Improvement in Car-couplings (open access)

Improvement in Car-couplings

Patent for "an automatic car-coupling, that may also be readily coupled with the common pin-and-link and other couplings, and be adjusted without going between the cars, so as to avoid all danger" (lines 14-18).
Date: August 24, 1875
Creator: Harper, Peter
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Car-Journal Boxes. (open access)

Improvement in Car-Journal Boxes.

Patent for the improvement in car-journal boxes. This invention "relates to oil-boxes used upon journals of car-axles, the object being to prevent the lid from shaking off of the oil-stop or oil-packing surrounding the axle to be removed and replaced by a new one without removing the box from the journal."
Date: October 15, 1878
Creator: Alexander, Francis M.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Cotton-Presses. (open access)

Improvement in Cotton-Presses.

Patent for "a new and Improved Cotton-Press" (lines 4-5) with illustration.
Date: July 28, 1874
Creator: Salmon, William A.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Cotton-Presses. (open access)

Improvement in Cotton-Presses.

Patent for a "new and improved cotton-press" (line 5) relating to "improvements in friction-clamping apparatus used on vertical bars or rods of presses for holding the follower and lever in working the follower in passing the bale" (lines 11-14) including instructions and an illustration.
Date: December 26, 1871
Creator: Simpson, Thomas D. & Lamkin, William S.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Harness-Pad. (open access)

Harness-Pad.

Patent for "an improved fastening for harness pads or housings which is equally adapted for sweat-pads for horse-collars." (Lines 11-14) Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: November 10, 1891
Creator: Powell, John S.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Harness-Collar. (open access)

Harness-Collar.

Patent for harness collars for horses and mules. This harness collar "is to provide a collar having adjustable fastening mean which preferably are also adjustable as between themselves whereby a better adjustment of the collar is made possible" (lines 22-27)
Date: January 2, 1917
Creator: Mahone, Edwin W.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Rope Attachment. (open access)

Rope Attachment.

Patent for a new and improved rope attachment. This design "relates to a novel and useful device which is adapted to be rigidly and substantially secured to the end of a rope, and which is constructed with a curved lip on its protruding end, so that when pressed over the loop of a snap-hook it will form a link or jointed connection of the snap-hook with the rope, ferrule, or clamp" (lines 12-19).
Date: August 13, 1889
Creator: Powell, John Seymour
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Peanut Picker and Pea Huller. (open access)

Peanut Picker and Pea Huller.

Patent for a new and improved Peanut Picker and Pea Huller, which picks peanuts from the vines and removes them without damaging the peanuts through beating or flailing. The invention also operates at a minimum amount of power while discharging the peanuts or peas free of dust.
Date: May 13, 1913
Creator: Berry, William C.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Railway-Brake Hanger (open access)

Railway-Brake Hanger

Patent for "improvements to Railway-Break Hanger;...will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same"(lines 6, 9-11).
Date: February 26, 1901
Creator: Saling, Thomas W.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Rail Fastening (open access)

Rail Fastening

Patent for a rail fastening device that does not require spikes. Illustrations included.
Date: January 14, 1913
Creator: Hellner, Peter Herm
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Nut Wrench (open access)

Nut Wrench

Patent for a nut wrench. Illustration included.
Date: December 13, 1904
Creator: Briscoe, Joseph M.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Plumbing System. (open access)

Plumbing System.

Patent for "improvements in plumbing systems whereby the service-pipes will automatically drain themselves when a sufficiently low temperature is reached to congeal the water contained therein, thereby obviating frozen pipes and the resultant damage incident thereto." (Lines 8-14) Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: November 3, 1896
Creator: Coleman, Thomas S. & Coleman, William P.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Piano Action (open access)

Piano Action

Patent for piano actions. This invention provides a connection between the bridle strap and the hammer butt of a piano action. Illustration included.
Date: May 21, 1907
Creator: Deutsch, John H.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Washing Machines. (open access)

Improvement in Washing Machines.

Patent for the improvement of washing machine mechanisms.
Date: February 14, 1871
Creator: Jones, William G.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Electric Hammer. (open access)

Electric Hammer.

Patent for an electric hammer operated by magnetic pull.
Date: February 14, 1911
Creator: Smith, Reuben S.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Electric-Heated Steering-Wheel. (open access)

Electric-Heated Steering-Wheel.

Patent for a steering wheel with an electrical heating unit for an automobile.
Date: December 30, 1913
Creator: Smith, Reuben S.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Electric Light Switch. (open access)

Electric Light Switch.

Patent for an improved electric switch that is used to energize electric lights for various purposes and for use in connection with a signaling system. This switch will permit the energization of any one of the lights separately or all lights simultaneously.
Date: April 6, 1920
Creator: Riggs, Fletcher S.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Draft-Beam for Cars. (open access)

Draft-Beam for Cars.

Patent for certain new and useful improvements in draft beams for cars, including instructions and illustrations.
Date: May 24, 1898
Creator: Saling, Thomas W.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Draft Or Buffing Gear Or Rigging For Cars (open access)

Draft Or Buffing Gear Or Rigging For Cars

Patent for a draft or buffing gear or rigging for rail cars. Illustrations included.
Date: April 18, 1905
Creator: Herndon, Joseph R.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Draft-Gear for Railway Cars (open access)

Draft-Gear for Railway Cars

Patent for a draft gear for railway cars that allows a simple and efficient means of repairs or substitutions of sills or beams that may be done without dissociating the draft bar so that a car may not be out of commission for a considerable length of time.
Date: August 17, 1915
Creator: Moorman, James M.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Device For Teaching Music. (open access)

Device For Teaching Music.

Patent for new and useful improvements in devices for use in teaching music.
Date: August 29, 1899
Creator: Morriss, Johnson
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 of "an automatic car-coupling pin that can be adjusted and used for coupling cars having the ordinary draw-bars and coupling pins" (lines 10-13).
Date: July 8, 1884
Creator: Schofield, James
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Baling-Press (open access)

Baling-Press

Patent for a baling press that has an improved plunger.
Date: September 26, 1911
Creator: Hightower, William M.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cotton Gin. (open access)

Cotton Gin.

Patent for a new and improved cotton gin. This design "consists in the combination of the bevel-edged boards with the saws and brush, so as to facilitate the transfer of the cotton from the saws to the arc-shaped support consisting of the bevel-edged boards set at a short distance apart, and to thus straighten the fiber or lint. This gives the lint cotton a finer and lighter appearance, causing a ready allowance of a considerable addition to the usual price" (lines 8-17).
Date: July 18, 1882
Creator: Van Zandt, Jacob
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History