Back Band Buckle. (open access)

Back Band Buckle.

Patent for a new and improved back band buckle. This design "consists in the construction and novel arrangement of the middle bar having an outwardly-projecting stud, the upper bar parallel to the middle bar and having an under offset recess, and a depending lug-hook and spring-snap" (lines 19-26).
Date: April 18, 1882
Creator: Lowe, Joseph Alfred
System: The Portal to Texas History
Churning Device. (open access)

Churning Device.

Patent for a new and improved churn. This design consists "[i]n a churning device, the combination, with a base and a spring-bar held therein, of a cross-bar hinged to the said base and a churn-carrying bar secured to the said hinged and spring-bars" (lines 69-73).
Date: April 21, 1885
Creator: Wood, Sylvanus B.; Wood, Hervey & Wiley, Thomas Wilson
System: The Portal to Texas History
Needle Beam for Bridges. (open access)

Needle Beam for Bridges.

Patent for a new and improved needle-beam for bridges. This design "relates to needle-beams for bridges; and its objects are, first, to provide them with appliances whereby to maintain wire cables in proper position and conduct them between the termini of the bridge; second, to provide for interweaving the strands of the cable during the progress of the construction; third, to adapt the parts to coact so that they will maintain the cables permanently in their pristine condition; fourth, to provide such correlation of the parts that they shall uniformly conduce to invariable results" (lines 15-27).
Date: April 2, 1889
Creator: Rudyon, Edwin Elijah
System: The Portal to Texas History
Permutation Lock. (open access)

Permutation Lock.

Patent for a new and improved combination lock. This design's operation "is as follows: Being unlocked, the bolt is in the retracted position . . . [t]he door can then be operated in the usual manner, being held, when closed, by the ordinary spring-bolt. . . . When the door is closed, in order to lock it, the graduated knob is turned, operating the toothed disk and the first or governing ring, which will . . . throw out the end of the locking-bolt. By turning the handle, all the rings of the slotted guide can be moved sufficiently to engage the teeth of the locking-arm of the bolt" (lines 80-94).
Date: April 17, 1883
Creator: Sarlls, Rutus & Holland, Virgil C.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Permutation Lock. (open access)

Permutation Lock.

Patent for a new and improved combination lock. This design "consists in the construction and novel arrangement of the elongated case, its longitudinally slotted and notched partitions, the boltway over the partitions, reciprocating notched and perforated slides, and adjustable pins or studs engaging the perforations and projecting into the slots of the partitions, the rack-slide, drop-bolt, and graduated knob carrying the pinion" (lines 20-28).
Date: April 24, 1883
Creator: Sarlls, Rutus & Holland, Virgil C.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cultivator (open access)

Cultivator

Patent for "new and useful improvements in Plows and Cultivators" (lines 5-6), with illustrations.
Date: April 3, 1883
Creator: Nutting, James H.
System: The Portal to Texas History