Railway-Crossing (open access)

Railway-Crossing

Patent for crossings for railway tracks and particularly to means for closing the cut in the rails made for the flanges of the wheels, and the object is to provide sliding members which can be easily operated to close the slot or cut in the crossing rails for the flanges of the wheels so that a continuous tread will be formed for every wheel that passes over the crossing and to provide a mechanism for the tracks.
Date: March 30, 1909
Creator: Adams, Powell O.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Pneumatic Rail-Brake. (open access)

Pneumatic Rail-Brake.

Patent for a pneumatic rail brake, which operates automatically to prevent derailment.
Date: March 30, 1909
Creator: Adams, Powell Orgain
System: The Portal to Texas History
Trace Carrier. (open access)

Trace Carrier.

Patent for a new and improved trace carrier. This design "consists in a frame having an oblong slot . . . for the passage of the back-band, and which has the trace-hook formed as a portion of it, in combination with a pivoted triangular-shaped bar or bars, which are loosely connected to the frame, and which close in the oblong opening . . . to clamp or hold the back-band . . . to provide a buckle and back-band hook which can be attached to either a cloth or leather back-band by frictional contact . . . prevent[ing] the necessity of . . . forming tongues upon the buckles" (lines 14-30).
Date: March 12, 1889
Creator: Clark, Alexander E.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Deep Well Pump. (open access)

Deep Well Pump.

Patent for a new and improved well pump. This design consists in "the timber bed arranged on the bottom of the well, in combination with two superposed metallic cylinders connected by a stock, said stock being provided at the bottom with inwardly-turned flanges made fast to said bed" (lines 55-60).
Date: March 22, 1887
Creator: Clark, Alexander Evans
System: The Portal to Texas History
Breast-Strap (open access)

Breast-Strap

Patent for a breast strap with snap hooks that reduces wear on the strap.
Date: March 29, 1910
Creator: Hewitt, Ditus P.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Insecticide Composition. (open access)

Insecticide Composition.

Patent for an insecticide to kill red ants and "other noxious insects" (line 9).
Date: March 24, 1885
Creator: Howard, Frank M.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Means for Operating Swinging Gates. (open access)

Means for Operating Swinging Gates.

Patent "to simplify and improve the construction of means for opening and closing swinging gates," (lines 10 - 12) including instructions and illustrations.
Date: January 12, 1892
Creator: Rhodes, James W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cattle-Guard (open access)

Cattle-Guard

Patent for a cattle guard for use at railroad tracks incorporating a depressible platform connected to a closing mechanism which will impede movement of cattle across the track, but allow for unobstructed movement at other times.
Date: March 20, 1906
Creator: Richter, Fred Otto & Richter, Gustav Adolph
System: The Portal to Texas History
Attachment for Harrows (open access)

Attachment for Harrows

Patent for attachment of harrows that facilitate the use of harrows in pilling cotton stalks. This device allows the harrows to be in continuous motion creating efficiency in cotton pilling.
Date: March 11, 1913
Creator: Taylor, David T. & Barker, Felix
System: The Portal to Texas History
Wire-Stretcher. (open access)

Wire-Stretcher.

Patent for a wire stretcher for use in building wire fences.
Date: March 3, 1908
Creator: Williams, John H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cotton Stalk Puller. (open access)

Cotton Stalk Puller.

Patent for a new and improved cotton stalk puller. This design utilizes "[a] pulling-wheel having radial jaws that are opened and closed by cam devices" when "[i]t is driven astride the [cotton] row, and will be found to operate rapidly and with absolute certainty. It is simple, durable, and may be constructed at a very small expense" (lines 79-84).
Date: March 15, 1881
Creator: Wilson, John C.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cotton-Chopper (open access)

Cotton-Chopper

Patent for Cotton Chopper. To help in the aid of chopping cotton instead of using a hoe.
Date: March 1, 1921
Creator: Wilson, William J.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Lifting-Jack. (open access)

Lifting-Jack.

Patent for a lifting jack that releases automatically when the lever is pulled down, is easy to operate, and is powerful.
Date: March 26, 1907
Creator: Yeager, Ernest Curtis
System: The Portal to Texas History