Improvement in Plows. (open access)

Improvement in Plows.

Patent for an improved plow to turn and reverse the mold-board by using a single bolt to secure the reversible mold-board onto the stock of a plow.
Date: May 15, 1860
Creator: Pitts, William C.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Seed-Planters. (open access)

Improvement in Seed-Planters.

Patent for the improvement of planting seeds using a single seed-slide and double tubes from seed box to distribute seeds to planting point in a more direct route than other seed-planters, including illustration.
Date: May 15, 1860
Creator: Pitts, W. C.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Joining and Fitting Hoof-Hooks. (open access)

Improvement in Joining and Fitting Hoof-Hooks.

Patent for "a new and improved Hoof-Hook or cleaner, for cleaning the hoofs of horses and mules" (line 3) including instructions and an illustration.
Date: September 15, 1868
Creator: Stanley, Frank
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Vehicle Wheel. (open access)

Vehicle Wheel.

Patent for a new and improved vehicle wheel. This design "consists in the improved construction and combination of parts of a brace consisting of two rings secured together, and having recesses in their meeting sides, and provided with a number of brace-rods passing to one or two rings secured upon the hub of a vehicle-wheel, the spokes fitting in the recesses in the meeting sides of the rings" (lines 19-27).
Date: January 15, 1884
Creator: Stein, Philip Harris
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car-Coupling. (open access)

Car-Coupling.

Patent for an improved device used to connect rail cars, including illustrations and descriptions of how the new coupling works.
Date: April 15, 1884
Creator: Hathaway, Charles L.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Composition for Preserving Food (open access)

Composition for Preserving Food

Patent for "combustible compositions which, when ignited, produce a gas or gasses which have preservative and purifying effects upon various substances and surfaces or places exposed to the fumes. It is more especially designed, however, for preserving fruits, vegetables, meats, and other perishable articles." (lines 12-19).
Date: April 15, 1890
Creator: Radam, William
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Nail Driving Tool. (open access)

Nail Driving Tool.

Patent for a new and improved nail-driving tool. This design consists, "with the shell of the tool formed with recesses and a guide-groove . . . the driving-bar provided with notch, die, and roller, spline guided in the groove of the shell, and the returning-spring, of the levers having toes, the former of said levers bearing normally upon the roller, the spring secured to said shell, bearing by its ends upon the ends of the said levers, and the magazine obliquely attached to the shell, provided with an opening and a spring-closing device" (lines 32-43).
Date: July 15, 1890
Creator: Brady, William B.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Fuel Produced From Lignite. (open access)

Fuel Produced From Lignite.

Patent for the process by which fuel is created from lignite coal.
Date: March 16, 1891
Creator: Edelmann, Albert
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Siphon-Pump for Oil-Cans. (open access)

Siphon-Pump for Oil-Cans.

Patent for a simple and inexpensive siphon meant to transfer oil from a container to another container without spilling the liquid. It can transfer a liquid from a reservoir to a receptacle and back again without spilling.
Date: August 15, 1893
Creator: Franklin, Edward A.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Culvert. (open access)

Culvert.

Patent for "a culvert which shall be so constructed that the jarring caused by the passing of trains or wagons will not impair the solidity of the culvert." (Lines 14-17) Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: September 15, 1896
Creator: Parker, William Sink
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Square. (open access)

Square.

Patent for a square meant "to provide a simple and cheap steel square embodying also a level, an inclinometer, and mitrometer" (lines 13-15).
Date: September 15, 1896
Creator: Johns, John P.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Wrench. (open access)

Wrench.

Patent for a nut-wrench capable of tightening different sized nuts. The lower jaw of the wrench has different levels, the overall effect being that of a staircase, while the upper jaw is flat with a bite that holds the nuts in place.
Date: December 15, 1896
Creator: Tiner, John F.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
File-Wrapper and Package Fastener. (open access)

File-Wrapper and Package Fastener.

Patent for securing expansible envelopes and file wrappers with a flexible cord.
Date: May 15, 1900
Creator: Davis, Frederick Clarke
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Drier Rack (open access)

Drier Rack

Patent for a drier rack on rail-cars to for drying bricks. Illustration included.
Date: March 15, 1904
Creator: Zilker, Andrew J.; Tidmarsh, Albert L. & Armstrong, Charles J.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Self Centering Axle Lathe (open access)

Self Centering Axle Lathe

Patent for a self centering axle lathe. Illustrations included.
Date: November 15, 1904
Creator: Boeckmann, Kurt Von
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Fishing-Float (open access)

Fishing-Float

Patent for a float that can be attached or detached from a fishing line and has been improved to prevent the line from breaking. Illustrations included.
Date: September 15, 1908
Creator: Von Rosenberg, William, Jr.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Folding Bracket for Desk-Telephones, &c. (open access)

Folding Bracket for Desk-Telephones, &c.

Patent for a folding telephone bracket which can be adapted to a desk and adjusted to the user's convenience. Illustrations included.
Date: September 15, 1908
Creator: Gerhard, William H.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Mold. (open access)

Mold.

Patent for a form of mold that is constructed to expand and contract quickly to form sidewalks and curbs.
Date: July 15, 1913
Creator: Forbis, Frank H.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Fuel-Supply System and Starter for Explosive-Engines. (open access)

Fuel-Supply System and Starter for Explosive-Engines.

Patent for "improvements in the fuel supply system for explosive engines." (Lines 9-10). Improvements include, utilization of the heat of exhaust gases to vaporize liquid fuel, so that the carburetor and other devices are not necessary.
Date: December 15, 1914
Creator: Lowry, Benjamin F.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
The Lytton Springs Oil Field (open access)

The Lytton Springs Oil Field

Report published in a scientific bulletin, describing the Lytton Springs oil fields.
Date: October 15, 1925
Creator: Bybee, H. P. & Short, R. T.
Object Type: Journal/Magazine/Newsletter
System: The Portal to Texas History
Texas Attorney General Opinion: O-4626 (open access)

Texas Attorney General Opinion: O-4626

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Gerald Mann, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Right of firemen to participate in both city of Austin and State retirement plans.
Date: June 15, 1942
Creator: Texas. Attorney-General's Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Texas Attorney General Opinion: C-610 (open access)

Texas Attorney General Opinion: C-610

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Waggoner Carr, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; Expenditure by institutions of higher learning of income on short term investments of certain restricted funds.
Date: February 15, 1966
Creator: Texas. Attorney-General's Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Texas Attorney General Opinion: C-611 (open access)

Texas Attorney General Opinion: C-611

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Waggoner Carr, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; In a town with fireman, widows and children drawing benefits, where there is not sufficient money on hand to pay full pensions, should a paid fireman who terminates his service be refunded his contributions from the State Emergency Reserve Fund before the pensioners are pain and related question.
Date: February 15, 1966
Creator: Texas. Attorney-General's Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Texas Attorney General Opinion: C-709 (open access)

Texas Attorney General Opinion: C-709

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Waggoner Carr, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; Whether a school district (Bay City I.S.D.) is eligible for a refund under article 4054, Vernon's Civil Statutes (Which refers to Article 4053d) on shell purchased and used for building roads around its high school property pursuant contract.
Date: June 15, 1966
Creator: Texas. Attorney-General's Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History