Grain-Feeder and Band-Cutter for Thrashing-Machines. (open access)

Grain-Feeder and Band-Cutter for Thrashing-Machines.

Patent for improvements to grain-feeders for thrashing machines design including illustrations.
Date: March 18, 1882
Creator: Barlow, Thomas James
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Dust Box. (open access)

Dust Box.

Patent for a new and improved dust-box. This design consists in "[t]he combination, with a floor having an aperture cut into it and provided with a door flush with the surface of the floor, of a dust-box having a square bottom and diverging sides formed with outwardly-projecting flanges re-enforced upon their under sides by plates or bars and having strips secured to the inner sides, having their upper ends bent inward" (lines 76-83).
Date: August 17, 1886
Creator: Ethridge, John H.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Folding Ladder. (open access)

Folding Ladder.

Patent for a new and improved folding ladder. This design consists in "the combination, with main supporting-strips, of recessed auxiliary strips connected thereto, rounds formed with bows, sections which pass through the recesses of the auxiliary strips, and stops which bear against the main supporting strips, and strengthening strips, through which the bows of the rounds pass" (lines 77-84).
Date: December 27, 1887
Creator: Ethridge, William Spencer
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Rack for Displaying Dry Goods (open access)

Rack for Displaying Dry Goods

Patent for improvements in construction of racks for displaying dry goods.
Date: July 2, 1889
Creator: Fain, Emmet C.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Show-Case (open access)

Show-Case

Patent for new and useful improvements to show cases.
Date: April 30, 1889
Creator: Fain, Emmet C. & Poston, George C.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Hedge. (open access)

Hedge.

Patent for a new way to plant hedges, which "consists in an improved method of planting and training the cactus-plant (preferably of the species known as the 'scabbard' or 'brush cactus') to adapt it to form a thick and impenetrable fence which shall resist the attacks of cattle, and will grow regularly and evenly after the young plants have been properly trained" (lines 13-20).
Date: February 7, 1882
Creator: Fleming, Edward H.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Coffee Mill. (open access)

Coffee Mill.

Patent for a new and improved coffee mill. This design consists of "the combination of the case having the chambers and the hopper, the burr or grinding disk, fastened to the lower end of the inner side of the hopper and to the upper side or top of the chamber . . . shaft, having a disk, revolving in a covered recess or chamber in the burr, bridge, screws, and handle" (lines 57-65).
Date: June 13, 1882
Creator: Fleming, William H.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History

Granbury Sheet

Topographic map of a portion of Texas from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) project. The map includes towns, historic or notable sites, bodies of water, and other geologic features. Scale 1:125000
Date: 1889
Creator: Geological Survey (U.S.)
Object Type: Map
System: The Portal to Texas History
Grain Measure and Tally. (open access)

Grain Measure and Tally.

Patent for improving the measurement of grain.
Date: August 7, 1888
Creator: Holland, John Newton
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cotton Chopper and Cultivator (open access)

Cotton Chopper and Cultivator

Patent for improvements in the construction and operation of cotton choppers and cultivators.
Date: October 15, 1889
Creator: Hutto, George Washington
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Milk Cooler. (open access)

Milk Cooler.

Patent for a new and improved milk cooler. This design "has relation to that class of devices for keeping vessels containing milk or other fluids cool, in which water is drawn by capillary action from a receptacle onto a cloth wrapped around the vessel, cooling the vessel and its contents by evaporation; and it consists in the improved construction and combination of parts of such a device, and more particularly to the top of the can and the cover for the same" (lines 21-30).
Date: April 5, 1887
Creator: Jowell, George Ratcliff
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Anti-Friction Wagon Slide. (open access)

Anti-Friction Wagon Slide.

Patent for a new and improved anti-friction wagon slide. This design "consists of flat side pieces provided with bolt-holes near their ends, and connected to diametrically-opposite points of nearly-cylindrical end pieces, which have holes through their axes for the reception of the roller-shaft. The recess is so formed that the lower portion of the end pieces shall bear against its ends when the frame is put in place. This arrangement, together with the bolts through the corners of the frame and the coupling-tongue, prevents any tendency of the frame to displacement" (lines 42-54).
Date: July 27, 1886
Creator: Jowell, George Ratcliff.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Ant-Trap. (open access)

Ant-Trap.

Patent for a new ant trap design using a conical shape and reservoirs for holding kerosene to destroy ants, including illustrations.
Date: March 20, 1888
Creator: Kell, Mathew
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Grain Measurer and Tally (open access)

Grain Measurer and Tally

Patent for improvements in the construction and design of grain measurers and registers.
Date: July 19, 1887
Creator: King, Benjamin Cicero & Boon, George Hamilton
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Smoke Generator. (open access)

Smoke Generator.

Patent for a new and improved smoke machine. This design "relates to certain new and useful improvements in devices for containing fuel, so that the same can be burned slowly, so as to produce a large amount of smoke, the device being intended for the purpose of protecting orchards, vineyards, &c., from frost; and my invention consists in a perforated cylinder having a removable top and a bottom with an opening which is covered with a sliding door" (lines 15-24).
Date: May 4, 1886
Creator: Kizziar, James Williams
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Horse Detacher. (open access)

Horse Detacher.

Patent for a new and improved horse detacher. This design "consists in two longitudinally-movable rods or bolts which are attached to the front axle and are adapted to engage the eyes of the thill-clips; the levers connected at their lower ends to the adjacent ends of the said rods or bolts; a ring embracing and adapted to slide on the upper arms of the said levers whereby they may be drawn together to disengage the outer ends of the rods or bolts from the thill-clips; the band or strap connected to the said ring, and means whereby the said strap may be drawn by the driver of the vehicle" (lines 13-25).
Date: April 24, 1888
Creator: McMorries, James
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Kitchen-Cabinet (open access)

Kitchen-Cabinet

Patent for a new design and construction of kitchen cabinets.
Date: December 4, 1888
Creator: Shanley, Michael H.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Ventilator. (open access)

Ventilator.

Patent for a new and improved ventilator. This design consists in "[t]he improved combined flue and ventilator . . . consisting of an outer casing surmounted by a cap and provided with a central flue, funnels hinged to the outer casing and provided with flexible connections for elevating the same, and means for conducting the air downward from said funnels" (lines 8-15).
Date: April 27, 1886
Creator: Shanley, Michael H.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Spring Frame for Freight Cars. (open access)

Spring Frame for Freight Cars.

Patent for new and improved springs for transportation. This design provides "vehicles for the transportation of merchandise . . . with an interior spring-padding, and in some cases with intermediate elastic floors or partitions, by which injury to the load, by jolting while in transit, shall be prevented, and which shall further conduce to the preservation of fruits and other merchandise of a like perishable nature" (lines 22-30).
Date: December 14, 1880
Creator: Shirley, Joseph J.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Kitchen-Cabinet (open access)

Kitchen-Cabinet

Patent for "a device of this class which shall be simple in construction, inexpensive, and in which provision shall be made for the safe-keeping of all the materials and ingredients used in bread-making and in ordinary cooking as well as for pies, cakes, cold victuals and the like" (lines 9-15).
Date: July 9, 1889
Creator: Skipper, James Marion
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History