Improvement in Cotton-Scrapers. (open access)

Improvement in Cotton-Scrapers.

Patent for improvement in cotton-scrapers by using the combination of horizontal bars, cams, and a beam which consist of ploughs to construct the cotton-scraper; when the “cams revolve and give a lateral and forward motion to the horizontal bars, the beam and the ploughs. As it works backward and forward, the ploughs each describe a zigzag line which cross and leave a hill in diamond-shape undisturbed.” (Lines 21-24) Illustration is included.
Date: April 28, 1868
Creator: Kidd, I. J.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Seed-Planters. (open access)

Improvement in Seed-Planters.

Patent for improvement in seed-planters by using a combination of lock-lever, bars, set-screw and a tongue to “construct accurate planters in which the planting may be readily done in exact check row, and which will allow the dropping device to be instantly thrown into or out of gear when desired.” (Lines 16-19) Illustration is included.
Date: April 13, 1869
Creator: Herrin, I. F.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Needle-Threaders for Sewing-Machines. (open access)

Improvement in Needle-Threaders for Sewing-Machines.

Patent for improvement in needle-threaders for sewing machines by using an “eyelet-frame that formed by two equal parallelopipeds. These parallelopipeds are being kept together by two springs and may be separated by pressing the pins toward each other.” (Lines 32-35) “The axis of a conical eyelet will be laid in the joint planes of the parallelopipeds, its apex in the front side, its basis in the opposite side of the eyelet-frame, through which eyelet the thread has to pass when the instrument is used and applied to the machine-needle.” (Lines 37-42) This instrument can be used with curved or straight needles. Illustration is included.
Date: April 20, 1869
Creator: Thielepape, Wilhelm C. A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Spark-Conductors for Railroad-Trains. (open access)

Improvement in Spark-Conductors for Railroad-Trains.

Patent for improvement in spark-conductors for railroad trains by using a “horizontal flue in sections and use “other devices to engage and disengage the sections, where by to arrest and extinguish sparks and conduct the smoke, ashes, and cinders to the rear.” (Lines 16-20) Illustration is included.
Date: April 27, 1869
Creator: Wright, Reuben
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Seed-Planters. (open access)

Improvement in Seed-Planters.

Patent for improvement in seed-planters that is able to plant different kinds of seed by simply adjust the position of the lower ends of the end-plates in the seed-box. Illustration is included.
Date: April 27, 1869
Creator: Haupt, W. W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Apparatus for Boring Artesian Wells. (open access)

Improvement in Apparatus for Boring Artesian Wells.

Patent for improvement in pump-drills for boring artesian wells by “combining pump-valves and pistons with a drill for boring artesian or other wells” (lines 21-23), including illustration.
Date: April 17, 1860
Creator: Taney, John
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Cotton-Choppers. (open access)

Improvement in Cotton-Choppers.

Patent for improvements in cotton choppers.
Date: April 28, 1868
Creator: Kidd, I. J.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Bungs. (open access)

Improvement in Bungs.

Patent for improvement in bungs for beer and other barrels.
Date: April 14, 1868
Creator: Stremme, Conrad C.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improved Medicinal Preparation. (open access)

Improved Medicinal Preparation.

Patent for improvements made the medicinal preparations generally used for poultices. The patented improvement involves the application of dried and powdered leaves, stalks, and joints of the cactus opuntia or cockinifer.
Date: April 7, 1868
Creator: Lege, Charles L.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Gang-Plow. (open access)

Improvement in Gang-Plow.

Patent for improvement in gang-plow by using an adjustable slotted cross-bar to enable the “plow-beams to oscillate, so that their landsides are always vertical, however uneven the ground may be.” (Lines 20-21) “This tool can also regulate the depth of the plows in the ground whereby the depth of furrow is adjusted.” (Lines 24-25) Illustration is included.
Date: April 20, 1869
Creator: Hall, Thomas J.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Cotton-Seed Planters. (open access)

Improvement in Cotton-Seed Planters.

Patent for an improvement in cotton-seed planters using a combination of an adjustable agitator and a movable self-adjusting stirrer, including illustration.
Date: April 3, 1860
Creator: Sweeny, Samuel P.
System: The Portal to Texas History