Cotton-Picking Shade. (open access)

Cotton-Picking Shade.

Patent for a cotton-picking shade that will furnish a portable shade or shield for the use of cotton-pickers to protect them from the direct rays of the sun while at work.
Date: July 22, 1879
Creator: Benthall, John C.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in cane-strippers. (open access)

Improvement in cane-strippers.

Patent for an improvement in sugar-cane stripping machines, using an arrangement of rollers and a movable spring blade. Includes illustrations.
Date: July 22, 1879
Creator: James, Robert C.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Car-Couplings. (open access)

Improvement in Car-Couplings.

Patent for an improvement to car couplings which would "obviate the necessity and its attendant danger of going between the cars" (lines 17-18) including an illustration.
Date: July 22, 1879
Creator: Ahrenbeck, C.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Cotton-Gin-Saw Cleaners. (open access)

Improvement in Cotton-Gin-Saw Cleaners.

Patent for improvement in cotton-gin-saw cleaners used in cotton ginning processes, including illustration.
Date: July 22, 1879
Creator: Munger, Robert S.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Processes for Packing Shingles. (open access)

Improvement in Processes for Packing Shingles.

Patent for improvement in processes for packing shingles "in such a manner that they shall quickly dry and be prevented from molding" (lines 13-15).
Date: July 22, 1879
Creator: Russell, Robert B. & Russell, Henry H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in fences (open access)

Improvement in fences

Patent for improvement in fences. Inventor created removable, adjustable fences with wire loop hinges.
Date: May 22, 1879
Creator: Martin, George S.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Cooling Attachements in Barrels. (open access)

Improvement in Cooling Attachements in Barrels.

Patent for improved cooling attachements for larger-beer barrels.
Date: October 22, 1878
Creator: Hoerr, John
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Bale-Ties. (open access)

Improvement in Bale-Ties.

Patent for new bale-tie formed from a single metal piece where the locking side (B) can be fastened to a rounded eye (C) on the opposite end.
Date: June 22, 1878
Creator: Anderson, William G.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Combined Wrench and Saw-Set. (open access)

Improvement in Combined Wrench and Saw-Set.

Patent for improvements in the "combination of a wrench with a saw-setting device attached to the sliding jaw thereof" (lines 17-19). Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: January 22, 1878
Creator: Backer, Jacob
System: The Portal to Texas History
Lubricating Device. (open access)

Lubricating Device.

Patent for a new and improved lubricating device. This design consists of "[t]he combination, with the cross-head of an engine or other reciprocating part of machinery, and the guides or ways on which it works, of a reservoir for the lubricant, a wheel for taking up and applying the same to the friction-surface with which the wheel works in contact, and a spring for supporting the wheel" (para. 10). This design prevents dust and other pollutants from entering the reservoir.
Date: January 22, 1878
Creator: Walton, Franklin B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Car-Couplings (open access)

Improvement in Car-Couplings

Patent for car coupling device that attaches cars automatically when moved together while also detaching if one or more cars come off the tracks.
Date: May 22, 1877
Creator: Dobbs, Charles & Robinson, Samuel L.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Revolving Conical Mold-Boards (open access)

Improvement in Revolving Conical Mold-Boards

Patent for improvements and new design for a Revolving Conical Mold-Board Plow.
Date: May 22, 1877
Creator: Dryer, Charles Valentine
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Vehicle-Springs (open access)

Improvement in Vehicle-Springs

Patent for a newly designed vehicle spring that attached to the axle and features an auxiliary spring.
Date: May 22, 1877
Creator: Faber, Fredrick W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in liquid-measuring tanks. (open access)

Improvement in liquid-measuring tanks.

Patent for an airtight and fireproof measuring tank for lamp oils, usable in both daytime and nighttime. Includes illustrations.
Date: August 22, 1876
Creator: Williams, Blasius
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in ventilating cars, &c. (open access)

Improvement in ventilating cars, &c.

Patent for a system which prevents ashes and cinders from railroad engines from entering the train cars and also allows for ventilation of the cars. Includes illustration.
Date: August 22, 1876
Creator: Andrews, Wright S.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Speed-Measures. (open access)

Improvement in Speed-Measures.

Patent for a "means for indicating the degree of speed with which an engine or train of cars is passing over a rail-road, and for enabling an engineer to regulate the speed of his engine to conform to the 'time' enjoined by his table, so that he will run at an even degree of speed, and be required neither to 'slow down' to save his schedule nor quicken the pace of his engine to make up lost time." (Lines 15-23) Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: June 22, 1875
Creator: Minton, Stephen F.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvements in Cotton-Gins (open access)

Improvements in Cotton-Gins

Patent for improvement in the Cotton-Gin with moveable brushes. This object is designed to make the brushes on the cotton machine move closer to the saw when they become shortened from constant use. This will improve the quality of the machine like a brand new equipment.
Date: June 22, 1875
Creator: Koehl, William
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Pile-Drivers. (open access)

Improvement in Pile-Drivers.

Patent for an improved pile-driver device which automates the release of the pile-driver hammer as well as including a perpendicular device which advances the device longitudinally as the work progresses.
Date: January 22, 1875
Creator: McDermott, Martin
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Car-Couplings. (open access)

Improvement in Car-Couplings.

Patent for car-couplings.
Date: December 22, 1874
Creator: McCormick, Charles C.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Force - Pumps. (open access)

Improvement in Force - Pumps.

Patent for new and improved force pump with three cylinders.
Date: December 22, 1874
Creator: Chambers, J. C.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Manufacturing Anti-Corrosive Compounds. (open access)

Improvement in Manufacturing Anti-Corrosive Compounds.

Patent for "an anti-corrosive coating for iron and all other metals, and one which in all respects does positively preserve the same, and into the composition of which enters as an element neither lead, oil, nor any other ingredient that contains any destructive or otherwise deleterious acid or alkali." (Lines 7-13) Includes instructions.
Date: December 22, 1874
Creator: Lee, Archibald K.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Plows. (open access)

Improvement in Plows.

Patent for new and useful improvement in Skeleton Tillage-Plow.
Date: December 22, 1874
Creator: Canty, Thomas
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Putting Up Caustic Alkalies. (open access)

Improvement in Putting Up Caustic Alkalies.

Patent for a method of packaging caustic alkalies inside of treated paper or wood. This patent describes the mixture and use of this treatment.
Date: December 22, 1874
Creator: Lee, Archibald K.; Middleton, George W. & Smith, Joseph C.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Vibrating Propellers. (open access)

Improvement in Vibrating Propellers.

Patent for new and useful improvement in vibrating propellers.
Date: December 22, 1874
Creator: Macowitzky, Charles P.
System: The Portal to Texas History