Book Adjuster. (open access)

Book Adjuster.

Patent for a new and improved book-adjuster. This design consists in "[t]he combination, with the holder having the horizontal longitudinal recess and the vertical screw-threaded aperture, of the base-piece, the adjusting-screw swiveled at its lower end in the said base-piece, and the spring-catch" (lines 3-8).
Date: February 8, 1887
Creator: Adair, Irvine James
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cable Reeling and Pulling Truck (open access)

Cable Reeling and Pulling Truck

Patent for the cable reeling and pulling truck. This invention was made to ease the process of cable reeling and pulling by trucks and for improvements to the safety of this process. Illustrations are provided.
Date: February 12, 1918
Creator: Alberts, James
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car-Door. (open access)

Car-Door.

Patent for "an improved freight car door so supported that it will not be shaken or jarred off and can be easily opened and closed at all times no matter how heavily loaded the car may be." (Lines 16-20) Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: February 26, 1895
Creator: Allen, Thomas C.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Gas-Compressor. (open access)

Gas-Compressor.

Patent for gas compressors for ice and refrigeration machines, with instructions and illustrations.
Date: March 4, 1891
Creator: Ambrose, Joseph D.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Scaffold-Bracket (open access)

Scaffold-Bracket

Patent for a scaffold-bracket.
Date: February 25, 1902
Creator: Arnold, William E.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Clothes-Pin. (open access)

Clothes-Pin.

Patent for metallic clothes pins made from a single length of wire.
Date: February 11, 1919
Creator: Atkins, Irving J.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Stalk-Cutter. (open access)

Stalk-Cutter.

Patent for stalk cutter that breaks the stalks close to the ground, featuring a lever that enables cutter height adjustments to facilitate the breaking of stalks. This stalk cutter has no cutting edges and will not dull over time.
Date: February 24, 1914
Creator: Blakely, Phylander.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Apparatus for Boring Artesian Wells. (open access)

Apparatus for Boring Artesian Wells.

Patent for an improved and simple apparatus for boring wells that is easily adjustable. The drill head will stay intact in most drilling situations with this apparatus.
Date: February 28, 1893
Creator: Brown, Frank O.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Recording Ballot-Box. (open access)

Recording Ballot-Box.

Patent for a recording ballot box to "indicate accurately and instantly the result of an election" (line 10-12).
Date: February 10, 1880
Creator: Buck, James G. H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Flushing-Tank for Water-Closets, &c. (open access)

Flushing-Tank for Water-Closets, &c.

Patent for improvement for Flushing-Tanks for Water-Closets, Urinals, Sinks, &c. through adoption of an immovable siphon and gate
Date: February 26, 1897
Creator: Carroll, Samuel C
System: The Portal to Texas History
Well Digging Machine. (open access)

Well Digging Machine.

Patent for a new and improved well-digging machine. This design "consists in connecting to the bottom of [a] shaft a gang of plows, which effectually break and cut up the earth, and combing therewith a fixed and inclined shear-blade and detachable earth-receiver, the said shear-blade being located in the rear of the plows, for raising the earth from the motion of the plow, and delivering it automatically into the detachable earth-receiver, which is raised to the surface with its load by means of ropes and pulleys" (lines 27-37).
Date: February 6, 1883
Creator: Chambers, Job C. & Chambers, Silas
System: The Portal to Texas History
Artificial Leg. (open access)

Artificial Leg.

Patent for an artificial leg that has an improved ankle joint and a socket for the stump. It is also more comfortable than other artificial legs.
Date: February 12, 1895
Creator: Chapman, Edward
System: The Portal to Texas History
Lens Holder (open access)

Lens Holder

Patent for a lens holder. The design of this invention relates to holders for eyeglasses and spectacles. Illustration included.
Date: February 15, 1910
Creator: Chappel, James M.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Surface-Treating Machine (open access)

Surface-Treating Machine

Patent for useful improvements to surface-treating machines with a "rapidly moving surface treating member," (lines 12-13) including illustrations.
Date: February 7, 1920
Creator: Clarke, Alex A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Automobile-Rack. (open access)

Automobile-Rack.

Patent for improved automobile racks that are elevated to accomplish the following tasks: removing paint from the automobile, and make the automobile more accessible during construction.
Date: February 10, 1920
Creator: Cleveland, David P.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Folder (open access)

Folder

Patent for a folder. Illustration included.
Date: February 21, 1905
Creator: Coleman, Stephen Rutledge
System: The Portal to Texas History
Dressing Device for Armless People (open access)

Dressing Device for Armless People

Patent for a dressing device that aids in dressing people with no arms by buttoning and unbuttoning shirts and adjusting neckties. Illustrations included.
Date: February 25, 1913
Creator: Corley, Quentin D.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Automatic Air Controlling Device (open access)

Automatic Air Controlling Device

Patent for an air controlling device that supplies air at a constant and unvarying pressure.
Date: February 22, 1916
Creator: Crotto, Frank E.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Electrical Fare-Box. (open access)

Electrical Fare-Box.

Patent for device "to improve the illumination and increase the efficiency and subserviency of street-care fare-boxes. To these ends the source of light is located in the interior of the box, instead of being placed in a separate chamber at the outside of the box, as is now done, and electrical agency is utilized to produce the light and also to notify the driver that a passenger requires change and when a fair has been deposited in the box" (lines 8-17).
Date: February 8, 1887
Creator: Crowdus, Walter A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Current Regulator for Dynamo Electric Machines. (open access)

Current Regulator for Dynamo Electric Machines.

Patent for a new and improved current regulator. This design "pertains to that class of regulators in which the collecting brushes of the commutator are automatically moved around the commutator and caused to occupy different positions relatively to the maximum lines of the magnetic field between the poles and the armature; and it embraces a novel method of controlling the movement of the brushes to compensate for variations in the speed of the machine and regulate the current in accordance with the work to be done" (lines 11-21).
Date: February 14, 1888
Creator: Crowdus, Walter A. & Sutton, Henry M.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Shaft-Tug. (open access)

Shaft-Tug.

Patent for an improvement of harness and shaft-tugs by providing a sleeve to fit the tug closely, a bolt to secure the tug and a strap clamps to the shaft; for the purpose of limiting the movement of the tug. Illustration is included.
Date: February 3, 1891
Creator: Davies, Thomas William & Downey, George Marshall
System: The Portal to Texas History
Transformer (open access)

Transformer

Patent for transformer.
Date: February 24, 1903
Creator: Depp, Otis J.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Plumb Rule And Level (open access)

Plumb Rule And Level

Patent for a plumb rule and level. Illustration included.
Date: February 5, 1907
Creator: Downs, Wayne
System: The Portal to Texas History
Container for Quick Tire Patches. (open access)

Container for Quick Tire Patches.

Patent for quick-tire patches for repairing blowouts. Abrasive surface provides a more convenient way to clean tire patches than the usual sandpaper.
Date: February 12, 1918
Creator: Duffy, C.O.
System: The Portal to Texas History