Improved Bridge. (open access)

Improved Bridge.

Patent for an invention that "is to provide certain improvements in the construction of bridges, whereby the parts thereof, of wood, may be readily removed for the substitution of others, when decayed or broken, without interfering with the use of the bridge or weakening it (lines 10-15)". The patent includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: January 11, 1870
Creator: McDowell, H. S.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Turbine Water-Wheels. (open access)

Improvement in Turbine Water-Wheels.

Patent for a new turbine water wheel, which is said to alleviate past problems with older model turbines. The patent includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: January 11, 1870
Creator: Chadwick, H. A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Compounds for Destroying Worms in Cotton-Plants. (open access)

Improvement in Compounds for Destroying Worms in Cotton-Plants.

Patent for using a solution of water and arsenic for killing cotton pests.
Date: January 2, 1871
Creator: Mitchell, Thomas W. & Briscoe, Robert P.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Saw-Sets. (open access)

Improvement in Saw-Sets.

Patent for a simply constructed device for setting the teeth of saws. Includes illustrations and descriptions of its parts and usage.
Date: January 3, 1871
Creator: Harris, Henry A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Shot-Cases and Distributers (open access)

Improvement in Shot-Cases and Distributers

Patent for a "new receptacle for holding several grades of shot, and to an adjustable distributing device for the same. Its object is to enable traders to keep the several kinds or grades of shot in one receptacle, but so that suitable quantity of any one kind can be readily and conveniently measured out" (lines 20-26).
Date: January 3, 1871
Creator: Booton, Sinclair
System: The Portal to Texas History
Inprovement in Sulky-Cultivators. (open access)

Inprovement in Sulky-Cultivators.

Patent for an improved sulky cultivator which lists description on how to build the cultivator.
Date: January 10, 1871
Creator: Jordan, Hugh P
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Fire-Tongs (open access)

Improvement in Fire-Tongs

Patent for a part to prevent the legs of fire-tongs from lapping or crossing each other.
Date: January 17, 1871
Creator: George, Alfred M.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Pen-Holders. (open access)

Improvement in Pen-Holders.

Patent for new improvements on the design of the pen-holder, including illustrations.
Date: January 24, 1871
Creator: George, Alfred M.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Washing-Machines. (open access)

Improvement in Washing-Machines.

Patent for an improvement in washing machines.
Date: January 31, 1871
Creator: Nave, Andrew Jackson
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Bailing-Presses. (open access)

Improvement in Bailing-Presses.

Patent for an improved bailing press consisting of "a novel arrangement of levers, connecting-bars, and cords, in combination with the follower and windlass, whereby the follower is worked in the downward direction for pressing, and in the opposite direction for elevating it to recharge the press, by the said windlass" (lines 5-11).
Date: January 2, 1872
Creator: Randolph, Jeremiah
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improved in Medical Compounds or Liver Invigorators. (open access)

Improved in Medical Compounds or Liver Invigorators.

Patent for a new medical compound to improve liver function.
Date: January 9, 1872
Creator: Simmons, William L.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Medical Compounds or Bitters. (open access)

Improvement in Medical Compounds or Bitters.

Patent for a medical compound prepared with whisky, gentian-root, cinchonabark, quassia and cloves which is intended as "a remedy for miasmatic fevers" (line 23) including instructions for the preparation and administration of the medicine.
Date: January 23, 1872
Creator: Turner, Richard G.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvements in Expanding Mandrels. (open access)

Improvements in Expanding Mandrels.

Patent for improvements in expanding mandrels by way of an expanding-chuck.
Date: January 23, 1872
Creator: Simons, John
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Apparatus for Preserving Meats and Vegetables (open access)

Improvement in Apparatus for Preserving Meats and Vegetables

Patent for "improvement in apparatus" for the use of "preserving meats, vegetables, fruits &c." (lines 5, 16-17) including construction specifications and illustrations.
Date: January 30, 1872
Creator: Maxwell, William
System: The Portal to Texas History
Lubricating car-axles (open access)

Lubricating car-axles

Patent for an improvement in axle lubrication involving an oil-elevator, axle-box and journal-box. Includes illustrations.
Date: January 7, 1873
Creator: Morris, Joseph R.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Compounds for Destroying Caterpillars. (open access)

Improvement in Compounds for Destroying Caterpillars.

Patent for an insecticide compound that combines Paris green, flour, and lime, which allows the poison, arsenic, to better adhere to cotton plants. Includes instructions.
Date: January 14, 1873
Creator: Whisenant, Green F.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Fluting-Machines. (open access)

Improvement in Fluting-Machines.

Patent for an improvement in gage-fluting machines, including an illustration. "It relates to a machine for fluting or crimping articles of ladies' apparel" (lines 6-7).
Date: January 14, 1873
Creator: Saunders, David R.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Compounds for Fish-Baits. (open access)

Improvement in Compounds for Fish-Baits.

Patent for a new compound to be used as fish bait, consisting of oil of anise, asafetida, cardamom-seed, golden, yellow, or black root, and buzzard root. Includes instructions.
Date: January 21, 1873
Creator: Goodman, Samuel A., Jr.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Cultivators. (open access)

Improvement in Cultivators.

Patent for an improvement in the design of corn and cotton cultivators, including illustrations.
Date: January 21, 1873
Creator: Sims, Zachariah B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Nails. (open access)

Improvement in Nails.

Patent for a nail with hexagonal form with two sides nearly flat and beveled edges.
Date: January 21, 1873
Creator: Hall, William N.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Apparatus for Cooling the Air of Buildings. (open access)

Improvement in Apparatus for Cooling the Air of Buildings.

Patent for improvements to cooling apparatus for buildings, especially distilleries and breweries. Illustration included.
Date: January 6, 1874
Creator: Mühl, Andrew
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Machines for Sprinkling Cotton-Plants. (open access)

Improvement in Machines for Sprinkling Cotton-Plants.

Patent for a wheeled, horse-drawn machine, "whereby plants are firs dampened with water and then overspread with poisonous powder, the latter being caused by the former to adhere to the plant" (para. 9).
Date: January 6, 1874
Creator: Robinson, William T.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Car-Couplings. (open access)

Improvement in Car-Couplings.

Patent for an improvement in railroad-car couplings, including illustration.
Date: January 13, 1874
Creator: Jackson, Thomas Rivers
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Broom-Handles. (open access)

Improvement in Broom-Handles.

Patent for improving a spring-hinge joint that secures the broom during transportation.
Date: July 26, 1873
Creator: Turner, Ephraim M. & Turner, John W.
System: The Portal to Texas History