Cotton-Harvester. (open access)

Cotton-Harvester.

Patent for a cotton-harvester meant to pick the ripe cotton but leaves the plants or unripe cotton and to improve the construction of cotton-harvesters.
Date: February 25, 1896
Creator: Pickering, Charles H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Antifriction Clasp. (open access)

Antifriction Clasp.

Patent for a new and improved anti-friction clasp. This design "is to provide means whereby the wear due to the rubbing of inclosed rods or ropes against an inclosing casing may be reduced to a minimum and whereby the central alignment of the rods or ropes with respect to the inclosing casing may be accurately preserved" (lines 11-17). It consists in "a series of friction balls or rollers mounted therein and projecting from the periphery thereof and being divided into sections adapted to be clamped at any point around the rod or rope" (lines 97-101).
Date: October 25, 1892
Creator: Black, William L.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car-Coupling. (open access)

Car-Coupling.

Patent for "automatic pin-and-link car-couplings in which a sliding spring-actuated block is employed for supporting the coupling-pin in an elevated position preparatory to coupling." (Lines 8-12) Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: May 25, 1897
Creator: Lee, Charles
System: The Portal to Texas History
Animal-Trap. (open access)

Animal-Trap.

Patent for an animal trap meant to trap animals that burrow in the ground, such as prairie dogs. The trap catches the animal when it leaves its den and the animal cannot escape the trap.
Date: April 25, 1893
Creator: Manning, James
System: The Portal to Texas History
Adjustable Mosquito-Canopy. (open access)

Adjustable Mosquito-Canopy.

Patent for an adjustable, simple, and easily used mosquito-canopy for beds that fits over any style and size of bed, and is easily removed.
Date: April 25, 1893
Creator: Eva, Addison H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car-Coupling. (open access)

Car-Coupling.

Patent for a car coupling that "couples automatically and by which a brakeman on a single car can uncouple one or more cars and to provide pipe connections between the cars for this and other purposes" (lines 9-13). It has a pivoted drawhead with lever connections to a piston head and uses steam connections with the cylinder in the piston head to couple.
Date: April 25, 1893
Creator: Gebhardt, William Charles
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cotton Feeder and Cleaner. (open access)

Cotton Feeder and Cleaner.

Patent for feeders and cleaners for cotton gins: "provide a combined feeder and cleaner for cotton gins which is not only thoroughly and effectually cleans cotton before it passes to the gin, but at the same time it regularly and positively feeds the cotton to the gin in such cleaned condition" (lines 10-15).
Date: April 25, 1893
Creator: Oliphint, Alfred
System: The Portal to Texas History
Combination Harrow and Cultivator. (open access)

Combination Harrow and Cultivator.

Patent for a combined harrow and cultivator that can easily change between the two. It consists of a beam with front and back removable tooth-seats, handles, adjusting holes in the beam, a perforated plate on the top and bottom sides of the beam, pins, and a wedge-shaped key between the bar and a slot in a tooth.
Date: July 25, 1893
Creator: West, Edward B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cotton-Sack Carrier. (open access)

Cotton-Sack Carrier.

Patent for cotton-sack carriers "which will offer no impediment to the free movements of the picker," and constructed "such that the ends of the carrier will not engage and 'hang' upon the stalks of cotton, and will pass readily over irregularities in the surface of the field." (Lines 22-38) Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: September 25, 1894
Creator: Johns, Calvin L.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cash-Register. (open access)

Cash-Register.

Patent for a simple and inexpensive cash-register that is accurate and alerts the customer to the price. The operator must charge the correct amount for the purchase.
Date: September 25, 1894
Creator: Johnson, William W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Anal Speculum. (open access)

Anal Speculum.

Patent for a new and improved anal speculum. This design is "to so construct the several parts that there will be no rough or raised edges to interfere with its insertion in the anal passage; secondly, to so construct [the] improved speculum that it may be readily used as a bi-valve or dilator; thirdly, to form a locking-joint on the meeting edges of the shells forming the speculum, whereby the sections are prevented from overlapping each other to avoid pinching or injury to the walls of the anal passage while the instrument is being inserted; fourthly, to provide a plug for [the] improved speculum" (lines 17-29).
Date: March 25, 1890
Creator: Shuford, Quincy Adams
System: The Portal to Texas History
Attachment for Chairs. (open access)

Attachment for Chairs.

Patent for a new and improved chair. This design consists "[i]n a reading and writing attachment for chairs, the combination of a bail-shaped clamp adapted to be applied to a chair-arm, an upright slotted arm, a set-screw passing through said slotted arm and engaging the clamp, a plate carried by the upper end of said slotted arm, and a table pivotally connected to said plate, whereby the table may be adjusted vertically, horizontally, and obliquely" (lines 66-75).
Date: February 25, 1890
Creator: Hutton, Milton C.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Baling-Press (open access)

Baling-Press

Patent for "an exceedingly rapid baling of the hay, to provide for the easy transportation of the press and the power employed in connection therewith, and to provide for the adjustment of the size of the baling-chamber" (lines 9-13).
Date: February 25, 1890
Creator: Mattijetz, Andreas
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cartridge-Loading Machine (open access)

Cartridge-Loading Machine

Patent for "an improvement in cartridge-loaders adapted to load cartridge shells automatically, the machine being operated by suitable power. It consists in improved power mechanism and devices which may be arranged and combined with the loading mechanism of a machine cartridge-loader" (lines 38-45).
Date: November 25, 1890
Creator: Franklin, Edward A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Combined Engine and Superheater Apparatus. (open access)

Combined Engine and Superheater Apparatus.

Patent for a "combined steam superheater apparatus and engine driven thereby, which in turn is utilized to automatically shift the steam feeding and cut off devices, and such invention primarily has for its object to provide a combined mechanism of this character which will effectively operate for its intended purposes" (lines 7-14). It also requires a minimal amount of effort to operate, sifts solids out of the water, and retains heat.
Date: December 25, 1894
Creator: Walker, James C.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car Construction. (open access)

Car Construction.

Patent for "a construction which will permit the speedy and easy removal of brake supporting blocks or equivalent parts from the lower or floor frame of a car and the substitution of others without displacement or injury of other parts of the car." (Lines 13-17) Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: December 25, 1894
Creator: Coffin, Walter E.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car-Coupling. (open access)

Car-Coupling.

Patent for "a simple, safe, and practical coupling for cars, arranged to couple at one time as many cars as may be desired, and to operate automatically so as to avoid all necessity of going between the cars, and adapted to use the ordinary link and to couple with cars having a higher or lower draw bar than itself." (Lines 7-14) Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: December 25, 1894
Creator: Elliott, James W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Breast-Strap for Harness. (open access)

Breast-Strap for Harness.

Patent for "a breast-strap so constructed as to obviate pressure on the windpipe of the horse and to transfer such pressure to the shoulders; to obviate chafing or rubbing of the breast-strap upon the shoulders, and to permit them to move freely in advance of each other as a result of the movements of the horse." (Lines 12-18) Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: December 25, 1894
Creator: Russell, Charles H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cord-Fastener for Envelopes. (open access)

Cord-Fastener for Envelopes.

Patent for a device for attaching a chord on a merchandise envelope or a similar package that provides "a means for permanently holding one end of the chord in an improved and secure manner, and adapted for temporarily securing the free end when desired" (lines 11-14).
Date: June 25, 1895
Creator: Scougale, Malcom
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cotton-Press. (open access)

Cotton-Press.

Patent for a cotton-press that compresses "cotton as it is delivered from the gin into convenient shape and size of bundle, for facilitating the transportation thereof" (lines 12-15).
Date: June 25, 1895
Creator: Taylor, George
System: The Portal to Texas History
Angle-Cock. (open access)

Angle-Cock.

Patent for "a new and improved angle-cock so constructed that the plug cannot be turned by an unauthorized person without the knowledge of the engineer in charge of the train." (Lines 8-12) Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: August 25, 1896
Creator: Waldron, William J.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Machine for Bending and Embossing Sheet Metal (open access)

Machine for Bending and Embossing Sheet Metal

Patent for "new and improved machine which is simple and durable in construction, very effective in operation, and especially designed for simultaneously curving and embossing sheet-metal plates for use as cornices, metal shingles, &c" (lines 8-13).
Date: February 25, 1890
Creator: Baldwin, Benjamin J., Jr.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Wagon Spring. (open access)

Wagon Spring.

Patent for a new and improved wagon spring. This design "is to provide a vehicle in which springs of great strength may be employed which will not require stay-chains, and which will not increase the height of the wagon-body and cause inconvenience in loading and unloading the vehicle and in getting in and out, and, furthermore, to provide a vehicle in which the wagon-body may be but slightly elevated above the axles, and in which the springs will have great play" (lines 17-26).
Date: February 25, 1890
Creator: Conley, Miles D.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Wagon-Brake. (open access)

Wagon-Brake.

Patent for improvements in automatically operated wagon-brakes using the combination of tongue, rods, hook, levers, spring and chains that connected with each other and secured beneath the wagon-bed to operate the wagon-brake. Illustration is included.
Date: August 25, 1891
Creator: Garrett, James B.
System: The Portal to Texas History