Resource Type

Car Coupling. (open access)

Car Coupling.

Patent for a new and improved coupling for railroad cars. This design utilizes "a draw-head, formed with the usual flaring mouth, and interior cavity. . . . the interior of the draw-head is narrowing from the mouth to the center of the pin, and widening from the latter backward. The object of this construction is, that it directs the entering link to the pin, and increases the power of resistance of the latter to the strain" (lines 23-33).
Date: April 5, 1881
Creator: Nuckols, William L.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car Door Fastening. (open access)

Car Door Fastening.

Patent for a new and improved car-door fastening. This design "consists in a novel construction and arrangement of a staple, a hook-hasp, key, and a key-plate, whereby several advantages are obtained . . . for securing the sliding doors of box-cars and other railway-cars" (lines 8-14).
Date: April 19, 1881
Creator: Alexander, Francis Marion
System: The Portal to Texas History
Caster. (open access)

Caster.

Patent for an improved design for casters, otherwise known as "rollers for bedsteads and the like" (lines 15-16), including illustrations.
Date: April 19, 1881
Creator: Custer, George
System: The Portal to Texas History
Canceling Stamp. (open access)

Canceling Stamp.

Patent for a new and improved stamp canceler. This design utilizes a washer, flanges, and vertical slots "for the purpose of adjusting the roughened face of the head . . . so that the correct operation of the face is insured" (65-68). This represents an improvement over previous stamp cancelers.
Date: April 19, 1881
Creator: Grothaus, Frederick E.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Buckle. (open access)

Buckle.

Patent for a new and improved buckle. This design utilizes two separate tongues that run freely along a middle bar, which lengthens the life of the strap by distributing pressure and allowing for broken out, frayed, or otherwise worn holes to be circumvented for new ones.
Date: May 3, 1881
Creator: Burket, John
System: The Portal to Texas History
Bridge (open access)

Bridge

Patent for the construction of substantial bridges of wood adapted for long spans, and which can be put up where iron bridges would be too expensive.
Date: May 24, 1881
Creator: Brenner, August W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Automatic Cork Extractor. (open access)

Automatic Cork Extractor.

Patent for a new and improved automatic cork extractor. This design "consists, principally, of a vertically-moving and partially-rotating blade having a harpoon-shaped or shouldered head for piercing and drawing the corks; in laterally opening and closing jaws for holding the necks of the bottles; in pivoted and laterally-moving pointed levers for throwing the parts of the corks away from the blade when withdrawn, and in the construction and combination of the parts of the device" (lines 14-23).
Date: May 24, 1881
Creator: Clark, Chester Cady
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cotton Picker's Shade. (open access)

Cotton Picker's Shade.

Patent for a new and improved cotton picker's shade. This design "consists of a portable frame having an adjustable and detachable awning or shade . . . for the use of cotton-pickers and others whose vocation obliges them to work in the field during the hot season" (lines 19-23).
Date: June 14, 1881
Creator: Arnold, William Noah
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car Coupling. (open access)

Car Coupling.

Patent for a new and improved coupling for cars. This design "relates to that class of couplers that are self-couplers; and it consists of an open-top hook-shaped draw-bar provided with a pivoted T-shaped vertically-moving coupling-bar, and provided also with an end socket for using the ordinary coupling link" (lines 7-12).
Date: June 21, 1881
Creator: McCray, John Henry Branic
System: The Portal to Texas History
Corn Planter and Dropper. (open access)

Corn Planter and Dropper.

Patent for a new and improved seed planter or dropper. This design utilizes a hopper, a shaft provided with cups, a bevel having a countersunk opening provided with a recess, a gate hinged in said recess and held in contact with the cups on the shaft by a spring, and a concave partition fitting the periphery of the shaft, all constructed and arranged in a novel way (lines 68-75). Additionally, this design utilizes a wheel, the motion of which dispenses the seed.
Date: June 28, 1881
Creator: Dawson, John Henry
System: The Portal to Texas History
Carriage Curtain Fastener. (open access)

Carriage Curtain Fastener.

Patent for a new and improved curtain fastener for carriages. This design is "an improvement upon that particular form of curtain-fasteners . . . in which a sleeve or barrel having a rotary and sliding movement on a spring-encircled shank or post is provided with a wing or projection for effecting the connection of said sleeve or barrel with the eyelet or grommet of the curtain . . . which will effectually prevent the accidental disengagement of the curtain" (lines 18-29).
Date: July 12, 1881
Creator: Paschal, Thomas M.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car Coupler. (open access)

Car Coupler.

Patent for a new and improver coupler for railroad cars. This design "consists, first, in a transversely-arranged bar supported by suitable hangers secured to the end of the car a suitable distance above the draw-bar, each end of said transverse bar being provided with hand-wheels having a notch on their outer periphery, with which engage weighed pawls suitably pivoted to the side of the car; secondly, in an arm extending from said transverse bar for supporting the link" (lines 22-31).
Date: July 12, 1881
Creator: Farnam, Stephen
System: The Portal to Texas History
Composition for Preserving Wood. (open access)

Composition for Preserving Wood.

Patent for a new and improved compound for “preserving all kinds of wood, in or above ground, but is especially adapted for preserving wood in salt water from the ravages of worms, barnacles and etc…” (Line 24-27) Ingredients, proportions of ingredients and mixing instructions are included. No illustration.
Date: July 12, 1881
Creator: Smith, Bat
System: The Portal to Texas History
Combined Fire Screen and Fender. (open access)

Combined Fire Screen and Fender.

Patent for a combined fire screen and fender. This design "works in the mantle-piece by means of weights, and is secured in position by by means of a spring-latch that catches in notches in the jamb. This screen thus arranged can be made to answer for three purposes: By letting it down nearly to the hearth it acts as a blower; by letting it entirely down accidents from fire are prevented, and when let down in the summer time it makes a handsome summer screen" (lines 21-30).
Date: July 19, 1881
Creator: Matthews, James Charles
System: The Portal to Texas History
Bale Tie. (open access)

Bale Tie.

Patent for a new and improved bale tie. This design is of a metal band with several slots, so that the accompanying metal button can pass through any two overlapping slots, securing the bale within the band.
Date: July 19, 1881
Creator: Griffin, James Lee
System: The Portal to Texas History
Apparatus for Destroying Insects. (open access)

Apparatus for Destroying Insects.

Patent for a new and improved apparatus for killing ants. This design "consist[s] of frame, levers, pivoted arms, piston-rod, piston provided with valves and openings, air-tight iron chamber having opening pipe, furnace provided with double lid, lugs, pipe, clamp, and wedge . . . whereby the flame as well as the poisonous vapors are injected into the insect chambers" (lines 50-58).
Date: August 2, 1881
Creator: Gray, Hiram Balderston
System: The Portal to Texas History
Breakwater. (open access)

Breakwater.

Patent for a new and improved breakwater. This design "furnish[es] breakwaters for protecting harbors and roadsteads, and keeping open channels through bars at the entrances of harbors, the mouths of rivers, and in other places, and which shall not be liable to be destroyed by the marine worm" (lines 13-19).
Date: August 9, 1881
Creator: Follett, Alexander Glass
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car Coupling. (open access)

Car Coupling.

Patent for a new and improved coupling for railroad cars. This design "consists in the construction and novel arrangement of the rack-bars seated in ways recessed in the sides of the draw-head, toothed segments engaging therewith, a shaft carrying said toothed segments, and also bearing within the cavity of the draw-head a vibratory arm and a setting-lever, from which the coupling-pin is suspended, connected to said vibratory arm" (lines 24-32).
Date: August 16, 1881
Creator: Stephens, Lawrence Earnest. & Pool, George Washington.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Coffee Roaster. (open access)

Coffee Roaster.

Patent for a new and improved "culinary utensil primarily intended for use as a coffee roaster, but also . . . of any article which needs to be stirred while upon the fire" (lines 12-16). This design utilizes a crankshaft to stir the beans (or other foods) as they roast.
Date: August 23, 1881
Creator: Walling, Edmund Pendleton
System: The Portal to Texas History
Attachment for Harness. (open access)

Attachment for Harness.

Patent for a new and improved attachment for harnesses. This design "relates to attachments for harness; and it consists of a plate having a safety-hook, a back-band buckle, and guide-rings" (lines 20-23).
Date: August 30, 1881
Creator: Applewhite, David T.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Burglar Proof Safe. (open access)

Burglar Proof Safe.

Patent for a new and improved safe. This design "relates to burglar-proof safes, the object being to provide a safe with non-explosive seams; and the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts" (lines 14-17).
Date: September 6, 1881
Creator: Gerard, Alonzo
System: The Portal to Texas History
Brick Press. (open access)

Brick Press.

Patent for a new and improved press for bricks. This design "relates to certain improvements in that class of brick-presses in which the clay is molded into shape by hand-power; and the object of [the] improvement is to form a cheap, durable, and effective machine for accomplishing the work" (lines 10-15).
Date: September 6, 1881
Creator: Thomas, John S.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Burglar Alarm. (open access)

Burglar Alarm.

Patent for a new and improved burglar alarm. This design "consists in a wire attached to the anchor or escapement-lever of a clock-work for ringing or sounding an alarm bell, which wire has a hook at its outer end, which is passed into a loop, ring, or hook at the end of a wire connected with the key-bolt or knob-bolt of a lock, or with a wire leading to places a considerable difference from the alarm" (lines 11-18).
Date: September 20, 1881
Creator: Holloman, Harvey Allen
System: The Portal to Texas History
Bee Hive. (open access)

Bee Hive.

Patent for a new and improved bee hive. This design consists of "the combination, with the removable section, having the right-angled slots and the comb-frames of the securing-bar" (lines 95-98).
Date: September 20, 1881
Creator: Norwood, John M.
System: The Portal to Texas History