79th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, House Bill 55, Chapter 284 (open access)

79th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, House Bill 55, Chapter 284

Bill introduced by the Texas House of Representatives relating to the designation of portions of Interstate Highway 20 inside Dallas and Tarrant Counties as the Ronald Reagan Memorial Highway.
Date: June 16, 2005
Creator: Texas. Legislature. House of Representatives.
Object Type: Legislative Document
System: The Portal to Texas History
An Archaeological Survey within the Lone Star Development Site (open access)

An Archaeological Survey within the Lone Star Development Site

A report of an archaeological survey of a mile long drainage within the Lone Star Development Site.
Date: September 16, 2004
Creator: Todd, Jesse
Object Type: Report
System: The Portal to Texas History
Bit-Stock for Braces (open access)

Bit-Stock for Braces

Patent for a bit stock for braces which allows holes to be drilled in small spaces in railroad cars.
Date: March 16, 1909
Creator: Daniel, John F.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Boat-Propeller (open access)

Boat-Propeller

Patent for a boat propeller that runs more efficiently by turning in such a way that the load of water on the propeller is taken off when its blades are going up.
Date: July 16, 1912
Creator: Reames, Charles H.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Brick-Truck (open access)

Brick-Truck

Patent for improvements in trucks for carrying bricks.
Date: April 16, 1889
Creator: Weekes, John William
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Candy-Wrapping Machine. (open access)

Candy-Wrapping Machine.

Patent for a candy and small object wrapping machine that automatically cuts, feeds, and positions paper, making use of a folding arm. Intended to significantly decrease time taken to wrap small objects by hand.
Date: July 16, 1918
Creator: Greer, John H.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car Axle and Wheel (open access)

Car Axle and Wheel

Patent for a new and improved wheel and axle for cars. This design calls for "providing each of the axle with a fixed ratchet-wheel and providing the car-wheels with spring-pawls adapted to engage with the ratchets" (lines 21-24). This overcomes the strain that the wheels place on the axles when making turns, which reduces the chance of the car leaving its tracks.
Date: May 16, 1882
Creator: Pendleton, William S.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cotton Harvesting Machine (open access)

Cotton Harvesting Machine

Patent for a cotton harvester. Illustrations are included.
Date: May 16, 1903
Creator: Jackson, A. L.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Crutch. (open access)

Crutch.

Patent for crutches with adjustable pneumatic cushioned arm rests, adjustable length, absorbent hand grip, and a detachable vertical leg rest.
Date: May 16, 1916
Creator: Gregson, William
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Direction Indicator (open access)

Direction Indicator

Patent for direction indicators for vehicles
Date: January 16, 1917
Creator: Boberg, Charles E.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Fence. (open access)

Fence.

Patent for improvement to the cost and strength of fences.
Date: February 16, 1886
Creator: Tillman, William A.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Gas-Purifier (open access)

Gas-Purifier

Patent for a device that separates impurities and contaminants from gas used in generators. A series of filters, and baffles are used to extract impurities to the gas supplied to a generator.
Date: September 16, 1919
Creator: Modlin, Frank E.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Head-Rest. (open access)

Head-Rest.

Patent for "an improved head rest which can be easily attached to a car seat without injuring or marring the wood work or upholstering thereof, and which will be compact in structure, light in weight and cheap and durable in general construction, and readily adjustable in height, and angle of inclination" (lines 14-21).
Date: May 16, 1893
Creator: Wesson, Miley B.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Double-Acting Force-Pumps. (open access)

Improvement in Double-Acting Force-Pumps.

Patent for a double-acting force pump that has "single cylinder and hollow piston-rod operate in connection with the upper and lower cylinder-valves, and with a valved piston adapted to have a reciprocal motion independent of and upon the hollow piston-rod, to discharge the water from both sides of the piston with a double action and in a continuous stream through said hollow piston-rod" (para. 2).
Date: September 16, 1879
Creator: Newman, Charles Elijah
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Lubricator. (open access)

Lubricator.

Patent for an efficient lubricator apparatus that is made up of a reservoir for lubricating oil, a discharge pipe, another pipe that feeds water or condensed steam into the reservoir to displace the oil, a sediment container that has a valved discharge outlet on the bottom, a filter that cleans oil from the discharge pipe, a pipe that lets fluid into the sediment receptacle, and a steam pipe above the oil reservoir.
Date: July 16, 1895
Creator: Herold, Charles
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Mail-Bag Catcher and Deliverer. (open access)

Mail-Bag Catcher and Deliverer.

Patent for certain new and useful improvements in mail bag catchers and deliverers, including instructions and illustrations.
Date: May 16, 1899
Creator: Bresland, Sylvester E.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Means for Facilitating the Use of Railway-Schedules. (open access)

Means for Facilitating the Use of Railway-Schedules.

Patent for "improvements in means for facilitating the use of local, through and joint-route transportation or time schedules of railways or other carriers.” (lines 10-13) including instructions and illustrations.
Date: March 16, 1915
Creator: Glisson, Amos A.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Semaphore. (open access)

Semaphore.

Patent for a semaphore with an enclosure for the operating gearing in signaling devices for railway trains. It incloses the operating gearing so that ice does not interfere with its operation and water does not touch the gearing.
Date: January 16, 1912
Creator: Van Zandt, Luther H.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Splitting-Ax (open access)

Splitting-Ax

Patent for a splitting ax to be used for splitting wood, especially rails, constructed in a manner to prevent the ax wedge from sticking in the rail. The patent includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: July 16, 1918
Creator: Sandidge, Thomas R., Sr.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Spring-Bed (open access)

Spring-Bed

Patent for a spring-bed. Illustrations included.
Date: April 16, 1907
Creator: Cohron, John M.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Stirrup. (open access)

Stirrup.

Patent for a new and improved stirrup. This design consists in "[t]he combination, with the upper tubular cross-tie, of the stirrup in open-communication through the sides of the latter and serving for attachment of the stirrup strap, of the fender and the cord, arranged to unite the upper portion of the fender to the stirrup" (lines 76-81).
Date: June 16, 1885
Creator: Turner, Ephraim M.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Texas Attorney General Opinion: WW-800 (open access)

Texas Attorney General Opinion: WW-800

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Will Wilson, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Liability of Fort Worth Independent School District for certain excise taxes.
Date: February 16, 1960
Creator: Texas. Attorney-General's Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Texas Attorney General Opinion: WW-904 (open access)

Texas Attorney General Opinion: WW-904

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Will Wilson, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Authority of the Board of Managers of the Tarrant County Hospital District to adopt a retirement program for the benefit of its employees.
Date: August 16, 1960
Creator: Texas. Attorney-General's Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History
Whip. (open access)

Whip.

Patent for a new and improved whip. This design "consists in a combination, with a metallic or other rigid handle, of a whip body or core composed of cotton or other vegetable fibrous material, in one or more strands, having wire wrapped about or incorporated with them, and in the combination therewith of a vulcanized rubber covering, the fibrous material giving the necessary flexibility to the body or core of the whip and the wire applied thereto, said material protecting the latter from injury during the process of covering or vulcanizing the rubber covering" (lines 16-28).
Date: June 16, 1885
Creator: Turner, Ephraim M.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History