Animal Trap. (open access)

Animal Trap.

Patent for a new and improved animal trap. This design consists in "a platform having a rod or bar secured to its upper face, and having the ends of the choke-spring coiled thereon, pins or prongs extending from one edge of the platform for engagement with a side of a box, a box having one of its sides elevated, against which the pronged end of the platform abuts for engagement therewith, and having recesses in its opposite ends for the recession of a loop, which passes thence over the free end of the platform for binding the same to the box" (lines 3-14).
Date: June 12, 1888
Creator: Beach, Philemon Theodore
System: The Portal to Texas History
Animal Trap. (open access)

Animal Trap.

Patent for a new and improved animal trap. This design consists in "the combination of the wire frame having the parallel base-arms, the coiled-springs, the upwardly-extending arms, and the downwardly-extending loop, the loop or ring on the bend and engaged portions of said wire, and the trigger-wire having the frontwardly-projecting point engaging said ring" (lines 80-87).
Date: July 10, 1888
Creator: Beversdorf, Louis, Jr.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cotton-Picker's Sack. (open access)

Cotton-Picker's Sack.

Patent for improvements in a cotton-picker's sack, allowing for easy access to deposit and empty picked cotton while remaining nearly closed to hold and protect the cotton.
Date: October 16, 1888
Creator: Cliett, Taylor
System: The Portal to Texas History
Ant Trap. (open access)

Ant Trap.

Patent for a new and improved ant trap. This design consists "[i]n an ant-trap, the combination, with a trough formed with a top [that is] flanged . . . of a box connected thereto by a tube terminating in a disk . . . [and] of the connecting-tubes, box, and fence" (lines 62-68).
Date: November 24, 1885
Creator: Thompson, William Henderson
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car Coupling. (open access)

Car Coupling.

Patent for a new and improved coupling for railroad cars. This design consists in "the combination, with a draw-bar, a sliding box, a movable eccentric secured therein, a coupling-rod, and a pivoted locking-jaw, of a locking-plate secured to said box and adapted to lock the jaw against movement" (lines 84-89).
Date: March 8, 1887
Creator: Zedler, Fridrick
System: The Portal to Texas History
Artificial Fruit, Foliage, and Flowers. (open access)

Artificial Fruit, Foliage, and Flowers.

Patent for a new and improved method of making artificial fruit. This design "consists in cutting out a piece of lace or netting of the desired shape, forming the lace or netting into a bag, stuffing the bag with cotton or wool . . . picking the cotton or wool up through the meshes of the lace or netting, cutting narrow strips of tissue-paper, and applying them in layers until a covering similar to pasteboard is formed, drying the article, painting the article, sinking the article in a bath of wax heated to a point beneath boiling . . . letting it drain off, and finally applying a paint finish" (lines 34-47).
Date: May 24, 1887
Creator: Eve, Emma H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Bale Tile. (open access)

Bale Tile.

Patent for a new and improved bale-tie. This design "consists, principally, of a bale-tie jaw stamped from sheet metal and formed with an open hook at one end standing in front of a curved edge, with an opening at the other for attachment to the bale-hoop, said opening being shaped to permit the jaw to have a pivotal side motion upon the hoop. The invention also consists of the combination of two of such jaws applied to the bale-hoop to form a complete tie" (lines 7-16).
Date: January 11, 1887
Creator: Rylander, William P.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Nut Lock. (open access)

Nut Lock.

Patent for a new and improved nut lock. This design consists "[i]n a nut-lock, the combination, with a screw-threaded bolt and nut, of a pair of arms pivoted or hinged together, said arms having annular screw-threaded grooves formed therein adapted to register with the threads on the bolt, and means for locking the arms together" (lines 76-81).
Date: April 27, 1886
Creator: Clark, Fred
System: The Portal to Texas History
Rotary Brushing Machine. (open access)

Rotary Brushing Machine.

Patent for a new and improved rotary brushing-machine. This design consists "of the circular horizontally-rotating brush, the carrying-wheels having rubber tires, the castings in which the carrying-axle and the pivot of the brush are journaled, the handle or tongue rigidly connected to the casting below the axle, and the hounds connected with the main axle on each side of the casting" (lines 65-71).
Date: December 20, 1887
Creator: Hawkins, Robert B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cotton Gin Feeder. (open access)

Cotton Gin Feeder.

Patent for a new and improved cotton-gin feeder. This design consists in "a rectangular inclined box, endless feeding belts having spiked slats, the revolving fan at the upper end of the inclined box, and screen at the opposite end and lower side of the box, through which the sand and dirt from the cotton may escape, the current of air from the revolving fan assisting in expelling the sand and dirt, the latter falling between the slats and down the inclined bottom of the box and out through the screen" (lines 73-83).
Date: June 22, 1886
Creator: Wiley, Jesse G.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cotton Chopper and Cultivator. (open access)

Cotton Chopper and Cultivator.

Patent for a new and improved cotton chopper and cultivator. This design consists in "[t]he combination, with a cotton cultivator and chopper, of the usual frame, a pair of guiding-handles pivoted thereto, a chopping-knife hinged to said frame, and links forming a loose connection between said blade and handles, whereby the blade is raised and lowered" (lines 26-31).
Date: February 1, 1887
Creator: Schaumleffel, John A.
System: The Portal to Texas History