The Willis Index. (Willis, Tex.), Vol. 3, No. 33, Ed. 1 Friday, August 27, 1886 (open access)

The Willis Index. (Willis, Tex.), Vol. 3, No. 33, Ed. 1 Friday, August 27, 1886

Weekly newspaper from Willis, Texas that includes local, state, and national news along with advertising.
Date: August 27, 1886
Creator: Cravens, N. A., Jr.
Object Type: Newspaper
System: The Portal to Texas History
Steam Engine Governor. (open access)

Steam Engine Governor.

Patent for a new and improved steam-engine governor. This design consists in "the combination, with the valve-stem and governor-balls, of a lever connected with the said valve-stem, a weighted lever connected with the said valve-stem lever, a piston-rod connected with the said weighted lever, a piston attached to the said piston-rod, and a small cylinder in which the said piston operates, and which is connected at one end with the interior of the steam-chest" (lines 93-102).
Date: August 16, 1887
Creator: Arnold, Eliphalet L.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Padlock. (open access)

Padlock.

Patent for a new and improved lock. This design is "to provide a padlock having a two-part locking-bolt, each member thereof having separate and independent action and being operated by different means, each unlocking device being guided by a scale . . . [Also,] to so construct and organize the parts of a key padlock that the combination upon which it is operated may be readily and quickly changed, and to provide the key with a simple movable index which may be shifted to . . . indicate the proper point to which the key must be turned in order to successfully operate the lock" (lines 13-29).
Date: August 27, 1889
Creator: Richards, Augustus, Sr.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Fly Fan or Brush. (open access)

Fly Fan or Brush.

Patent for a new and improved fly fan or brush. This design consists "[i]n an automatic fly fan or brush, a suitable hollow post terminating at its upper end in a casing, a crank-shaft and conical pulley located therein, and gearing connecting the crank-shaft with the pulley-shaft, in combination with a cord connected to the pulley and to a rubber band or cord passing around a pulley at the base of the post, said rubber cord or band at one end being connected thereto, a pitman-rod connecting the crank-shaft with the arm carrying the fan or brush" (lines 84-94).
Date: August 28, 1888
Creator: Rembert, Henry
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Plow Mold Board. (open access)

Plow Mold Board.

Patent for a new and improved plow mold board. This design "consists of a circular roll arranged in the mold-board near the point and covered with belting, which, in the forward movement of the plow, is revolved and carries the earth backward on an endless belt passing around rollers journaled in the end of transverse slots made in the mold-board, whereby, in the forward movement of the plow, the belt is revolved and the friction of the earth on the mold-board decreased and the plow scoured" (lines 17-28).
Date: August 22, 1882
Creator: Dahlman, Carl Oscar
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History