filter that cleans oil from the discharge pipe, a pipe that lets fluid into the sediment receptacle, and a steam pipe above the oil reservoir.
Date: July 16, 1895
Creator: Herold, Charles
System: The Portal to Texas History
Vehicle-Wheel. (open access)

Vehicle-Wheel.

Patent for a vehicle-wheel that has cushioned, pneumatic, or elastic tires, shoulders, inwardly extending parallel branches, a felly that holds the branches in place and curves around the body of the tire, bolts that go through the felly and the branches, and spokes inside the felly.
Date: July 17, 1894
Creator: Penoyer, Newton D.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Marine Puzzle for Toy. (open access)

Marine Puzzle for Toy.

Patent for certain new and useful improvements in marine puzzles or toys, including instructions and illustrations.
Date: July 11, 1899
Creator: Butz, John F.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Speed-Indicator. (open access)

Speed-Indicator.

Patent for a speed-indicator to be used on trolly-cars and other vehicles that informs anyone looking behind the trolly-car if that car is speeding or not. An alarm goes off when the car goes above a predetermined speed, which is activated by a governor that is controlled from the wheels. A device keeps the signal normal.
Date: July 7, 1896
Creator: Bateman, Talbot Owens
System: The Portal to Texas History
Hog-Pen. (open access)

Hog-Pen.

Patent for a hog pen and feed trough that can hold and feed a variety of variety of animals. It consists of an inclosure with an opening, ways extending into and out of the opening, a sliding trough mounted in the pen, rollers that slide into and out of the pen, pulleys in the trough, a shaft journaled in the front of the trough, ropes that go around the pulleys, and a turning mechanism for the shaft.
Date: July 4, 1893
Creator: Wilkinson, Benjmon M.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Hook and Eye. (open access)

Hook and Eye.

Patent for a hook and eye especially designed for clothing and keeps the area where the invention is being used is perfectly aligned and does not accidentally unhook.
Date: July 3, 1894
Creator: Wall, Frederic Watson
System: The Portal to Texas History
General Index and Alphabetical Record. (open access)

General Index and Alphabetical Record.

Patent for a general index and alphabetical record that organizes records in an index instead of a book.It is a chest of shallow drawers, each having a letter of the alphabet printed on its front. Attached to each drawer is a blank book.
Date: July 28, 1896
Creator: Ward, George C.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Thill-Coupling. (open access)

Thill-Coupling.

Patent for a strong, durable, and simple thill coupling that does not need a spring connection in order to maintain a flexible connection between the thill and axle.
Date: July 25, 1893
Creator: Cobb, Woodson D.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Acetylene-Gas Generator. (open access)

Acetylene-Gas Generator.

Patent for certain new and useful improvements in acetylene gas generators, including instructions and illustrations.
Date: July 25, 1899
Creator: Bateman, Talbot O.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Design for a Display-Banner. (open access)

Design for a Display-Banner.

Design patent for an advertising display banner with "an absolutely-smooth uniformly-level surface ornamented by series of horizontal and vertical lines thereon, forming rectangular spaces, whereof the larges space is at the center with a series of smaller rectangular spaces at each side thereof, and series of other rectangular spaces above and below said central rectangular space" (para. 4).
Date: July 30, 1895
Creator: Higby, Luther L.
System: The Portal to Texas History