Resource Type

Stand and Rack for Exhibiting Goods. (open access)

Stand and Rack for Exhibiting Goods.

Patent for a new and improved display rack and stand. This design "is to provide a novelty rack for displaying or exhibiting fancy goods, wearing-apparel, hats, bonnets, and other articles; and to such end the invention consists of a standard suitably supported by a base-piece, a collar or ring, and a series of arms sustained by the collar or ring, with their inner arms resting in frictional contact with the surface and the stand, the collar or ring being of such diameter as to stand at a distance from the standard to form a fulcrum or bearing for the arms at a short distance from their inner ends" (lines 8-19).
Date: June 19, 1883
Creator: Richards, Augustus, Sr.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Hydraulic Motor. (open access)

Hydraulic Motor.

Patent for a new and improved hydraulic motor. This design "consists, broadly, in alternately directing a moving column of water or like fluid into two cylinders placed side by side, and containing working-pistons united at their outer ends to crank-arms connecting with the power-shaft and with a cam-wheel operating the cut-off mechanism" (lines 15-22).
Date: October 28, 1884
Creator: Woodburn, William W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Steam Engine Governor. (open access)

Steam Engine Governor.

Patent for a new and improved steam-engine governor. This design consists in "the combination, with the valve-stem and governor-balls, of a lever connected with the said valve-stem, a weighted lever connected with the said valve-stem lever, a piston-rod connected with the said weighted lever, a piston attached to the said piston-rod, and a small cylinder in which the said piston operates, and which is connected at one end with the interior of the steam-chest" (lines 93-102).
Date: August 16, 1887
Creator: Arnold, Eliphalet L.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Supporting-Shelf. (open access)

Supporting-Shelf.

Patent for a supporting shelf specifically for clocks. The supporting shelf keeps the clock balanced.
Date: November 3, 1914
Creator: McDonald, John A..
System: The Portal to Texas History
Nut Lock (open access)

Nut Lock

Patent for a mechanism to lock a nut in place on a bolt that also automatically releases when a wrench is applied to turn the nut.
Date: August 4, 1914
Creator: Edwards, Whitfield H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Tooth-Bender. (open access)

Tooth-Bender.

Patent for a tooth bender for band saw teeth, which keeps the teeth in place for use and for grinding.
Date: April 20, 1909
Creator: Dell Ge Bott, Jay
System: The Portal to Texas History
Plow Cleaning Attachment. (open access)

Plow Cleaning Attachment.

Patent for a new and improved plow cleaner. This design consists in "[t]he combination, with the mold-board of a plow, having parallel longitudinal slots . . . of upper and lower rollers, belts passing around the same beneath the mold-board, scrapers connected to said belts in line with the slots and adapted to pass over said mold-board, and means for rotating said belts" (lines 93-99).
Date: May 6, 1890
Creator: Dyer, Charles Valentine.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Padlock. (open access)

Padlock.

Patent for a padlock which "has for its object to provide a lock which cannot be picked and which shall be strong and simple in construction." (lines 9-11) including instructions and illustrations.
Date: September 19, 1905
Creator: Rembert, Willie E.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Music Holder. (open access)

Music Holder.

Patent for a new and improved sheet-music holder. This design consists "[i]n a music-holder, the combination of the base-board, the tension arms, the frictional spiral-swings, the plates perforated to receive the screw, and having the countersunk perforation to receive the knots in the ends of the elastic cords, and the knot receiver" (lines 50-55).
Date: April 28, 1885
Creator: Frampton, Joseph
System: The Portal to Texas History
Padlock. (open access)

Padlock.

Patent for a new and improved lock. This design is "to provide a padlock having a two-part locking-bolt, each member thereof having separate and independent action and being operated by different means, each unlocking device being guided by a scale . . . [Also,] to so construct and organize the parts of a key padlock that the combination upon which it is operated may be readily and quickly changed, and to provide the key with a simple movable index which may be shifted to . . . indicate the proper point to which the key must be turned in order to successfully operate the lock" (lines 13-29).
Date: August 27, 1889
Creator: Richards, Augustus, Sr.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Motor. (open access)

Motor.

Patent for a new and improved motor. This design consists, "with a stool having its seat-block perforated centrally, a loose seat, and a depending pusher-bar attached by one end to the loose seat, of a rock-shaft journaled in parallel stretcher-bars, which are secured to legs of the stool, a crank-arm, a bell-crank, an adjustable weight, a ratchet-bar, and a ratchet-wheel revolubly supported" (lines 58-65).
Date: June 3, 1890
Creator: Gilbert, Frank L.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Mustache-Guard. (open access)

Mustache-Guard.

Patent for "detachable mustache-guards, or protectors, adapted for use with drinking-cups or goblets, tumblers, and other drinking-vessels." (Lines 25-38) Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: March 12, 1895
Creator: Frampton, Joseph
System: The Portal to Texas History
Stylographic Fountain-Pen. (open access)

Stylographic Fountain-Pen.

Patent for stylographic fountain pens to improve them by allowing the "ink to flow freely from the point of the pen" (line 35) and allowing easy, pressurized ink refills.
Date: February 3, 1880
Creator: Fisher, Charles N. & Downes, Charles L.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Stove-Damper. (open access)

Stove-Damper.

Patent for stove-damper by using “a damper-valve which not only subserves the usuall function of an ordinary cooking-stove damper which works over the smoke-exit flue, but also acts as a draft regulating device to provide for regulating the draft the damper is thrown to a closed position.” (Lines 19-26) Illustration is included.
Date: November 27, 1900
Creator: Witcher, John C.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Hame Fastener (open access)

Hame Fastener

Patent for a hame fastener. Illustration included.
Date: May 9, 1911
Creator: Hyman, Henry F.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Driving-Rein Guard. (open access)

Driving-Rein Guard.

Patent for a driving rein guard in order to hold the reins of a draft animal.
Date: April 8, 1913
Creator: Sibley, Alexander B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Gate-Latch. (open access)

Gate-Latch.

Patent for a new and useful gate latch, including instructions and illustrations.
Date: May 16, 1899
Creator: Perkins, Oscar P.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Sand Band (open access)

Sand Band

Patent for a sand band. Illustration included.
Date: June 13, 1905
Creator: Barnes, Ned E.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Fire Place. (open access)

Fire Place.

Patent for a new and improved fire place. This design "simplif[ies] the construction of . . . that class of fire-places provided with an air-space around its back, sides, and under its hearth, whereby the air in said space is heated and used for ventilating a room . . . thus enabling them to be manufactured at a greatly reduced cost and set up for use without the necessity of building an arch in the wall of a room to receive the fire-place" (lines 17-26).
Date: June 12, 1883
Creator: Rembert, Henry
System: The Portal to Texas History
Fly Fan or Brush. (open access)

Fly Fan or Brush.

Patent for a new and improved fly fan or brush. This design consists "[i]n an automatic fly fan or brush, a suitable hollow post terminating at its upper end in a casing, a crank-shaft and conical pulley located therein, and gearing connecting the crank-shaft with the pulley-shaft, in combination with a cord connected to the pulley and to a rubber band or cord passing around a pulley at the base of the post, said rubber cord or band at one end being connected thereto, a pitman-rod connecting the crank-shaft with the arm carrying the fan or brush" (lines 84-94).
Date: August 28, 1888
Creator: Rembert, Henry
System: The Portal to Texas History
Flood-Gate. (open access)

Flood-Gate.

Patent for a flood-gate meant for use in mill-dams, races, and levees. Its intended use is to allow water to come to a certain height, and automatically release water once it gets past that point. When the water returns to a reasonable height, the gate automatically closes.
Date: December 26, 1893
Creator: Dean, Asa
System: The Portal to Texas History
Fish-Hook (open access)

Fish-Hook

Patent for a fish hook with additional hooks attached in order to ensure a caught fish remains on the hook.
Date: August 21, 1906
Creator: Strozier, John J. & Wilson, Francis Marion
System: The Portal to Texas History
Plow Mold Board. (open access)

Plow Mold Board.

Patent for a new and improved plow mold board. This design "consists of a circular roll arranged in the mold-board near the point and covered with belting, which, in the forward movement of the plow, is revolved and carries the earth backward on an endless belt passing around rollers journaled in the end of transverse slots made in the mold-board, whereby, in the forward movement of the plow, the belt is revolved and the friction of the earth on the mold-board decreased and the plow scoured" (lines 17-28).
Date: August 22, 1882
Creator: Dahlman, Carl Oscar
System: The Portal to Texas History
Railway-Rail Brace. (open access)

Railway-Rail Brace.

Patent for a new railway-rail brace designed "particularly to be used on curves of rail-way tracks, and which ties the rails as to prevent spreading of said rails" (lines 13-16), including illustrations.
Date: July 4, 1916
Creator: Barnes, Ned Eastman
System: The Portal to Texas History