Cotton Bale Binder. (open access)

Cotton Bale Binder.

Patent for a new and improved cotton bale binder. This design "consists of a simple contrivance for binding cotton and other bales together when loaded on flat cars to prevent the load from being shaken apart and separated by the shocks and jolts of the car, and also to prevent the bales from being pulled off by cotton thieves, the said contrivance consisting of two or more hooks having pulleys or eyes strung on a rope, the rope being fastened to one of the eyes or pulleys forming one end of the binder, the hooks being caught in the bands of the bales" (lines 7-18).
Date: May 8, 1883
Creator: Burr, Lewis
System: The Portal to Texas History
Fence. (open access)

Fence.

Patent for a new and improved fence. This design "consists in the construction and novel arrangement of the bevel-end lap-joint top rails connected to and supported by the posts, the pendent panels consisting of series of horizontal rails interwoven in wire slings connected to the top rails, and links connecting the lower parts of the panels and the intermediate posts" (lines 20-27).
Date: May 8, 1883
Creator: Sevier, Moses Nimrod
System: The Portal to Texas History
Seed-Planter. (open access)

Seed-Planter.

Patent for a seed planter, with illustrations. "The object of this invention is to facilitate the planting of seeds, and also to promote convenience in adjusting and operating the planter" (lines 22-24).
Date: May 8, 1883
Creator: Wise, David
System: The Portal to Texas History