Animal-Tread. (open access)

Animal-Tread.

Patent for improvements in animal-treads when “animal is placed in the tread, the single or double tree being attached to the arm c’, and thus in addition to his weight he will have his strength to operate the tread. The function of the rope and weight is to keep the traces and tree from under the animal’s feet in case he should slack his speed, and thus prevent his tripping.” (Lines 59-66) Illustration is included.
Date: June 16, 1891
Creator: Bevil, John R.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Adding-Machine. (open access)

Adding-Machine.

Patent for an adding-machine meant to "add fixed amounts of money received or to calculate the number of days a laborer has worked or the number of fractions of days" (lines 14-17). Mounted keys have mechanisms that rotate a ratchet wheel or disk. "Secured to the shaft upon which this ratchet wheel or disk is mounted is a rate-indicator, consisting of a disk divided off into radial sections, and also divided by lines running parallel to the circumference of said disk, dividing the same up into sections, which indicate money advanced on pay-roll, addition column, total amount at a fixed rate, and the number of days worked by any workman" (lines 25-34).
Date: August 27, 1895
Creator: McElyea, James L.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Wrench. (open access)

Wrench.

Patent for a new and improved wrench. This design "relates particularly to a combined pipe and nut wrench, and has for its object to provide a wrench of the class described which can be quickly changed to an ordinary wrench . . . [the] invention consists of a shank having a rigid jaw attached thereto, a movable jaw adjustable on the shank and an eccentrically-headed lever pivoted to the rear end of the movable jaw and bearing on the shank adapted to separate the rear end of the movable jaw and said shank to throw the forward end of the movable jaw closer to the rigid jaw" (lines 7-22).
Date: August 5, 1890
Creator: Hooks, George W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Knee and Head Block for Saw Mills. (open access)

Knee and Head Block for Saw Mills.

Patent for a new and improved knee and head block. This design consists, "with a saw-mill carriage, of a head-block extending flush with the outer edges of the tracks of said carriage and provided with the usual groove or recess extending the entire length of said head-block, a knee sliding in said groove and provided on its front vertical edge with a recess, and a log-supporter fitting flush within said recess and provided at its lower end with a forwardly-extending lug or projection" (lines 39-48).
Date: April 29, 1890
Creator: Willis, George F.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Log-Cart. (open access)

Log-Cart.

Patent for a log-cart in which "one end of the log is elevated or drawn up underneath the axle, while the other end drags along on the ground" (lines 14-17). This design is more efficient than other models of log-carts.
Date: February 2, 1897
Creator: Moon, Robert G.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Log-Turner (open access)

Log-Turner

Patent for "that class of log-turners which is operated by power, and has for its object to provide a device that will be quick and positive in its operation" (lines 39-42).
Date: May 10, 1887
Creator: Ferris, Henry Murry & Gallon, William
System: The Portal to Texas History
Pump. (open access)

Pump.

Patent for a "pump for effectively pumping oil or quicksand from wells troubled with quicksand." (Lines 8-10) Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: March 30, 1897
Creator: Wintz, James Philip
System: The Portal to Texas History
Hand Cultivator. (open access)

Hand Cultivator.

Patent for a new and improved cultivator. This design "is to provide hand-cultivators constructed in such a manner as to cut up and destroy grass and weeds without throwing the soil around and covering small plants, and without breaking the soil away from around the plants" (lines 16-21).
Date: November 18, 1884
Creator: Hurd, Judson B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Revolving Plow. (open access)

Revolving Plow.

Patent for a new and improved revolving plow. This design calls for a cylinder with blades attached radially for "cutting up, breaking, and turning over the soil or turf, in which the cutter blades are freed automatically" (lines 7-10). This plow cuts up, breaks, and turns over earth faster than previous designs.
Date: October 31, 1882
Creator: Hurd, Judson B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Detachable Rubber Heel. (open access)

Detachable Rubber Heel.

Patent for "a rubber heel tap adapted for detachable connection to the heel of a boot or shoe, and which shall serve to cushion the fall of the heel," and "to provide a corrugated surface upon the face of the heel which shall adapt the same for service as an ice creeper." (Lines 14-21) Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: May 28, 1895
Creator: Williams, Thomas Jackson
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car - Coupling (open access)

Car - Coupling

Patent for a new and useful improvements in car-couplings. This design "relates to car-couplers of the pivoted-hook type" (line 11 -12).
Date: February 8, 1898
Creator: Chance, Ransom M.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Core-Drill. (open access)

Core-Drill.

Patent for a core drill for making bore holes in rocks to get out solid samples of the inside of rocks, which has an improved grabbing method for retrieving the piece of rock inside the hole.
Date: August 3, 1909
Creator: McLoughlin, Malacha J. & Wynn, John S.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Boiler Feeder (open access)

Boiler Feeder

Patent for a boiler feeder. This invention is intended to be placed above the boiler and via a regulator supplies water to the boiler.
Date: November 24, 1903
Creator: Herrington, William
System: The Portal to Texas History
Automatic Boiler-Feed (open access)

Automatic Boiler-Feed

Patent for a steam boiler which automatically fills the boiler with water to the proper levels and keeps the levels steady.
Date: August 11, 1908
Creator: Twombly, Harry Denny
System: The Portal to Texas History
Water-Heater. (open access)

Water-Heater.

Patent for a water heater for use in creating steam for oil and gas boilers, which heats faster than previous models.
Date: April 5, 1910
Creator: Hardie, Jeffie Watkins
System: The Portal to Texas History
Well Pumping Apparatus (open access)

Well Pumping Apparatus

Patent for well pumping apparatus. This invention is designed for the improvement of pumping liquid from deep wells. Illustration included.
Date: September 29, 1908
Creator: Stephenson, William M.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Mail-Box (open access)

Mail-Box

Patent for "a mail-box adapted to be placed at or on the house of the person receiving the mail, so as to facilitate a house-to-house delivery" (lines 8-11).
Date: June 4, 1901
Creator: Myer, Clayton Pittinger
System: The Portal to Texas History
Insect Destoyer (open access)

Insect Destoyer

Patent for an insect destroyer. "This invention relates particularly to that class of insect destroyers which contain pans of liquid into which the insects are shaken or enticed" (line 15-18). Illustration included.
Date: December 29, 1903
Creator: Sewell, James H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Hydraulic Swivel (open access)

Hydraulic Swivel

Patent for a hydraulic swivel. Illustrations included.
Date: September 26, 1905
Creator: Thomson, Alexander & McLaughlin, Malacha Joseph
System: The Portal to Texas History
Standing-Valve (open access)

Standing-Valve

Patent for improvements to standing valves for the use in high pressure, deep oil wells. Improves the construction, durability, and efficiency. Includes detailed description and illustrations.
Date: November 27, 1911
Creator: Henderson, Andrew J.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Stirrup (open access)

Stirrup

Patent for "new and useful improvements in stirrups" (lines 5-6), including illustration and instructions.
Date: August 17, 1909
Creator: Hooks, George W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Nut-Lock (open access)

Nut-Lock

Patent for a nut lock. Illustrations included.
Date: May 21, 1912
Creator: Lance, Andrew M.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Pump-Jack (open access)

Pump-Jack

Patent for a pump jack for operating the oil well pump rods.
Date: April 23, 1912
Creator: Seybert, Guy W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Pump Controlling Means (open access)

Pump Controlling Means

Patent for a pump controlling means. This invention applies even pressures on the discharge line. Illustration included.
Date: August 23, 1904
Creator: Small, William
System: The Portal to Texas History