Improvement In Gun-Locks. (open access)

Improvement In Gun-Locks.

Patent for "new and useful improvement in Gun-Lock" (lines 4-5) including instructions and illustrations.
Date: July 14, 1874
Creator: Grisham, James Madison
System: The Portal to Texas History
Corn and Cotton Planter (open access)

Corn and Cotton Planter

Patent for "a novel planting mechanism for planting either corn or cotton-seed, at the pleasure of the operator, by a simple adjustment of parts, and thereby adapt the machine for sowing different kinds of seeds and save the farmer the expense of two different machines" (lines 19-25).
Date: April 9, 1889
Creator: Cathey, Thomas Jefferson
System: The Portal to Texas History
Clothes-Pounder. (open access)

Clothes-Pounder.

Patent for improvements in atmospheric clothes pounders: "Dividing the outer section into compartments so that air in escaping is distributed evenly from all sides of the pounder instead of escaping in a body from one side, whenever the pounder strikes a wad or knot of cloths and is tipped sidewise; it also makes the suction better" (lines 49-55).
Date: May 2, 1893
Creator: Allgaier, George E.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Clothes-Pounder. (open access)

Clothes-Pounder.

Patent for a simple and inexpensive clothes pounder that has a conical casing, interior concentric partition, and equal draft and suction. The casing is divided into two compartments, but the divider has openings for air and suds.
Date: July 18, 1893
Creator: Ware, William P.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Combination-Lock for Money-Drawers, &c. (open access)

Combination-Lock for Money-Drawers, &c.

Patent for improvement to a combination lock for money drawers to make it more secure.
Date: March 16, 1886
Creator: Sturgis, Herbert M.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Advertising Device. (open access)

Advertising Device.

Patent for "a simple and inexpensive advertising device adapted to be placed on street corners and other public places and capable of exciting the curiosity and attracting attention, and thereby directing the attention of persons to the advertisement" (lines 11-16).
Date: March 20, 1894
Creator: Attaway, Henry F.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Combined Elevator, Cleaner, Distributer, and Feeder for Seed-Cotton. (open access)

Combined Elevator, Cleaner, Distributer, and Feeder for Seed-Cotton.

Patent for a "simple and efficient apparatus for conveying seed-cotton from a wagon or other source of supply, to one or more gins or gin feeders, said apparatus being adapted, at the same time, to thoroughly clean the seed-cotton and to deliver it to the gins or feeders in the desired quantities in a uniform manner, and in loose and uncompacted condition" (lines 14-21).
Date: April 10, 1894
Creator: Littlefield, Thomas E.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Combined Elevator, Cleaner, Distributer, and feeder for Seed-Cotton. (open access)

Combined Elevator, Cleaner, Distributer, and feeder for Seed-Cotton.

Patent for Combined Elevator, Cleaner, Distributer, and feeder for Seed-Cotton: "provide a simple, cheap and efficient apparatus for taking seed cotton from a wagon, or other source of supply cleaning it, and delivering it in the desired quantity and in a suitable condition for ginning to one or more gins or gin feeders" (lines 13-18).
Date: April 10, 1894
Creator: Littlefield, Thomas E.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Combined Car Coupling and Bumper. (open access)

Combined Car Coupling and Bumper.

Patent for a combined car coupling and bumper. It has a draw-head with a throat, mouth, recess, and coupling pin hole; the recess has a slot that opens into the front of the draw-head; a lock-block that fits in the slot; a pin-seat that receives the lock-block; a spiral spring that holds in the pin-seat; and a coupling pin in the pin seat and a link.
Date: October 2, 1894
Creator: Wallace, William
System: The Portal to Texas History
Clothes-Pounder. (open access)

Clothes-Pounder.

Patent for a clothes pounder "which will inclose a body of air and expel the same when it is brought down upon the clothes forcing water through the clothes and filling with water an upper chamber, and which when lifted from the clothes will release a body of water at the top of the pounder and cause water to pass through the clothes" (lines 12-19).
Date: March 7, 1893
Creator: Beaver, William G.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cotton Chopper. (open access)

Cotton Chopper.

Patent for a new and improved cotton chopper. This design "relates to improvements in cotton-chopping machines in which revolving hoes are attached to plows; and the object of [the] improvement is to afford facilities for chopping out cotton by means of horse-power instead of by hand" (lines 8-13).
Date: May 13, 1890
Creator: Green, Frank
System: The Portal to Texas History
Bridle Bit. (open access)

Bridle Bit.

Patent for a new and improved bridle-bit. This design consists "[i]n a bridle-bit, the combination, with the bit-bar, provided with the loops of the angle-levers mounted on the said bar and having their corresponding arms respectively connected by the curb-chain and provided with rein loops or rings and the studs or pins on the levers engaging the loops" (lines 70-76).
Date: May 21, 1889
Creator: Bowles, Zachary Taylor
System: The Portal to Texas History
Corn-Planting Attachment for Plows. (open access)

Corn-Planting Attachment for Plows.

Patent for improvement in corn planting attachment for plows in which the “attachment can be conveniently attached to any plow or furrow-opener” (lines 11-12) as a seed-dropping device. “This device may be retained in a raised or inoperative position.” (Lines 85-86) Illustration is included.
Date: July 14, 1891
Creator: Green, Frank
System: The Portal to Texas History
Apparatus for Trimming Hooves of Animals. (open access)

Apparatus for Trimming Hooves of Animals.

Patent for a new and improved hoof trimmer. This design "consists in an upright standard or support having a concaved supporting-recess adapted to receive the animal's hoof, with parallel guide-ways arranged in rear thereof, a trimming implement moving in said guides, and so constructed as to operate upon the hoof without injury to the frog, and means for reciprocating the trimming device from either side of the animal" (lines 16-25).
Date: December 11, 1883
Creator: Mullins, Joshua C.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cotton-Chopper. (open access)

Cotton-Chopper.

Patent for "a cotton-chopper attachment for cultivators... to be applied to the ordinary sulky-cultivator frame... and when so applied to constitute and efficient machine for chopping and thinning cotton." (Lines 9-15) Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: September 25, 1891
Creator: Cansler, Hurnon K. & Cansler, Thomas G.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Caster. (open access)

Caster.

Patent for an improved design for casters, otherwise known as "rollers for bedsteads and the like" (lines 15-16), including illustrations.
Date: April 19, 1881
Creator: Custer, George
System: The Portal to Texas History
Coffee Roaster. (open access)

Coffee Roaster.

Patent for a new and improved "culinary utensil primarily intended for use as a coffee roaster, but also . . . of any article which needs to be stirred while upon the fire" (lines 12-16). This design utilizes a crankshaft to stir the beans (or other foods) as they roast.
Date: August 23, 1881
Creator: Walling, Edmund Pendleton
System: The Portal to Texas History
Autographic Register. (open access)

Autographic Register.

Patent for a device to register fares in situations where passengers pay to be transported from one location to another, specifically by train. The fare-collector needs a way to have accurate receipts as fares are collected. The invention is a "small portable ticket-holder and registering device (lines 38-39), that issues valid tickets "which will enable a conductor to keep a correct current amount of fares as received as well as a record of tickets sold and mileage traveled on same" (lines 41-45), and prevents dishonesty in fare-collectors.
Date: November 3, 1896
Creator: Bond, George D.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Corn and Cotton Planter. (open access)

Corn and Cotton Planter.

Patent for a new and improved planter. This design consists in "the upright frame supported on the beam and carrying the two pivoted arms, in combination with the wheel having studs on both sides, the wires, and the lever middle fastened to the agitator-shaft . . . a hopper having the circular excision in its bottom, of the horizontal feed-wheel and arms, fast to a vertical vibratory shaft" (lines 79-88).
Date: November 16, 1886
Creator: Williams, John W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Wire-Stretcher. (open access)

Wire-Stretcher.

Patent for wire-stretching levers, with instructions and levers.
Date: October 20, 1891
Creator: Richardson, Jerome Shipley
System: The Portal to Texas History
Washing-Machine. (open access)

Washing-Machine.

Patent for an improved washing machine that consists of a sheet-metal body with two tubs, rubbing-boards, a fire-box under the body, bails, and springs with hooks.
Date: March 21, 1893
Creator: Conner, Joshua Harley
System: The Portal to Texas History
Kitchen-Cabinet. (open access)

Kitchen-Cabinet.

Patent for a kitchen cabinet that is uniquely constructed and compactly stores condiments and food articles. The food can be easily accessed, and the cabinet has an apparatus for sifting flour "that may be delivered thereby from the sealed bins in the cabinet, in any desired quantity for use" (lines 18-20).
Date: March 13, 1894
Creator: P'Pool, Frank E.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Water Elevator and Carrier. (open access)

Water Elevator and Carrier.

Patent for a water elevator and carrier that is designed to quickly and efficiently transport water from a well, spring, or cistern to the operator. A bucket can be quickly transported to the well, spring, or cistern and be filled also.
Date: August 11, 1896
Creator: Wilkerson, Thomas D.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Lamp. (open access)

Lamp.

Patent for improvements to headlight lamps used in locomotives, with illustrations.
Date: May 25, 1897
Creator: Pitts, William Wirt
System: The Portal to Texas History