Cotton Chopper. (open access)

Cotton Chopper.

Patent for a new and improved cotton chopper. This design consists in "[t]he combination, with the frame and the operating-gearing, of the vertical shaft, supported by the frame and acted on by the operating-gearing, the horizontal plate rigidly secured to the lower end of the shaft and provided with radial grooves, and slots in said grooves, the feet having their upper ends bent at right angles, fitted in said grooves and adjustably secured therein by bolts passing through the radial slots, the lower ends of the feet carrying choppers" (lines 39-49).
Date: October 25, 1887
Creator: Ballard, John J.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cotton Seed Dropper. (open access)

Cotton Seed Dropper.

Patent for a new and improved planter. This design consists in "the frame, the roller journaled in the rear side thereof and having the crank, the seed-spout, the supporting bars on opposite sides of the frame, the rigid shaft connecting the said bars, the seed-disk rigidly secured to the said shaft and having the curved fingers or teeth, the hopper journaled on the shaft and adapted to oscillate thereon, the said hopper having the discharge-opening in its lower side, through which the lower edge of the seed-disk connects, and the pitman connecting the crank with the hopper" (lines 26-37).
Date: October 25, 1887
Creator: Ballard, John J.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Planter. (open access)

Planter.

Patent for a new and improved planter. This design consists in "[t]he combination . . . of the oscillating hopper having the opening in its lower side, the slides on the bottom of the hopper, having the slots, the set-screws engaging said slots and securing the slides in place, the seed-slide guided between the opposing edges of the slides, and the operating-lever pivoted on one of the screws and engaging the seed-slide" (lines 62-70).
Date: February 5, 1889
Creator: Ballard, Johnathan J.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Hay-Press (open access)

Hay-Press

Patent for "a simple and effective machine of the character described, which shall possess advantages in point of durability, cheapness of manufacture, and general efficiency" (lines 18-21).
Date: July 31, 1888
Creator: Bigham, Joshua R. & Bigham, Ambrose W.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Motive Power. (open access)

Motive Power.

Patent for a new and improved Motive Power. This design consists "[i]n a motor, the frame, in combination with a windlass or drum, a rope adapted to be wound thereon, a pulley-block provided with a series of pulleys, a weight also provided with pulleys, the rope being passed through the respective pulleys, devices for winding the windlass, and mechanism for transmitting the movement of the windlass while the rope is being unwound" (lines 35-43).
Date: December 15, 1885
Creator: Brown, William A.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Seed-Planter. (open access)

Seed-Planter.

Patent for a seed-planter, with illustrations. The "invention relates to an improved seed-planter, adapted to be attached to and operated in connection with any ordinary plow for planting wheat, corn, cotton, or other seed (line 25-28).
Date: December 19, 1882
Creator: Brown, William A.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Smoke and Cinder Conductor. (open access)

Smoke and Cinder Conductor.

Patent for a new and improved smoke and cinder conductor. This design "has for its object to provide a simple and efficient conducting mechanism to be attached to the cars, and provided with an improved coupling device at its ends, by which a coupling can be automatically effected with the conducting mechanism of an adjoining car" (lines 11-17).
Date: May 1, 1883
Creator: Brown, William A. & Smith, James F.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cotton Chopper. (open access)

Cotton Chopper.

Patent for a new and improved cotton chopper. This design consists in "[t]he combination, with the hoe, of a standard, fulcrumed to a hinged adjustable bar, and connected by mechanism[s] with the ground-wheel" (lines 77-80).
Date: December 5, 1882
Creator: Collins, Laura Ann & Graham, William G.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Machine for Cutting Basket Splints. (open access)

Machine for Cutting Basket Splints.

Patent for a new machine for cutting basket splints. This design is for a large ring with grooves of varying depths to receive pieces of timber, whereupon a horse pulls a knife-tipped sweep along the perimeter of the ring, gradually turning the timber into splints for baskets. The machine can be conveniently disassembled and stored when not in use, and it is simple and easy enough for a unskilled laborer to assemble.
Date: March 29, 1881
Creator: Crow, Thomas
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Horseshoe. (open access)

Horseshoe.

Patent for a new and improved horseshoe. This design "consists in a horseshoe constructed with a base made in two parts, hinged together at their forward ends, and having a cap, also made in two parts, attached to the base, the parts of the cap being provided at their upper forward corners with eyes and a fastening staple, and the hinged parts of the base being locked in place by a screw-rod passing through the hinged end of the base, whereby the shoe can be readily applied and detached, and will be securely held in place" (lines 22-33).
Date: November 21, 1882
Creator: Fenley, George Washington, Sr.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Stalk-Shopper (open access)

Stalk-Shopper

Patent for "improved stalk-chopper for corn, cotton, or other stalks, where-in a reel or reels carrying longitudinal knives is supported and adjusted upon a frame which may be easily connected and disconnected from the running-gear of an ordinary wagon" (lines 14-20)
Date: August 17, 1888
Creator: Ferrel, Alexander
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Motor. (open access)

Motor.

Patent for "motors designed more particularly running sewing machines and churns and other light machinery" (lines 9-10), including instruction and illustrations.
Date: December 15, 1885
Creator: Harrell, A. Frank
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Sweat Leather for Riding Saddles. (open access)

Sweat Leather for Riding Saddles.

Patent for a new and improved sweat-leather for saddles. This design "has for its object to construct sweat-leathers which shall be absolutely impervious to the sweat and moisture exuding from the animal, and thus serve to protect the rider's clothes. Sweat-pads, as ordinarily constructed of leather, are liable to be permeated with moisture, by which their efficiency as protectors is not only impaired, but they are liable to curl up . . . To avoid this . . . [the] improved sweat-pads [have] linings of India-rubber" (lines 20-31).
Date: December 25, 1883
Creator: Harriss, James Wilson
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Railroad Spike. (open access)

Railroad Spike.

Patent for a new and improved railroad spike. This design consists in "[a] spike for securing a railroad-rail, having a lower portion, having a shoulder, and a right-angular arm for resting against the base-flange of a rail, and the arm or extension" (lines 60-64).
Date: November 10, 1885
Creator: Hicks, James D.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Fertilizer Distributer. (open access)

Fertilizer Distributer.

Patent for an improved fertilizer distributor to be attached to the farm wagon. Accompanied with illustrations.
Date: August 24, 1886
Creator: Hurley, William G.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Drawer of Furniture, Store Fixture, &c. (open access)

Drawer of Furniture, Store Fixture, &c.

Patent for a new and improved chest of drawers. This design "consists, first, in a drawer applied upon side cleats or ledges, grooved longitudinally with the movement of the drawer, and having balls placed in such grooves in such a manner that they are kept separated and are free to roll or move longitudinally, and that they serve as bearings for the drawer, while they keep it from frictional contact with the cleats . . . second, in a novel mode of construction of cleats" (para. 1).
Date: June 7, 1881
Creator: Johnson, William H. & Whomes, Joseph
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Adjustable Book Support. (open access)

Adjustable Book Support.

Patent for a new and improved book rest. This design consists "of an upright pivoted in a support or base, a sliding lower supporting cross-bar, an upper sliding supporting-bar, both bars having sockets upon their rear sides sliding upon the upright and provided with set-screws, and leaf-clamps consisting of a piece of spring doubled at one end to form slides sliding upon the arms of the upper cross-bar, forming curved yielding portions, forming transverse eyes at the other ends, having flat blocks hinged at the said eyes, and provided with thumb-pieces" (lines 72-83).
Date: November 25, 1884
Creator: Johnson, William Oscar
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Treadle. (open access)

Treadle.

Patent for a new and improved treadle. This design "has for its object to provide an adjustable pad . . . preferably formed of rubber, to the ordinary iron treadle . . . and may be detached therefrom, as desired. . . . whereby wear of the shoes is saved and cold feet will be avoided" (lines 10-24).
Date: December 4, 1883
Creator: Johnson, William Oscar
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Stalk Cutter and Mower. (open access)

Stalk Cutter and Mower.

Patent for a new and improved stalk-cutter and mower. This design consists, "with the shaft, having pulley and means . . . to rotate the same, of the pivoted links, the reel having its shaft journaled in said links and provided with the longitudinal cutters and with the pulley, the endless belt connecting the said pulleys . . . and the lever connected to the reel to raise and lower the same" (lines 9-17).
Date: August 27, 1889
Creator: Knox, Washington Irvin
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Planter. (open access)

Planter.

Patent for a new and improved planter. This design consists in "the combination of the hopper having the opening in its base, the seed-slide provided with the slot, the strip having the longitudinal adjusting-slot and set-screw, the pivoted vibrating lever, the limiting-bracket, the coiled spring, the pivoted reciprocating bar moving in the bracket and having the beveled rear end, the conveyer-wheel, and the arms standing from the side of the conveyer-wheel and actuating the bar" (lines 21-31).
Date: October 16, 1888
Creator: Knox, Washington Irvine
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cotton Chopper. (open access)

Cotton Chopper.

Patent for a new and improved cotton chopper. This design has an axle "provided with holes, so that the choppers or cultivators may be adjusted thereon to bring them nearer together or place them farther apart, as may be desired, to change the implement from a chopper to a marker or cultivator" (lines 30-35).
Date: April 26, 1881
Creator: Lindsey, James E.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Combination-Wrench. (open access)

Combination-Wrench.

Patent for a combination wrench that combines a sliding-jaw wrench with a tallow box, hammer, nail claw, horseshoe-pick, plow-paddle, and screwdriver.
Date: December 1, 1885
Creator: McKenzie, Winfield S.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car-Coupling (open access)

Car-Coupling

Patent for "...certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplings..." (lines 4-5) including instructions and illustrations.
Date: October 12, 1886
Creator: Mitchell, William A.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
North Texas Hospital for the Insane Annual Report: 1887 (open access)

North Texas Hospital for the Insane Annual Report: 1887

Annual report of the North Texas Hospital for the Insane, providing data about operations, updates about programs, and other information related to activities at the hospital.
Date: 1887
Creator: North Texas Hospital for the Insane
Object Type: Report
System: The Portal to Texas History