Car Coupling. (open access)

Car Coupling.

Patent for a new and improved coupling for railroad cars. This design consists in "[a] car-coupling constructed with a draw-head having a vertically-ranging and inwardly-tapering link-socket and a horizontal hole to receive the coupling pin, in combination with a coupling-link tapering from the middle toward the end . . . [and] . . . crossing the socket, and a coupling-pin adapted to said hole and to the coupling-link, and connected to [two] lever[s] [and a] link . . . and [one of] said lever[s] extending to the side of the car" (lines 39-52).
Date: February 24, 1885
Creator: Rye, Edgar
System: The Portal to Texas History
Surveyor's Instrument. (open access)

Surveyor's Instrument.

Patent for a new and improved surveyor's instrument. This design consists in "[t]he instrument for surveying and analogous purposes, consisting of protractor, right-angled piece, and [additional] piece, the two latter pivoted to move independently on the protractor" (lines 9-13).
Date: March 10, 1885
Creator: Dolman, John H.
System: The Portal to Texas History