Collyrium. (open access)

Collyrium.

Patent for a mixture for an eye-water; ingredients, proportions of the ingredients and instructions on how to prepare the mixture are included. No illustration.
Date: March 7, 1882
Creator: Templeton, Absalom
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cabinet-Bed (open access)

Cabinet-Bed

Patent for "a cheap and simple construction of bed of this class, adapted to be readily folded or unfolded and to provide means for automatically folding and unfolding the legs for supporting the foot of the bed-frame when said frame is raised or lowered" (lines 9-15)
Date: June 14, 1892
Creator: Hayton, John. W. & Swift, Samuel H.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car Coupling (open access)

Car Coupling

Patent for a new coupling mechanism that will automatically couple railway cars together without human assistance.
Date: July 19, 1892
Creator: Faubion, John Sr.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Churn. (open access)

Churn.

Patent for a churn in which a can has an opening in the center of its lid, in which a dasher-staff fits. The can fits in a frame. There are two parts to the frame, the part that rotates the can, and the part that holds the churn in place. The frame also holds the dasher-staff and a crank to rotate the can's frame.
Date: February 2, 1897
Creator: Everhard, Joseph
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Baling-press. (open access)

Baling-press.

Patent for a baling press intended to work with hay, cotton and similar material, and form bales of many different sizes.
Date: June 18, 1897
Creator: Murphy, George W.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Adjustable Grate Attachment. (open access)

Adjustable Grate Attachment.

Patent for an adjustable grate attachment that is meant to be used with open grates. It prevents "the falling of heated coals therefrom; also to provide for extension of the grate vertically to facilitate making of a larger fire; and further, to provide an attachment which may be used in regulating the draft to the grate proper" (lines 15-20).
Date: May 23, 1893
Creator: Hutton, Milton Calhoun
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Baling-Press. (open access)

Baling-Press.

Patent for a baling press for hay that is meant "to provide a press and suitable power for operating the same, and to so construct said press as to double the capacity of the ordinary pres, that is to form two bales at one time, the press being operated by the same power; and, furthermore, to provide means for conveniently transporting the same when desired" (lines 10-17).
Date: August 29, 1893
Creator: Harrington, Charles
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Shearing and Punching Machine. (open access)

Shearing and Punching Machine.

Patent for punches and shears combined to cut metal longitudinally.
Date: July 3, 1888
Creator: Echols, Christaphor Columbus
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Bicycle. (open access)

Bicycle.

Patent for a bicycle that can be operated by the operator's hands or feet or both, and the motion used to operate the bicycle is that of rowing. "the rider must assume a position upon the machine corresponding to that assumed by an oarsman in a boat, and as the rider can work with both hands and feet all the energy and strength he is capable of exerting can be brought to bear upon the propelling mechanism in a most effective manner, and the seat can be rendered much more comfortable than at present and in no wise interfere with the rider's movements" (lines 18-27).
Date: April 3, 1894
Creator: Hyde, Thomas B.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Combined Corn and Cotton Planter (open access)

Combined Corn and Cotton Planter

Patent for an adapter to be added to corn and cotton planters to convert them from one to the other while still being fully functional.
Date: November 22, 1892
Creator: Knight, Thaddeus W.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Bed-Brace. (open access)

Bed-Brace.

Patent for a bed brace that consists of end-loops that are held by engage hooks at the ends of the bedstead, fixed draw-wires that connect the outer and inner sides of the end-loops, a tension-loop that is connected to the side rails, tightening link with duplicate rings that slide onto the tension loop, and a transverse twisting-bar.
Date: February 21, 1893
Creator: Pool, David Preston
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Construction of Railroads. (open access)

Construction of Railroads.

Patent for an improved railroad construction that consists of "an all metallic railroad which will not be very expensive, will be so strong that an accident is practically impossible, and which may be very rapidly laid" (lines 11-14).
Date: March 7, 1893
Creator: Arnold, Eliphalet L.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cuff Holder. (open access)

Cuff Holder.

Patent for a new and improved cuff holder. This design "is chiefly to render cuffs hitherto buttoned to shirt-sleeves as readily attached or buttoned to coat-sleeves, in order that they may be removed from the wearer's person together with the coat to prevent the cuffs being soiled; and its object is also to avoid unbuttoning and buttoning cuffs to the shirt by means of the usual cuff-attaching buttons" (lines 24-32).
Date: November 10, 1885
Creator: Atkin, Samuel T.
Object Type: Patent
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.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Churn. (open access)

Churn.

Patent for a new and improved churn. This design consists in "the staff-head having the slot . . . and opposite inside grooves, in combination with a dasher-stem head conforming to the recesses in the head and carrying a spring in an upper cavity thereof, a plunger having its toe resting upon said spring, and operative mechanism" (lines 77-83).
Date: June 28, 1887
Creator: Catchings, Thomas Jefferson
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Andiron (open access)

Andiron

Patent for improvements to andiron or "fire-dogs".
Date: July 5, 1887
Creator: Steele, Oliver
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Corn Planting Attachment for Plows. (open access)

Corn Planting Attachment for Plows.

Patent for a new and improved corn-planting attachment for plows. This design "consists in the improved construction and combination of parts of such an attachment, which may be secured to the rear end of the beam of a common breaking-plow, having a wheel running in the furrow operating the dropping mechanism" (lines 22-28).
Date: October 18, 1887
Creator: Aten, Frank L.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Corn Planting Attachment. (open access)

Corn Planting Attachment.

Patent for a new and improved attachment for planters. This design consists in "the combination of a standard having a seed box at its upper end provided with a longitudinal groove in the upper side of the bottom, and with slots in the end walls registering with the groove and having an arm projecting laterally from the lower end, a wheel journaled upon the said arm, a seed-slide in the groove, a bell-crank fulcrumed upon a rearwardly-projecting bracket of the box, a connecting-rod pivoted to the wheel and to the rear arm of the bell-crank, and a connecting-rod pivoted to the upper arm of the bell-crank" (lines 41-53).
Date: March 20, 1888
Creator: Aten, Frank L.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car Coupling. (open access)

Car Coupling.

Patent for a new and improved coupling for railroad cars. This design "is to provide means for raising the catch to release it from either side or from the top of the car, and holding it in such raised position" (lines 8-12). It consists, "with the draw-head and the catch pivoted therein and having tip extended vertically through the front end thereof, of eyes in said draw-head, a wire frame journaled in said eyes and having forwardly extending arms above and beneath the body of said catch, and means . . . for turning the frame in said eyes" (lines 85-93).
Date: October 21, 1890
Creator: Whatley, Richard I.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Andiron. (open access)

Andiron.

Patent for improvement of andirons, to accommodate fuel or sticks of wood and to burn either wood or coal fuel. Includes illustrations.
Date: December 1, 1891
Creator: Kimbro, Jeremiah H. & Kimbro, John A.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car-Replacer. (open access)

Car-Replacer.

Patent for a repairable, sectional car replacer, including instructions and illustrations.
Date: September 22, 1891
Creator: Scott, Nelson S.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Baling-Press. (open access)

Baling-Press.

Patent for a baling-press that means "to provide a simple and efficient power for operating the plunger so constructed as to allow independent return movement of the plunger to avoid loss of time in the operation of the device" (lines 9-13).
Date: June 2, 1896
Creator: Davis, John R.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Barrel Truck. (open access)

Barrel Truck.

Patent for a new and improved barrel cart. This design "is to provide an improved barrel rack or truck which can be conveniently and easily loaded and transported from place to place; to provide means for assisting in loading the barrel or receptacle on the truck and for retaining the same on the truck against danger of accidental displacement while the truck and its contents are being moved or transported, and to provide an improved truck which shall be very simple, strong, and durable in construction, thoroughly effective in operation, and cheap and inexpensive of manufacture" (lines 14-26).
Date: July 13, 1886
Creator: Williams, William Preston
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Attachment for Motive-Power Machines (open access)

Attachment for Motive-Power Machines

Patent for an attachment for motors "designed to prevent the loss of leverage and power which ordinarily obtains in such motors and in all machinery where the power is taken from cranks, and also to overcome what is known as the dead-center, and thus to greatly increase the power of the machine to which the attachment is applied" (lines 12-18).
Date: June 21, 1892
Creator: Weaver, John L. & Brenke, Henry, Jr.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History