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
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cotton Picker's Wagon. (open access)

Cotton Picker's Wagon.

Patent for a new and improved wagon for cotton pickers. This design consists in "the combination of the frame, supporting wheels, cover, side-curtains, troughs, and partitions" (lines 53-55).
Date: May 1, 1883
Creator: Collins, Charles P.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oil Press Mat. (open access)

Oil Press Mat.

Patent for a new and improved oil press mat. This design "relates to mats between which cakes of ground cotton or other oil-yielding seed are held while being subjected to the action of the press which separates the oil from the cakes. The invention has for its object to provide certain improvements in the construction of such mats, whereby they are made more efficient and durable than those in general use" (lines 9-17).
Date: May 1, 1883
Creator: Mann, Frederic C. & Schumacher, Henry
System: The Portal to Texas History
Smoke and Cinder Conductor. (open access)

Smoke and Cinder Conductor.

Patent for a new and improved smoke and cinder conductor. This design "has for its object to provide a simple and efficient conducting mechanism to be attached to the cars, and provided with an improved coupling device at its ends, by which a coupling can be automatically effected with the conducting mechanism of an adjoining car" (lines 11-17).
Date: May 1, 1883
Creator: Brown, William A. & Smith, James F.
System: The Portal to Texas History
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
Washing Machine (open access)

Washing Machine

Patent for an improved washing machine consisting of a wash-boiler into which one or more streams of hot water may be thrown.
Date: May 10, 1883
Creator: Caldwell, James S.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car Coupling. (open access)

Car Coupling.

Patent for a new and improved coupling for railroad cars. This design "has for its objects to provide a coupling-pin which can be reversed when one end becomes worn, to provide a reversible pin of novel construction, which is adapted to automatically engage the ordinary coupling-link, and to provide a coupling-pin of novel construction, with a device for holding it elevated when it is not desired to engage a coupling-link" (lines 10-18).
Date: May 15, 1883
Creator: Fowler, Joseph C.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cotton Chopper and Cultivator. (open access)

Cotton Chopper and Cultivator.

Patent for a new and improved cotton chopper and cultivator. This design consists in "[t]he combination, with the chopper-handle, of the notched-roller, the mortised cross-beam, having the pivot across its mortise or hole, and the spring, attached to an upright, and the handle, whereby the chopper may be operated" (lines 73-78).
Date: May 15, 1883
Creator: Pettitt, Francis Alexander.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Laundry-Iron (open access)

Laundry-Iron

Patent for improvements to heating and use of irons used for laundry.
Date: May 15, 1883
Creator: Pedder, James Nagel
System: The Portal to Texas History
Nut Lock. (open access)

Nut Lock.

Patent for a new and improved nut lock. This design utilizes "[t]he combination, with the bolt having a longitudinal groove therein, and the nut having a circular recess in its inner face and a series of perforations in its outer face, of the key having its inner end bent at right angles and fitted in said recess, and provided with an arm and pivoted catch at the outer end, which catch is adapted to engage with a perforation in the nut" (lines 47-55).
Date: May 15, 1883
Creator: Mlinarich, Gioseppe Iosef Pepos
System: The Portal to Texas History
Packing Attachment for Baling Presses (open access)

Packing Attachment for Baling Presses

Patent for an "improved cotton packing attachment for baling-presses" (lines 9-10).
Date: May 15, 1883
Creator: Shepherd, James R.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Split Switch (open access)

Split Switch

Patent for a split switch, with illustrations. The "invention relates to split switches; and the object of our invention is to provide a switch which will be normally in condition to prevent a train from running on the main track from the siding, and yet always keep the main track in condition for the rapid movement of trains, and at the same time allow the shunting of a train from the main track to the side track" (lines 16-24).
Date: May 15, 1883
Creator: Crowley, John Henry & Temple, Bernard Moore
System: The Portal to Texas History
Combined Harrow, Seed-Planter, and Cultivator (open access)

Combined Harrow, Seed-Planter, and Cultivator

Patent for a combined harrow, seed-planter, and cultivator to increase the speed of planting and cultivating plants, including illustrations and instructions.
Date: May 22, 1883
Creator: Ellis, Robert Fuller
System: The Portal to Texas History
Railway Steam Car Brake (open access)

Railway Steam Car Brake

Patent for improvement in railway car brake by adding a steam actuating device attached to the locomotive.
Date: May 22, 1883
Creator: Walker, Fred B. & Lauder, James
System: The Portal to Texas History
Range-Finder for Rifles. (open access)

Range-Finder for Rifles.

Patent for range-finder for rifles, with illustrations. The invention "is adapted for ready application to a rifle by producing a simple dovetailed groove in the stock or stock-tip, near the front end" (lines 9-12).
Date: May 22, 1883
Creator: Ord, Edward O. C., Jr. & Kress, John A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Wrench. (open access)

Wrench.

Patent for a new and improved wrench. This design "consists in the combination of the main bar, which is provided with a head having a suitable recess to catch over nuts, with a sliding head, which has two surfaces to act in connection with opposite ends of the head, but out of line with each other, and a spring-actuated catch, which catches in suitable ratchets made in the main bar, so as to hold the sliding head in position" (lines
Date: May 22, 1883
Creator: Hamrick, Jerome Miller.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Barrel Cover. (open access)

Barrel Cover.

Patent for a new and improved cover for barrels. This design calls for downward-extending flanges with wings along the perimeter of the cover. These flanges hold the cover in place over the barrel opening, but they also allow for the cover to rest at an angle on the upper rim of the barrel so that one has access to the contents of the barrel without the cover touching the ground.
Date: May 29, 1883
Creator: Lane, Fernando Gustavous
System: The Portal to Texas History
Calf Weaner. (open access)

Calf Weaner.

Patent for a new and improved device for weaning calves. This design is "to be attached to the central cartilage of the calf's nose . . . with sharp points that come against the cow's bag when the calf attempts to suck; and the invention consists in attaching the parts . . . together like a pivot, forming a part of one of the points and adapting them to be held closed by means of a small screw, whereby the device is rendered very cheap, yet effective and reliable" (lines 15-25).
Date: May 29, 1883
Creator: Geissler, William F.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Hay Knife. (open access)

Hay Knife.

Patent for a new and improved hay knife. This design "consists in the construction and novel arrangement of the forked frame, the lever pivoted thereto, slotted at one end and carrying at the other end a cutting-blade working through bearings in the fork, the crank pivoted to the frame and engaging the slot of the lever, and the pressure-head or cross-bar connected to the outer end of the frame" (lines 18-26).
Date: May 29, 1883
Creator: Moss, John C.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Washing Compound. (open access)

Washing Compound.

Patent for "detergent or washing compounds for cleansing clothing, fabrics, &c." (lines 14-16) which lists the ingredients and their measurements and directions for use.
Date: May 29, 1883
Creator: Davis, Jordan Greene; Davis, Epaminondas Perkins & Davis, David Watson
System: The Portal to Texas History