Combination Door Check and Alarm. (open access)

Combination Door Check and Alarm.

Patent for a new and improved door-check and alarm. With this design, "[t]he latch normally stands in the engaging position, and when it aligns with one of the notches it engages the same automatically. One of the notches is so arranged that it is engaged by the latch when the door is closed, and when the knob is turned to open the door the cord, wire, or chain draws the latch out of engagement with the notch. . . . [a] bell on the end of the latch will give warning when the latch is moved, and the door cannot be opened without moving the latch" (lines 63-92).
Date: February 12, 1889
Creator: King, Charles Rufus
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Animal Tag. (open access)

Animal Tag.

Patent for a new and improved animal tag. This design "consists in an animal-tag formed of a tube provided with a removable cover and an elongated staple for the strap, by which this tube is held to the animal" (lines 11-14).
Date: November 21, 1882
Creator: Queen, Elias G.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History

Lampasas Sheet

Topographic map of a portion of Texas from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) project. The map includes towns, historic or notable sites, bodies of water, and other geologic features. Scale 1:125000
Date: 1887
Creator: Geological Survey (U.S.)
Object Type: Map
System: The Portal to Texas History

San Saba Sheet

Topographic map of a portion of Texas from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) project. The map includes towns, historic or notable sites, bodies of water, and other geologic features. Scale 1:125000
Date: 1885
Creator: Geological Survey (U.S.)
Object Type: Map
System: The Portal to Texas History
Wool-Press. (open access)

Wool-Press.

Patent for a wooden machine that is used to compress wool, including instructions and illustrations.
Date: February 19, 1884
Creator: Brooks, David F.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Wire Stretcher. (open access)

Wire Stretcher.

Patent for a new and improved wire-stretcher. This design consists in "the stretcher-frame composed of side bars and a cross-bar which connects them, the hinged loop attached at one end of said side pieces and the rotary shaft arranged in bearings at the other end, the ratchet and pawl, the rope having catches, and the sheave attached to the cross-bar of the frame" (lines 15-22).
Date: September 28, 1886
Creator: Huling, Williams Neyland
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Weighing Apparatus. (open access)

Weighing Apparatus.

Patent for a new and improved scale. This design consists in "[a]n improved apparatus for containing and weighing shot and powder, the same consisting of the box [which is] slotted . . . the pivoted bottles and connecting cords and knobs, the pan pivoted and projecting through the slot, the weighing device proper, and indicator located on top of the box, and having a rod pendent from it and supporting the said pan" (lines 13-21).
Date: December 1, 1885
Creator: Irvine, William Fielding
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Machine for Washing Dishes, Fruits, &c. (open access)

Machine for Washing Dishes, Fruits, &c.

Patent for a new and improved washing machine. This design "is supported horizontally over a proper fireplace or stove and . . . water introduced to fill it to a point just below the perforated detachable bottom, and the pump mechanism then set in motion. When the plunger ascends, it draws water from the water-space and extension through the valve up into the pump-chamber. When the plunger descends, it forces said water upward past the valve into the water-spaces . . . through the perforations . . . and into the washing-chamber, the water . . . washing quickly and thoroughly the articles" (lines 78-91).
Date: November 6, 1888
Creator: King, Charles Rufus
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Machine for Polishing Shoes. (open access)

Machine for Polishing Shoes.

Patent for "an improvement in machines for polishing shoes" (lines 8-9) including illustrations.
Date: February 19, 1889
Creator: Bright, Joseph Daniel
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Military Saddle. (open access)

Military Saddle.

Patent for a new and improved military saddle. This design is "so constructed that the valises and other equipments may be connected with the saddle in such a way as to distribute and balance their weight, and at the same time make the saddle comfortable for the rider. The invention consists in constructing a saddle with appliances to receive valises, a pair of girths, a gun, and an overcoat" (lines 19-28).
Date: September 28, 1880
Creator: Hastings, John Reed
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Projectile. (open access)

Projectile.

Patent for a new and improved projectile. This design consists "[i]n combination with the ellipsoidal projectile having a truncated base, a plano-concave sabot or driver whose plane face is contiguous to the base of the projectile, and whose periphery is grooved for the attachment of the charge-container" (lines 75-80).
Date: September 9, 1884
Creator: Hopson, Lucien
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Projectile (open access)

Projectile

Patent for an explosive projectile for use of penetrating and exploding ironclad and steel-clad ships, including instructions and illustrations.
Date: March 3, 1885
Creator: Hopson, Lucien
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Manure Distributer. (open access)

Manure Distributer.

Patent for a new and improved fertilizer distributor. This design consists in "the rotating shaft having the stirring apparatus, the wheels loosely mounted on the said shaft, the detent to engage the shaft and prevent it from rotating, and the clutch mechanism to secure one of the wheels to the shaft" (lines 5-10).
Date: April 12, 1887
Creator: Harrell, Solomon James
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Wind Engine. (open access)

Wind Engine.

Patent for a new and improved wind engine. This design consists in "[t]he combination, with a suitable frame, of the shaft, having wind wheel or drum, provided with rods having wings and arms or cranks, and laterally projecting brackets, having bell-crank levers, loaded at their lower ends, the connecting rods, sleeve[s], washer, spring, and . . . having pivoted rods connecting said sleeves with the arms" (lines 94-102).
Date: April 3, 1883
Creator: Fletcher, George Ephraim
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Shearing-Machine (open access)

Shearing-Machine

Patent for "providing [a shearing machine, patent no.384,545] with what I designate an improved wrinkle-guard, and also in various other changes or improvements"
Date: November 12, 1889
Creator: Richardson, George
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Sheep Shearing Machine. (open access)

Sheep Shearing Machine.

Patent for a new and improved sheep-shearing machine. This design consists in "the plate having the teeth with the concave faces and cutting edges, in combination with [another] plate operating on [the first] plate and having the teeth, with the concaved lower faces and cutting edges adapted to operate on the cutting edges of teeth" (lines 10-16).
Date: November 19, 1889
Creator: Monday, Robert
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Rotary-Engine. (open access)

Rotary-Engine.

Patent for a new and improved rotary engine. This design consists "of a wheel provided with radially-sliding pistons and revolving within a fixed circumferential steam-chest, and having fixed on its axle an eccentric and spring, that operate to throw the pistons or floats outward to receive the pressure of the steam or other motor that is to drive the engine" (lines 19-26).
Date: January 20, 1880
Creator: Adams, James Ansley
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Fence. (open access)

Fence.

Patent for a new and improved fence. This design consists of cross-posts pivoted to a stringer, provided with a top-rail, having slats extending from the stringer to the ground, and secured to said stringer by barbed wire and staples (lines 36-40). This design is easily disassembled and moved, and the barbed wire prevents animals from disturbing it.
Date: February 12, 1884
Creator: Messenger, John William
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Folding and Self Supporting Ironing Table. (open access)

Folding and Self Supporting Ironing Table.

Patent for a new and improved ironing board. This design consists in "the combination of a board, a leaf hinged thereto near one end, and adapted to bear against the same when turned to an upright position, a reach pivotally connected at one end with the leaf, the supporting-feet pivoted to the leaf, the supporting-feet pivoted to the free end of the reach, and the arm intermediate the free ends of the reach and board to support the latter in position when unfolded for use" (lines 24-33).
Date: August 16, 1887
Creator: White, Andrew Asbrey & King, Charles Rufus
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Saddle Girth. (open access)

Saddle Girth.

Patent for a new and improved saddle girth. This design consists in "[t]he combination, with the central ring and pad, of the strips and the radiating straps . . . [and] [t]he combination, with the central ring and pad, of the loop and the radiating straps" (lines 56-62).
Date: October 24, 1882
Creator: Williams, Calvin
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cultivator. (open access)

Cultivator.

Patent for a new and improved cultivator. This design consists in "[t]he combination of the beams having the arms provided with the openings, the beams having openings concentric with [the arms'] openings, the standards, the bolts pivoting the latter to the arms and extending through the openings, the plates having their lower ends secured on said pivotal bolts and adapted to engage the rear sides of the standards, the triggers, and the bolts to pivot the said triggers to the beams, said bolts being adapted to pass through either of the [beams'] openings" (lines 3-13).
Date: August 14, 1888
Creator: Swearingen, Columbus Alexander
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cotton Chopper and Scraper. (open access)

Cotton Chopper and Scraper.

Patent for a new and improved cotton chopper and scraper. This design consists "[i]n a four-wheeled machine for scraping and chopping cotton, the combination of the two scrapers having their standards connected by a cross-bar at the top to form a foot-rest, and pivoted intermediately to the frame, with the rear rotary choppers connected adjustably with the same shaft, and arranged at an oblique angle thereto" (lines 86-93).
Date: July 10, 1883
Creator: Russell, William R.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History