Corn-Planter. (open access)

Corn-Planter.

Patent for certain new and useful improvements in corn planters, including instructions and illustrations.
Date: October 25, 1898
Creator: Webb, Richard Haywood
System: The Portal to Texas History
Chimney Holder (open access)

Chimney Holder

Patent for a chimney holder. This invention is designed to provide an improvement to lamp chimneys. Illustration included.
Date: October 11, 1910
Creator: Sparks, Litch
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car Brake. (open access)

Car Brake.

Patent for a new and improved car-brake. This design consists in "the combination of the swinging arms arranged in front of the wheels, the curved brake-shoes pivoted at their front ends to the lower ends of the arms, and the swinging slotted links connecting intermediate points of the brake-shoes to a stationary part of the car, whereby the free end of the shoe is capable of a swinging movement independent of the links" (lines 76-84).
Date: October 2, 1888
Creator: Otenhouse, Henry
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cattle-Guard. (open access)

Cattle-Guard.

Patent for a cattle guard consisting of pivoted metal plates, mounted longitudinally on rail ties that rock to an inclined position when stepped on by an animal. The displacement of the plates causes a portion of the plate to come into contact with the foot of the animal, frightening it and preventing the animal from crossing the cattle guard.
Date: October 21, 1913
Creator: Hagan, Francis D.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Wooden Bridge (open access)

Wooden Bridge

Patent for a wooden bridge with a focus on increased durability of the structure and effective drainage for moisture from the timbers and for the free circulation of air between, around, or through the structure.
Date: April 9, 1891
Creator: Ferguson, Benjamin F.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Stalk Cutter. (open access)

Stalk Cutter.

Patent for a new and improved stalk cutter. This design consists in "relates to machines for cutting corn and cotton stalks; and it consists in certain improvements in the construction of the same" (lines 18-21).
Date: October 4, 1881
Creator: Rhea, James C.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Stalk Cutter. (open access)

Stalk Cutter.

Patent for a new and improved stalk cutter. This design "consists in certain improvements in the construction of [devices for cutting corn and cotton stalks] . . . [and] [t]he object of the invention is to simplify and cheapen the construction and arrangement of means for adjusting the pitch of the sides without affecting the usefulness or efficiency of the device; and to that end such means consist, essentially, in a single-rack bar, an operating-lever, and two links connecting said lever with the side bars" (lines 15-28).
Date: October 25, 1881
Creator: Horn, John W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Gin Attachment for Bolly Cotton (open access)

Gin Attachment for Bolly Cotton

Patent for gin attachment for bolly cotton. This seeks to make the gin stands have automatic control and for disposing of hulls and waste products from the gin.
Date: October 9, 1917
Creator: Becknell, George T.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Hollow Auger. (open access)

Hollow Auger.

Patent for a new and improved hollow auger. This design "consists in an adjustable hollow auger and an adjustable fore-auger, which are combined together for use with an ordinary brace, and constructed in such a manner that when applied to use the end of the spoke or other article is first beveled by the fore-auger, and the tenon then formed by the hollow auger. The cutters of the fore-auger are formed upon pivoted arms, which are automatically released, and then thrown open by a spring when the spoke is pointed, in order to give opportunity for the hollow auger to act" (lines 16-28).
Date: October 16, 1883
Creator: Rodman, James A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Method and Apparatus for Handling Seed-Cotton. (open access)

Method and Apparatus for Handling Seed-Cotton.

Patent for "a method of and apparatus for treating seed cotton and compromises in its entirety a system of handling cotton as it comes from the field until it leaves the gin" (lines 9-13).
Date: October 9, 1917
Creator: Thompson, George F.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Plow. (open access)

Plow.

Patent for an improved plow that holds steady in different kinds of soil and under different operating conditions. The inclination of the share can be adjusted whenever necessary.
Date: October 30, 1906
Creator: Huckabee, Jefferson E.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Display Advertising-Machine. (open access)

Display Advertising-Machine.

Patent for an advertising display that carries a number of large advertisement sheets that are revolved and held stationary to periodically display each advertisement in repeating succession.
Date: October 9, 1917
Creator: Barnett, John B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Device for Assisting Vehicles Uphill. (open access)

Device for Assisting Vehicles Uphill.

Patent for a device for assisting vehicles uphill, which attaches a counter balance to the wagon that lifts up going downhill and goes down while going up hill to make the pulling easier on the animals pulling the wagon.
Date: October 12, 1909
Creator: Stevens, Samuel H.
System: The Portal to Texas History