Finger-Exercising Machine. (open access)

Finger-Exercising Machine.

Patent for a finger-exercising machine that is meant to improve the finger strength and flexibility of musicians. "A cylinder provided with friction-rollers imparts motion to a set of keys upon which the fingers are placed; and the object of [the invention] is to impart flexibility to the fingers, and to overcome the otherwise difficult motion" (lines 11-16).
Date: September 14, 1880
Creator: Becker, Francis L.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Lock (open access)

Lock

Patent for "improvements in locks, having special reference to locks for the doors of freight-cars; and it has for its object to provide a strong lock so constructed as to be comparatively safe from the attacks of lockpickers" (lines 8-13).
Date: September 11, 1888
Creator: Bergman, John
System: The Portal to Texas History
Brick Fire Box Construction. (open access)

Brick Fire Box Construction.

Patent for an improved fire box liner construction for oil fueled locomotives that is made from bricks in an interlocking design that does not require cement and will not shake apart from vibration. Includes illustrations.
Date: September 12, 1911
Creator: Blackmond, William C. & Stoy, Guy Everett
System: The Portal to Texas History
Composition of Matter for Manufacturing Calcium Carbid. (open access)

Composition of Matter for Manufacturing Calcium Carbid.

Patent for a "new and useful Composition of Matter for Manufacturing Calcium Carbid" (lines 5-7) that will aid in the commercially successful production. Patent includes specifications for the composition of matter.
Date: September 7, 1897
Creator: Blum, Sylvain; Eldridge, Hillary; Clark, Daniel J. & Lazarus, Sam
System: The Portal to Texas History
Method of Treating Cotton-Seed Hulls (open access)

Method of Treating Cotton-Seed Hulls

Patent for "to utilize a heretofore waste product, and by means of a dry process to reduce the same to fine particles, which, being capable of felting, constitute stock" (lines 14-18).
Date: September 23, 1890
Creator: Bohn, Emil
System: The Portal to Texas History
Imposition-Furniture for Printers' Use. (open access)

Imposition-Furniture for Printers' Use.

Patent for improvements in imposition-furniture for printers’ use; in this “improved furniture, the page can be removed with the cord tied around it and set aside for future use and the improved pieces of furniture used around another and different page of type and so on indefinitely. It is made to serve the purpose of an almost endless set of furniture-pieces of that style of furniture border-piece where the groove is formed on the outside of furniture border-pieces and the tying-cord is fitted in said groove and made to serve for tying up both the furniture border-pieces and the page.” (Lines 22-34) Illustration is included.
Date: September 1, 1891
Creator: Clarke, Robert
System: The Portal to Texas History
Internal-Combustion Engine (open access)

Internal-Combustion Engine

Patent for an internal-combustion engine with a novel form of rotary valve and other meaningful improvements to a combustion engine.
Date: September 29, 1914
Creator: Clough, George Golden
System: The Portal to Texas History
Automatic Railway Switch (open access)

Automatic Railway Switch

Patent for an automatic railway switch. Illustration included.
Date: September 19, 1905
Creator: Ditmars, Frederick R. S. & Hendrix, A. S.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Gas-Generating Apparatus. (open access)

Gas-Generating Apparatus.

Patent for a gas-generator, especially generating acetylene, "with uniformity of flow of gas and at a uniform pressure" (lines 15-16). It is simple and can be constructed in many sizes. "This apparatus is especially adapted for generating gas and mixing it with air from that class of chemicals that generate gas from water by decomposition thereof and by affinity for oxygen or hydrogen" (lines 25-30).
Date: September 15, 1896
Creator: Eldridge, Hilliary
System: The Portal to Texas History
Signal Stand (open access)

Signal Stand

Patent for a signal stand designed for use in connection with train order boards employing a semaphore as a signal. "The invention, broadly stated, comprises a stand having suitable feet and arms connected by a body portion, said arms serving as a support for a notched quadrant, which quadrant is secured to the arms, a plurality of interconnected layers, one of said levers having a fulcrum or pivotal mounting with the body portion, another of said levers being formed in two parts, one part of which is provided with a connection with the first-named lever, said lever part being provided at one end with a segmental gear to cooperate the segmental gear carried by the other half of the lever, which latter half is pivotally mounted with its fulcrum in the body of the stand, the free ends of said levers extending beyond the the stand being provided for connection with pull rods, that serve to operate the several blades positioned upon a semaphore stand, and means operatively connected to the handled ends of said layers to cooperate with the notches in the quadrant to maintain the levers in predetermined positions." (Lines 54-77)
Date: September 10, 1918
Creator: Fleagle, Robert H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Abdominal Supporter. (open access)

Abdominal Supporter.

Patent for a new and improved supporter for the abdomen during pregnancy. This design "consists of an abdominal sack for the support of the abdomen in pregnancy, which is contrived with supporting-bands adapted for supporting it from the shoulders of the wearer, where the weight can be best sustained, and so as to entirely avoid the belt commonly used, and thus relieve the stomach and liver from the pressure and irritation which it produces" (lines 7-15).
Date: September 11, 1883
Creator: Galney, Augustus
System: The Portal to Texas History
Ventilating Apparatus. (open access)

Ventilating Apparatus.

Patent for a new and improved ventilator. This design consists in "a fan casing, constructed and arranged . . . of the fan arranged therein, the gearing placed above the fan, the air-ducts leading to the fan-chamber, the endless weighted chain or cord, and drums and pulleys . . . [and] an open bottom secured to a ceiling and communicating with air-ducts passing between the floor and ceiling of a building" (lines 80-90).
Date: September 21, 1886
Creator: Garfield, John Morris
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Cotton Picker and Cleaner. (open access)

Improvement in Cotton Picker and Cleaner.

Patent for an invention that "relates to certain novel improvements on machinery which is designed for rapidly and thoroughly cleaning and picking the interior grades of cotton, and the badly picked and ginned cottons, and for effecting this result without cutting or in any manner damaging the cotton fiber"(lines 19-25). The patent includes instructions and an illustration.
Date: September 1, 1868
Creator: Gilman, Samuel H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Baling-Press. (open access)

Baling-Press.

Patent for improvements in baling-presses by “simplify and strengthen the frame and operating parts, to secure a better distribution of the strains between the operating parts and the frame, and to increase the speed at which the press may be operated by permitting the platen to rise and fall to a limited extent independent of the power mechanism, so that after the loose fiber is introduced the platen may be dropped instantly a portion of the distance to effect a partial compression of the charge by its weight before bringing the power mechanism into play.” (Lines 17-29) Illustration is included.
Date: September 22, 1891
Creator: Goldthwaite, Joseph G.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Coin Sorter. (open access)

Coin Sorter.

Patent for a new and improved coin sorter. This design "consists of a cabinet or coin-receptacle divided horizontally by a vertical series of drawers, each of which, except the lower one, is formed with a bottom that is provided with closely-set rows of circular openings that communicate with the drawers beneath, the openings in the bottom of each drawer being smaller than those in the bottom of the next drawer above, whereby the larger coins are retained in the upper drawer or drawers, while the smaller coins will pass successively through the several drawers to the bottom" (lines 15-27).
Date: September 22, 1885
Creator: Harcourt, Guy M.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Game Counter. (open access)

Game Counter.

Patent for a new and improved game-counter. This design consists "in a tabular counting device of novel construction applicable to counting with great accuracy and exemption from dispute, together with a clear exhibit of progress and result, in the game of dominoes and other games, such as whist, euchre, casino, &c., also applicable as a petty-cash counter" (lines 8-14).
Date: September 13, 1892
Creator: Herbert, William B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Spark-Plug (open access)

Spark-Plug

Patent for improvement of spark-plugs, an automotive engine component.
Date: September 2, 1919
Creator: Hill, John L.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Bale-Band Tighteners. (open access)

Improvement in Bale-Band Tighteners.

Patent for improving the operation of tightening baling-bands and saving the length of metal bands.
Date: September 18, 1877
Creator: Hodges, John C., Jr.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Cane-Seats for Chairs. (open access)

Improvement in Cane-Seats for Chairs.

Patent for improvement in cane-seats for chairs by simplifying the process of dispensing the drawing of the cane through the chair-frame; thereby reduce materials used to produce the chairs. Illustration is included.
Date: September 3, 1872
Creator: Howe, Will F.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Mail-Handling Device. (open access)

Mail-Handling Device.

Patent for a mail handling device that mounts into a train car to assist in loading and unloading of mail bags.
Date: September 11, 1917
Creator: Kost, Joseph L.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Apparatus for Distilling Turpentine. (open access)

Improvement in Apparatus for Distilling Turpentine.

Patent for a new and improved process of production and distillation of turpentine, including illustrations.
Date: September 24, 1872
Creator: Lee, Archibald K.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Reversible Harness Hame. (open access)

Reversible Harness Hame.

Patent for a new and improved hame. This design consists "of wood, properly curved to conform to the configuration of a horse-collar, and having their front and rear sides shaped alike, so that they may be applied interchangeably to the right or left sides to the collar. To accomplish such result [the design] provide[s] each hame with a swiveling trace attachment" (lines 7-14).
Date: September 29, 1885
Creator: Lewis, Lewis
System: The Portal to Texas History
Gage for Deep-Sea Soundings (open access)

Gage for Deep-Sea Soundings

Patent for a liquid recorder for deep sea sounds. Illustrations included.
Date: September 21, 1909
Creator: Mel, John & Jones, Levin Thomas, Jr.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Railway-Car Trucks. (open access)

Improvement in Railway-Car Trucks.

Patent for improvements in railway car trucks.
Date: September 12, 1871
Creator: Mestier, John R.
System: The Portal to Texas History