Combined Ventilator and Chimney. (open access)

Combined Ventilator and Chimney.

Patent for a new and improved combined ventilator and chimney. This design consists in "[a] combined ventilator and chimney . . . composed of a central flue surrounded by an annular air-chamber, in the top and bottom of which are openings, flange, and case, provided with a water-shed or apron, in combination with [a] section consisting of a flue or chimney, having its lower end inserted in the flue of the ventilator and extending therefrom above the roof, and covered with a cap or caps, and its juncture with the ventilator protected by a downward-projecting hood" (lines 38-49).
Date: January 15, 1884
Creator: Matthews, William F.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Bottle Stopper. (open access)

Bottle Stopper.

Patent for a new and improved bottle stopper. This design "consists in the combination of the tubular body, having its lower end closed by means of a cork, and having its upper end formed into a measuring-chamber, which is adapted to be closed by means of a cork, so as to protect the measuring chamber from dust and dirt" (lines 13-19).
Date: July 15, 1884
Creator: Cotten, Jefferson Davis
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cartridge Loading Apparatus. (open access)

Cartridge Loading Apparatus.

Patent for a new and improved cartridge loader. This design "consists of a filling attachment to cartridge-loading blocks, which is composed of a hopper part having discharge-tubes in the bottom and a perforated and spring-actuated slide-piece having perforations registering with said tubes, and of a lower part having upwardly-extending tubes sliding on the bottom tubes of the hopper and downwardly-extending tubes of conical shape . . . and are opened or closed by a second spring-actuated slide-piece" (lines 16-26).
Date: July 15, 1884
Creator: Lockett, William A.
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
System: The Portal to Texas History
Lifting Jack. (open access)

Lifting Jack.

Patent for a new and improved jack. This design consists in "the combination, with a standard provided with an elongated open slot and a moveable section adapted to slide within the slot, of an operating-lever pivoted to the standard at the side of the slot, and a link pivotally secured to the sliding section and lever, whereby the lever is thrown past the center and the sliding section thereby locked in an elevated position" (lines 67-75).
Date: July 15, 1884
Creator: Thorp, James L.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Hydraulic Excavating Machine. (open access)

Hydraulic Excavating Machine.

Patent for a new and improved hydraulic excavator. This design "consists in combining a submerged propeller-wheel with a water-jet tube having a flexible connection with the supply-pipe, so as to permit the water-jet tube to rise and fall . . . and also move laterally, whereby the tube will, when it meets an obstruction, yield sufficiently to prevent breaking, jarring, or injuring any of the parts, the water-jet tube and propeller bearing such relative positions to each other that the . . . obstructions disengaged by the jet will be held in suspension . . . and carried off by the natural current" (lines 14-27).
Date: January 15, 1884
Creator: Mansfield, Samuel M.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Seed Planter (open access)

Seed Planter

Patent for...a seed planting machine which improves upon an earlier cotton seed planting machine. The improved apparatus can be substituted for corn and other seeds. It may also be utilized for ground cultivation.
Date: July 15, 1884
Creator: Pietzsch, Louis; Armstrong, John J. & Lowrey, Joseph R.
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.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Railroad Switch. (open access)

Railroad Switch.

Patent for a new and improved railroad switch. This design "consists in securing the short switch-rail to a long guard-rail, instead of pivoting it to the end of the sliding-rail or supporting-plate, the said guard-rail having the end remote from the short switch-rail spiked securely to the track, and the end carrying the switch-rail provided with lever or other moving devices whereby the switch-rails are thrown" (lines 21-29).
Date: January 15, 1884
Creator: Crowley, John H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Game Apparatus. (open access)

Game Apparatus.

Patent for a new and improved ring for games. This design is "part of a game apparatus, a ring of wood of a form adapted to be rolled over a flat surface, having a ring of metal cast in a groove cut in its inner surface" (lines 57-60).
Date: July 15, 1884
Creator: Fisher, Charles A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cotton Seed Planter. (open access)

Cotton Seed Planter.

Patent for a new and improved seed planter. This design "consist[s] of the hopper, the tapering feed-tube, the distributing-chamber provided with inwardly-projecting radial pins, the discharge-spout, and the shaft provided at its upper end with stirrer pins, at its middle part with a tapering feed-screw, and at its lower part with distributing pins" (lines 9-15).
Date: July 15, 1884
Creator: Hopper, Thomas Pinkney
System: The Portal to Texas History