Cotton and Corn Planter. (open access)

Cotton and Corn Planter.

Patent for a new and improved planter. This design consists "[i]n combination with the hopper having its front wall inclined and formed with a guide-groove, the inner wall of which is cut out, the belt having its side edges working in the groove, and having hooks attached to the same between the side edges, said hooks projecting through the cut-out portion of the groove, so as to have free communication with the seed in the hopper" (lines 88-96).
Date: April 21, 1885
Creator: Easley, Levi
System: The Portal to Texas History
Bed Bottom. (open access)

Bed Bottom.

Patent for a new and improved bed bottom. This design "consists in a spring-bed formed of two U-shaped spring-rods or frames formed by the rods, which frames have their end pieces crossed and secured at their free ends in the opposite ends of slates. To the longitudinal pieces of the spring-frames the side edges of a piece of canvas are secured, and spiral springs are secured on the slats below the canvas" (lines 11-19).
Date: April 21, 1885
Creator: Bentley, Travis C.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Baling Press. (open access)

Baling Press.

Patent for improvements to press for making bales of hay.
Date: April 21, 1885
Creator: Chidester, John E.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cotton Picker's Sack. (open access)

Cotton Picker's Sack.

Patent for a new and improved sack for cotton pickers. This design "is to improve that class of sacks which are used by cotton-pickers and form a receptacle for cotton after it has been culled from the bolls, and in which it is carried to the gin. These sacks as now made are packed with cotton so as to be unwieldy, difficult to manipulate, and unhandy to empty, thus necessitating a great deal of labor and much waste of time" (lines 7-15).
Date: April 21, 1885
Creator: Dye, Charles Headen
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
Wire Stretcher. (open access)

Wire Stretcher.

Patent for a new and improved wire stretcher. This design "relates to that class of wire stretchers or tighteners which are adapted to be applied upon the strands of wire forming a fence, and are used to tighten or stretch the same by winding the strand about one end of the device and engaging the other end of the latter with the strand" ( lines 11-17).
Date: April 21, 1885
Creator: Irvine, John B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Window Screen Holder. (open access)

Window Screen Holder.

Patent for a new and improved window-screen holder. This design "consists in the combination, with a window-frame and a window-screen held in the same, of wires secured on the casing of the frame and having bends near their upper ends, and of hook-eyes held on the sides of the screen-frame and surrounding the wires. The invention also consists in a plate pivoted to the under side of the bottom rail of the screen-frame for covering a recess formed in the under edge and inner side of the said rail or piece" (lines 13-23).
Date: April 21, 1885
Creator: Barlow, Henry C.
System: The Portal to Texas History