Fare-Box. (open access)

Fare-Box.

Patent for a simple, inexpensive, fraud preventing fare-box for street-railways.
Date: August 8, 1882
Creator: Alexander, Samuel & Boyle, Frank
System: The Portal to Texas History
Chair for Railroad Rails. (open access)

Chair for Railroad Rails.

Patent for a new and improved chair for railroad rails. This design utilizes a metal key and wrought-iron straps so that "the rails are held firmly both laterally and vertically, so that they are kept level at the joint and any sagging is prevented. At the same time endwise movement by expansion or contraction is not hindered, and the chairs being fastened to the ties, the expansion and contraction will take place entirely between the several chairs" (lines 49-57).
Date: February 20, 1883
Creator: Armstrong, Charles & Abbott, George
System: The Portal to Texas History
Lining for Tin Cans. (open access)

Lining for Tin Cans.

Patent for a new and improved method of canning seafood with tin cans. This design calls for perforated paper to line the cans, which prevents the discoloration of the seafood inside.
Date: December 28, 1880
Creator: Bartlett, Frederick W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Splicing Device. (open access)

Splicing Device.

Patent for a new and improved wire splicer. This design consists in "[t]he combination, with the casing, of the wires entering the casing at the opposite sides of the respective ends and bent in opposite directions, so as to interlock within the casing, said casing being bent down . . . at each end" (lines 62-67).
Date: April 9, 1889
Creator: Basel, John Conrad
System: The Portal to Texas History
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
Music-Leaf Turner. (open access)

Music-Leaf Turner.

Patent for a device for "Turning Leaves of Sheet-Musics, Music-Books and, other Books" (lines 5-7), including instructions and illustrations.
Date: March 16, 1880
Creator: Becker, Francis L.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Machine for Cutting off the Soiled Butts of Grain Stalks. (open access)

Machine for Cutting off the Soiled Butts of Grain Stalks.

Patent for a new and improved cutting machine for grain stalks. This design consists in a "table slotted in its middle part and slotted and recessed at or near one edge, the parallel endless bundle-carrying chains working in said slots and having arms, the chain-wheels, the shafts thereof and their supports, the circular saw in the recess at the edge of the table, the mandrel and the gage-plate" (lines 98-105).
Date: May 3, 1887
Creator: Becker, Lothar
System: The Portal to Texas History
Sash Fastener. (open access)

Sash Fastener.

Patent for a new and improved sash fastener. This design consists in "[t]he combination, with a window frame and sash, of a fastener consisting of stops secured to the frame and formed with beveled ends and a shoulder . . . and a button pivotally secured to the sash and recessed to form a triangular projection, and a finger-piece extension, which latter serves also as a weight to effect an automatic fastening as the window is lowered" (lines 72-80).
Date: March 4, 1884
Creator: Bendy, Napoleon Bonaparte
System: The Portal to Texas History
Combination-Lock. (open access)

Combination-Lock.

Patent for improvement upon a combination-lock.
Date: May 1, 1888
Creator: Bergman, John
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
Poultry Coop. (open access)

Poultry Coop.

Patent for a new and improved poultry coop. This design's "interior . . . has a vertical central partition between which and the ends of the coop are vertical transverse partitions and vertical longitudinal partitions, which preferably consist of strips . . . forming compartments, each of a sufficient size to contain a given number of a given kind of poultry . . . as the coop is divided off into compartments the poultry can with great ease be examined as to condition, and not being in large mass, but being separated into small numbers, they are kept in a better state of preservation and health" (lines 25-44).
Date: February 5, 1884
Creator: Bleike, William T., Jr.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Mosquito Bar and Carriage Umbrella. (open access)

Mosquito Bar and Carriage Umbrella.

Patent for a new and improved mosquito bar and carriage umbrella. This design consists in "[t]he combination, with a tube adapted to be applied to the head-board of a bed, and having a lateral slot and roller therein, of a set-screw passing into the said tube, a curved tube adjustably supported in the straight tube, a parasol on the end of the curved tube, and a cord passing through the tubes to operate the parasol" (lines 58-65).
Date: November 29, 1887
Creator: Blunt, Walter F.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Frame House. (open access)

Frame House.

Patent for a new and improved frame house. This design consists of "[t]he combination, in a roof, of T-shaped caps or battens having in their depending tongues the transverse dovetail grooves, the roof-boards arranged above the grooves and below the horizontal and lateral arms of the said battens, and the purlins adapted to enter the grooves and grooved longitudinally to engage the said tongues" (lines 23-31).
Date: January 17, 1882
Creator: Boyd, John
System: The Portal to Texas History
Fire-Kindler. (open access)

Fire-Kindler.

Patent for a composition of matter to be used for kindling fires. Ingredients, proportions of ingredients and mixing instructions are included. No illustration.
Date: December 20, 1881
Creator: Boyd, William
System: The Portal to Texas History
Wheeled Vehicle. (open access)

Wheeled Vehicle.

Patent for a new and improved wheeled vehicle. This design consists in "[a] one-wheeled sulky in which are combined the single wheel, the frame, the thills, the seat, the standards, and the rods or braces" (lines 54-57).
Date: June 19, 1883
Creator: Boyd, William
System: The Portal to Texas History
Carpenter's Square. (open access)

Carpenter's Square.

Patent for a new and improved carpenter's square. This design calls for ribs or ridges running lengthwise along the blades and a thicker, more durable square between the blades. In this way, only the ribs or ridges suffer wear, and the square lasts longer.
Date: October 3, 1882
Creator: Callihan, Willie Hoyle
System: The Portal to Texas History
Composition To Be Used As A Non-Conductor Of Heat And For Other Purposes. (open access)

Composition To Be Used As A Non-Conductor Of Heat And For Other Purposes.

Patent for a non-conducting material designed to prevent heat loss from radiation, prevent damage from frost, for fire-proofing, and for "the deafening of floors and partitions" (lines 21-22). Ingredients and proportions are listed.
Date: August 30, 1887
Creator: Clayton, Nicholas Joseph.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Railroad Switch. (open access)

Railroad Switch.

Patent for a new and improved railroad switch. This design "consists in securing the short switch-rail to a long guard-rail, instead of pivoting it to the end of the sliding-rail or supporting-plate, the said guard-rail having the end remote from the short switch-rail spiked securely to the track, and the end carrying the switch-rail provided with lever or other moving devices whereby the switch-rails are thrown" (lines 21-29).
Date: January 15, 1884
Creator: Crowley, John H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Split Switch (open access)

Split Switch

Patent for a split switch, with illustrations. The "invention relates to split switches; and the object of our invention is to provide a switch which will be normally in condition to prevent a train from running on the main track from the siding, and yet always keep the main track in condition for the rapid movement of trains, and at the same time allow the shunting of a train from the main track to the side track" (lines 16-24).
Date: May 15, 1883
Creator: Crowley, John Henry & Temple, Bernard Moore
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car Window Lock. (open access)

Car Window Lock.

Patent for a new and improved car-window lock. This design consists in "the sliding crank-shaped spring-actuated bolt for locking the window, in combination with the oscillating cam acting upon the bolt to unlock it, said cam having a lateral arm with a spring-guide hinged thereto, a spring surrounding the guide, and means for swinging the cam and thus retracting the bolt" (lines 21-27).
Date: October 5, 1886
Creator: Cutter, Martin A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Sash Holder. (open access)

Sash Holder.

Patent for a new and improved sash holder. This design "consists in supplying the sash with two spring-actuated cams—one upon each side—which cams in their normal condition press against the frame and hold the sash, but are simultaneously withdrawn and held out of contact with the frame by the partial rotation of a cylindrical operating-handle, with which the cams are connected by suitable rods, said handle also furnishing the means by which the sash is raised and lowered" (lines 41-50).
Date: January 19, 1886
Creator: Cutter, Martin A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Shutter Fastener. (open access)

Shutter Fastener.

Patent for a new and improved shutter fastener. This design consists "[i]n a blind-fastening, the case, constructed . . . and provided with [a] projection in combination with the bolt having recess, the spring, the swinging catch, and the keeper secured in the window sill" (lines 45-49).
Date: March 9, 1886
Creator: Cutter, Martin A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Street Car. (open access)

Street Car.

Patent for a new and improved street-car. This design "is to improve that kind of street or horse car the body of which is constructed to be reversed in its position upon the truck of the car; and the invention consists in the construction of the car-body, the truck upon which the body rests, the reversing devices comprising the holding and the releasing parts, and the combination of the brake devices with a reversible car-body" (lines 9-17).
Date: February 17, 1885
Creator: Cutter, Martin A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Street-Car. (open access)

Street-Car.

Patent for improving the construction of street cars which turn upon the truck. Accompanied by illustrations.
Date: December 29, 1885
Creator: Cutter, Martin A.
System: The Portal to Texas History