Book Adjuster. (open access)

Book Adjuster.

Patent for a new and improved book-adjuster. This design consists in "[t]he combination, with the holder having the horizontal longitudinal recess and the vertical screw-threaded aperture, of the base-piece, the adjusting-screw swiveled at its lower end in the said base-piece, and the spring-catch" (lines 3-8).
Date: February 8, 1887
Creator: Adair, Irvine James
System: The Portal to Texas History
Child's Crib (open access)

Child's Crib

Patent for new "suspended cribs or cradles for the use of children" (lines 17-18) including instructions and illustrations.
Date: June 8, 1880
Creator: Brown, Fred Harvey
System: The Portal to Texas History
Washing-Machine (open access)

Washing-Machine

Patent for an alteration to cylindrical reciprocating washing machines that first provides "a washing-machine of the type above described in which the drum or body portion of the machine is supported at a single point at its bottom and gives a partial revolving motion thereon; second, to provide said machine wit-h a suspended horizontally-arranged and vertically-reciprocated stirring device or twirl, and, third, to provide mechanism for automatically raising and lowering the stirring device and at the same time imparting a rotary motion thereto, and also to the drum, but in an opposite direction from that of the stirrer" (lines 16-28)
Date: November 8, 1892
Creator: Hacke, Karl Wilh.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Portable Scale. (open access)

Portable Scale.

Patent for an improved, simple, and inexpensive portable scale meant for weighing cotton, corn, and other similar produce. It folds compactly when not in use, and has a tally device.
Date: August 8, 1893
Creator: Storey, Julius W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Stirrup Leather Stay. (open access)

Stirrup Leather Stay.

Patent for a new and improved stay. This design "is to provide a stay which will cause the stirrup to hang in proper position for insertion of the rider's foot in mounting" (lines 7-10). To this end, it consists, "with the stirrup, of the U-shaped stay embracing the stirrup cross-piece and extending adjacent to the ends thereof and the central loops along the upper edges of the stay, and of less length than the stay, to receive the relatively narrow stirrup-strap, whereby a narrow stirrup-strap may be successfully used on a stirrup having a wide upper end" (lines 74-82).
Date: April 8, 1890
Creator: Padgitt, Jesse D.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Sulky-Plow. (open access)

Sulky-Plow.

Patent for an adjustable plow, with instructions and illustrations.
Date: February 13, 1891
Creator: Jackson, Luther C. & Reiger, John F.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Fire-Kindling Cartridge. (open access)

Fire-Kindling Cartridge.

Patent for an improved fire-kindling cartridge which "consists, essentially, in a cartridge made in two sections, each composed of coiled wire, with their outer end tapering or contracted, forming a conical point, a sleeve of coiled wire with which the inner ends of said sections engage, and a filling of asbestos or other material." (Lines 25-31) Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: October 8, 1895
Creator: Flatau, Louis Spencer
System: The Portal to Texas History
Electrical Fare-Box. (open access)

Electrical Fare-Box.

Patent for device "to improve the illumination and increase the efficiency and subserviency of street-care fare-boxes. To these ends the source of light is located in the interior of the box, instead of being placed in a separate chamber at the outside of the box, as is now done, and electrical agency is utilized to produce the light and also to notify the driver that a passenger requires change and when a fair has been deposited in the box" (lines 8-17).
Date: February 8, 1887
Creator: Crowdus, Walter A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Whiffletree. (open access)

Whiffletree.

Patent for a whiffletree for doubletrees and singletrees that is made of metal in its entirety. It consists of metal bars with end recesses, a middle brace, end caps with heads, hooks, a cross-bar or pivot, and rivets.
Date: November 8, 1892
Creator: Flatau, Louis S.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cotton-Press. (open access)

Cotton-Press.

Patent for an "apparatus adapted for continuously compressing and baling cotton in juxtaposition to the ginning machinery, by conducting cotton from the condenser to compressing rolls operating to progressively compress the fluffy mass into a compact bat or sheet which is laid in folds or laps and subsequently moved or transferred to a suitable baling press and subjected to final pressure to expel the air from between the folds or laps and enable the bale or package to be tied while under pressure." (Lines 9-21) Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: January 8, 1895
Creator: Murray, Stephen D.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cotton-Cleaning Apparatus. (open access)

Cotton-Cleaning Apparatus.

Patent for a cotton-cleaning apparatus made up of "a stationary foraminous case or drum having an inlet-opening in the upper side of its small end, a rotary shaft extending centrally through the case or drum and having a plurality of spirally-arranged at the large end of the foraminous case and having a discharge-pipe for conveying the cotton to the point where it is to be deposited or discharged - as, for instance, into gins or gin-feeders" (lines 9-19). The cotton goes in one end, the cotton is elevated, beater-arms move the cotton along, and fans drive the cotton to the gins.
Date: October 8, 1895
Creator: Murray, Stephen D.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Shoe-Fastening. (open access)

Shoe-Fastening.

Patent for improvements in shoe-fastenings by using a “pivoted clasp-lever which has a tail-piece acted upon by a leaf-spring for holding the lever in its closed or open position.” (Lines 11-13) Illustration is included.
Date: September 8, 1891
Creator: Dessoir, Julius
System: The Portal to Texas History
Device for Measuring and Folding Dress Goods, &c. (open access)

Device for Measuring and Folding Dress Goods, &c.

Patent for a device on which textiles can be "quickly and accurately measured and folded upon a revolving reel." (Lines 14-15) Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: August 4, 1890
Creator: Talley, James Milton
System: The Portal to Texas History
Burglar-Alarm (open access)

Burglar-Alarm

Patent for a burglar alarm that can be attached to a car door. Illustrations included.
Date: October 8, 1912
Creator: Halstead, Thomas J.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Composition of Matter for Artificial Fuel. (open access)

Composition of Matter for Artificial Fuel.

Patent for artificial fuel by using coals called “lignite”, grinded it and add other ingredients to it. Formula, measurements and method of mixing is included. No illustration.
Date: December 8, 1903
Creator: Lohmann, August
System: The Portal to Texas History
Apparatus for Electrostatic-Magnetic Separation (open access)

Apparatus for Electrostatic-Magnetic Separation

Patent for an electrostatic-magnetic separator for separating particles in a mass.
Date: February 8, 1910
Creator: Sutton, Henry M.; Steele, Walter L. & Steele, Edwin G.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Catamenial Sack (open access)

Catamenial Sack

Patent for a catamenial sack. This invention is a "catamenial sacks or shields and the object is to provided such a device which will be cleanly and sanitary in effect, which is pliable and easily and comfortably conformable to the form of the wearer" (lines 8-13). Illustration included.
Date: June 8, 1909
Creator: Frommann, Franklin A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Hydrant (open access)

Hydrant

Patent for a hydrant. Illustrations included.
Date: October 8, 1912
Creator: Smith, Ollie F.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Trolley Wire Finder (open access)

Trolley Wire Finder

Patent for a trolley wire finder. This invention to improvements in trolley-wire finders, and more particularly to its attachment to trolley-poles and trolley-harps as a means of assistance in guiding the trolley wheel has been shifted from or slipped off said trolley-wire and is of advantage as a means of saving time." (8-16). Illustration included.
Date: March 8, 1904
Creator: Barnhusrt, William
System: The Portal to Texas History
Knockdown Tank or Cistern (open access)

Knockdown Tank or Cistern

Patent for the construction of vessels to hold water for the purpose of lessening "the labor in handling and hauling them and to reduce the cost of shipping" (lines 16-17).
Date: October 8, 1898
Creator: Harry, Hugh W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Pliers. (open access)

Pliers.

Patent for pliers for use by opticians in assembling glasses.
Date: November 8, 1910
Creator: Chappel, James M.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Hinge. (open access)

Hinge.

Patent for a hinge that provides a stronger attachment and is cheaper to produce than other hinges.
Date: December 8, 1908
Creator: Mayo, Junius B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Governing Mechanism (open access)

Governing Mechanism

Patent for a governing mechanism. This invention relates to governing a plurality of engines in unison. Illustration included.
Date: March 8, 1904
Creator: Ball, Philip De C. & Wakefield, Charles L.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Electric Regenerator (open access)

Electric Regenerator

Patent for an electric regenerator. Illustration included.
Date: May 8, 1906
Creator: Slaughter, Joel C.
System: The Portal to Texas History