79th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, House Bill 2549, Chapter 225 (open access)

79th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, House Bill 2549, Chapter 225

Bill introduced by the Texas House of Representatives relating to validation of certain acts taken by the Westchase District.
Date: May 27, 2005
Creator: Texas. Legislature. House of Representatives.
Object Type: Legislative Document
System: The Portal to Texas History
79th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, Senate Bill 1537, Chapter 238 (open access)

79th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, Senate Bill 1537, Chapter 238

Bill introduced by the Texas Senate relating to the administration, powers, duties, and operation of the Harris-Galveston Subsidence District and the Fort Bend Subsidence District.
Date: May 27, 2005
Creator: Texas. Legislature. Senate.
Object Type: Legislative Document
System: The Portal to Texas History
79th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, Senate Bill 929, Chapter 234 (open access)

79th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, Senate Bill 929, Chapter 234

Bill introduced by the Texas Senate relating to the service area of the Houston Community College System District.
Date: May 27, 2005
Creator: Texas. Legislature. Senate.
Object Type: Legislative Document
System: The Portal to Texas History
78th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, House Bill 3555, Chapter 1297 (open access)

78th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, House Bill 3555, Chapter 1297

Bill introduced by the Texas House of Representatives relating to the creation of the Harris County Road Improvement District No. 2; providing authority to impose a tax and issue bonds.
Date: 2003-05/2003-06
Creator: Texas. Legislature. House of Representatives.
Object Type: Legislative Document
System: The Portal to Texas History
Brick-Machine. (open access)

Brick-Machine.

Patent for a machine, which the inventor calls "The Concussion Brick-Machine", that makes bricks using molds, including illustrations.
Date: May 30, 1848
Creator: Wilson, Robert
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Brick-Machines. (open access)

Improvement in Brick-Machines.

Patent for improvement in brick machines by “providing the mixing and grinding-shaft with arms at the bottom, adapted in form and arrangement for pressing the clay through the openings, in the bottom of the curb, into the moulds, below, which rest on ways above a sliding carrier, provided with brackets, for forcing the moulds out.” (Lines 26-34) Illustration is included.
Date: May 4, 1869
Creator: Morgan, Asa
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Machine for Cutting Stalks in the Field Preparatory to Plowing. (open access)

Improvement in Machine for Cutting Stalks in the Field Preparatory to Plowing.

Patent for improvement in machine for clearing cotton and corn-fields of the stalks after the crops have been gathered by “providing a revolving drum or roller with knives, set spirally around it, which cut the stalks of cotton or corn-fields into pieces of any desired length, for the purpose of being plowed under the surface for fertilizing, by rolling it over them.” (Lines 14-19) Illustration is included.
Date: May 4, 1869
Creator: Wright, Reuben
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Devices for Attaching Napkins to the Person (open access)

Improvement in Devices for Attaching Napkins to the Person

Patent for the improvement of attaching napkins to people in which a flexible ring is ensleeved with a napkins and stretched around the neck of a person.
Date: May 23, 1871
Creator: Raiford, Philip H.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Standards for Vehicles. (open access)

Improvement in Standards for Vehicles.

Patent for "a stanchion pivoted in a strong metal box adapted to be fastened to the side of the platform of the car or truck, the box being open at the top and at one end, so that the stanchion can be turned down on its pivot by the side of the platform, to be out of the way of loading the car or truck platform with goods which cannot be conveniently loaded when the stanchions are upright." (Lines 6-14) Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: May 12, 1874
Creator: Martin, James J.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvment in Apparatus for Drying Hides. (open access)

Improvment in Apparatus for Drying Hides.

Patent for "an improvement in apparatus for drying hides"
Date: May 9, 1876
Creator: Finnigan, John
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Improvement in Journal Boxes. (open access)

Improvement in Journal Boxes.

Patent for axel shaft oil lubrication system that acts as a reservoir and saves the oil lubrication materials to be used repeatedly without waste.
Date: April 3, 1873
Creator: Morris, Joseph R.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Heating Frame for Lamps. (open access)

Heating Frame for Lamps.

Patent for a new and improved heating frame for lamps. This design seeks to "simplify and improve the adjustable supports for the top plate upon which the vessel [to be heated] is supported; secondly, to improve the construction of said top plate . . . allowing the warm air to circulate both under and around the vessel . . . thirdly, to construct and combine the top plate and a base-ring with the supporting-rods in a firm, durable, and efficient manner" (lines 27-38).
Date: May 23, 1882
Creator: Melvin, Josiah W.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Freezer. (open access)

Freezer.

Patent for improvements to freezers for freezing liquids and confections, with illustrations.
Date: May 18, 1897
Creator: Jordan, James T.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cotton-Seed-Meal Heater (open access)

Cotton-Seed-Meal Heater

Patent for improvements to cotton-meal heaters "to provide means to communicate as much heat as possible to the meal contained in the heater in as short a time as possible, and to retain the heat in the meal until it has all been used in forming the cakes" (lines 18-22).
Date: May 20, 1890
Creator: Price, James Sterling
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Axle Lubricator. (open access)

Axle Lubricator.

Patent for a new and improved axle lubricator. This design "consist[s] of a box provided with bearings in which the axle works, and with a cellar below the said bearings for the reception of the waste for containing the lubricant; [and] . . . of a frame in which the box fits, . . . being provided with screws for elevating or depressing the box, whereby it may be kept always in contact with the axle . . . The object is to produce an axle or journal lubricator . . . [that] will keep the bearings of an axle or journal shaft thoroughly lubricated at all times, thereby preventing the same becoming heated and swelling" (lines 14-35).
Date: May 21, 1889
Creator: Good, William
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car Door. (open access)

Car Door.

Patent for a new and improved door for railroad cars. This design consists in "[t]he combination, with the car having the door-opening with its upper and lower edges parallel and inclined upward and inward, and the bolt-keeper secured to the sill of the car, of the door having correspondingly-inclined upper and lower edges, the guide-staple and fulcrum-bracket secured to the door at proper points, the operating-lever pivoted to said bracket, the link-rods and bolt, the [other] link-rod pivoted at its lower end to the operating-lever" (lines 4-14).
Date: May 28, 1889
Creator: Charlton, James
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cotton or Hay Press. (open access)

Cotton or Hay Press.

Patent for a new and improved baling press. This design consists in "the combination, with the follower-screw, the worm and worm-shaft, the combined worm-gear and nut, and the base-plate having a peripheral ledge . . . of the plate having bearings for said worm shaft and an annular portion which encircles said base-plate, and the bolts which pass through both such annular portion and base-plate for securing them together and to the base-timbers of the press" (lines 73-82).
Date: May 3, 1887
Creator: McGowen, Allexander
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Door Hanger. (open access)

Door Hanger.

Patent for a new and improved hanger for doors and gates. This design consists in "the brackets secured to a door or gate way at intervals apart and having the horizontal supporting arms, the track made of angle-iron and having the horizontal treadway secured to the arms of the brackets, and the upwardly-extending flange at the outer edge of the treadway, and the hangers secured to the door or gate and having their upper portions bent to form an inverted U-shaped yoke or frame, and rollers journaled between the sides of the frame" (lines 80-91).
Date: May 17, 1887
Creator: Charlton, James
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Bed Clothes Clamp. (open access)

Bed Clothes Clamp.

Patent for a new and improved clamp. This design consists in "[t]he combination, with a suitable clasp for holding the bed-clothes and its link, of the means for adjustably securing it to the bed-rail, consisting of a rod, having its lower end screw-threaded and provided with a nut and washer, and having on its upper end a hook-shaped projection that is adapted to pass over and around the upper edge of the bed-rail, and is provided with an eye . . . for connection with the clamp" (lines 65-74).
Date: May 26, 1885
Creator: Kiam, Benjamin
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car-Coupling. (open access)

Car-Coupling.

Patent for an invention for train cars which "relates to car couplings, and especially to that class of the same which effect an automatic coupling by means of a gravity-hook," (lines 12-15) including instructions and illustrations.
Date: May 13, 1884
Creator: Washburn, Andrew Lynch & Journeay, Abram L.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Baling-Press (open access)

Baling-Press

Patent for a new press for baling cotton and hay that is "simple, durable, and convenient," including illustrations.
Date: May 1, 1883
Creator: McIver, James
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Artificial Stone Block. (open access)

Artificial Stone Block.

Patent for a new and improved artificial-stone block. This design "consists in the particular formation of the protuberances by which interlocking joints or seams of the building-blocks are attained, the object of which is to so form the prolific protuberances of said blocks as to permit joining them in close proximity on all the sides or faces of the seam, to reduce the binding material for the same and increase the strength of the same" (lines 14-22).
Date: May 3, 1892
Creator: Graham, George M.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Locomotive Headlight. (open access)

Locomotive Headlight.

Patent for a new and improved train headlight. This design "has for its object to improve locomotive head-lights by so constructing the reservoir and burner and mounting the same that they may be easily removed from and connected with the reflector without moving the latter; and it consists of a reservoir for the head-light having certain features of novelty and in various improvements in the apparatus as a whole" (lines 11-19).
Date: May 17, 1892
Creator: Jobling, Lance L.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Speed-Recorder. (open access)

Speed-Recorder.

Patent for an improvement in speed-recorders or device meant especially for street-cars, meant to protect the streets from reckless driving. The machine punches tape, recording the time the trolly takes to travel each block and how long the trolly takes at each stop.
Date: May 5, 1896
Creator: Spence, James, Jr.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History