Boot or Shoe Brace. (open access)

Boot or Shoe Brace.

Patent for a new and improved brace for shoes and boots. This design "relates to a brace adapted to be applied to boots and shoes, and is designed as a brace for the counter, heel, and instep; and it has for its object to provide a brace . . . which shall be simple in its construction, one that may be readily and easily applied, and manufactured and supplied at a slight cost" (lines 9-16).
Date: May 5, 1885
Creator: Awalt, Jessee C.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car-Coupling. (open access)

Car-Coupling.

Patent for a new and improved coupling for railroad cars. This design "relates to a car-coupling constructed with draw-heads having stationary hooks and recesses in their sides, and provided with pivoted hooks held in place by springs, and provided with a trip plate and lever, and with chains and a lever, whereby the cars will couple themselves when run together, can be readily uncoupled, will uncouple themselves when thrown from the track, and can be prevented from coupling when run together" (lines 23-32).
Date: May 5, 1885
Creator: Griffin, James Lee
System: The Portal to Texas History
Churn. (open access)

Churn.

Patent for a new and improved churn. This design consists in "[t]he combination, with a suitable frame having a fly-wheel mounted in bearings thereof, and a wrist-pin on said fly-wheel, of the lever pivoted to the frame at one end" (lines 95-98). Further, it consists in "carrying a pivoted dasher at its other end, said lever having a slot or opening to receive the wrist-pin, a crank-arm, a treadle pivoted to the frame at one end, and carrying a handle at its other end, and a rod connecting the treadle and crank-arm" (lines 1-6).
Date: May 5, 1885
Creator: Rogers, William Joseph
System: The Portal to Texas History
Churn Dasher. (open access)

Churn Dasher.

Patent for a new and improved churn dasher. This design, "[a]s an article of manufacture, [consists in] the conical or concavo-convex churn dasher having a circular rim, the air cups or cells, the arms, and the raised nave or center portion, all of concavo-convex shape in their transverse sections" (lines 28-33).
Date: May 5, 1885
Creator: Hale, James F.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Device for Jointing, Gaging, and Setting Saws. (open access)

Device for Jointing, Gaging, and Setting Saws.

Patent for a new and improved device for jointing, gauging, and setting saws. This design consists "[i]n a saw-jointer and gage . . . the body-plate or block, having laterally extending arms, a groove extending entirely through the said arms, overhanging flanges extending from the said arms, a slot in the bottom of the groove forming an open space between the flanges, and a flat spring secured in the groove, facing the flanges" (lines 28-35).
Date: May 5, 1885
Creator: Cummings, Virgil T.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Apparatus for Hoisting Bales on Wagons. (open access)

Apparatus for Hoisting Bales on Wagons.

Patent for a new and improved bale hoister. This design "relates to apparatus for loading and unloading wagons, and it has for its object to provide an apparatus of this character which shall be cheap and simple in its construction, effective in its operation, strong and durable, an apparatus by the use of which a wagon may be quickly loaded and unloaded" (lines 9-15).
Date: May 12, 1885
Creator: Lamb, George Washington
System: The Portal to Texas History
Churn. (open access)

Churn.

Patent for a new and improved churn. This design "consists, primarily, in the combination, with a suitable bucket, of a removable stationary dasher and a staff loosely mounted to turn on said stationary dasher, said shaft having a series of radial wings or dashers at its lower end" (lines 15-21).
Date: May 12, 1885
Creator: McRae, James Armstrong
System: The Portal to Texas History
Design for a Watch-Chain. (open access)

Design for a Watch-Chain.

Design patent for a rosary watch-chain that includes strings of beads, hearts, an image of the "Virgin Mary," and a watch-key in the shape of a crucifix. There is no accompanying illustration.
Date: May 12, 1885
Creator: Graham, William H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Pitman Rod. (open access)

Pitman Rod.

Patent for a new and improved pitman-rod. This design "consists in the combination of the flywheel, made heaviest upon one side, with the wrist-pin, connecting-rod, and the part which is to be attached to the reaper or mower knife" (lines 14-18).
Date: May 12, 1885
Creator: Brooks, Ambrous Adam & Brooks, Andrew Jackson
System: The Portal to Texas History
Refrigerating Apparatus. (open access)

Refrigerating Apparatus.

Patent for a new and improved refrigerator. This design consists "[i]n a refrigerating apparatus, the combination of a trap cylinder communicating with a horizontal cylinder which unites two vertical piston-cylinders, said piston-cylinders having suction and compression valves arranged at their upper ends in a cap having separate communications with suction pipes with compression-pipes communicating with said trap-cylinder" (lines 44-52).
Date: May 12, 1885
Creator: Conacher, Alexander
System: The Portal to Texas History
Sliding Gate. (open access)

Sliding Gate.

Patent for a new and improved sliding gate. This design "consists in the combination of the two posts between which the gate moves back and forth, the roller placed between them and upon which the gate moves, the gate provided with an extension on its rear edge, a top rail, and pulleys on the top rail, a post provided with rollers, and through which the extension passes, operating-cords provided with stops, and the posts provided with guides for the ropes to pass through" (lines 13-22).
Date: May 12, 1885
Creator: Graves, William W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Watch Maker's Pliers. (open access)

Watch Maker's Pliers.

Patent for new and improved watchmaker's pliers. This design "consists in a combination watch-hand tool or pliers to be used by watch-makers for removing the hands from a watch when it is to be repaired or new hands are required to be put on; also for holding new hands when they are to be filed and otherwise fitted to the watch; and the invention more especially consists in certain constructions of the jaw end portions of the pliers" (lines 8-16).
Date: May 12, 1885
Creator: Horton, Henry A. R.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Water Wheel (open access)

Water Wheel

Patent for an "iron water-wheel made in sections, which may be readily taken apart for convenience and transportation" (Lines 10-12).
Date: May 12, 1885
Creator: Dunn, William Washington
System: The Portal to Texas History
Bed Spring. (open access)

Bed Spring.

Patent for a new and improved bed-spring. This design consists in "the adjustable tie that connects the springs beneath the slats. This device is simple, cheap, convenient, and durable. It is adjustable to slats placed at different distances apart, and will remain in position when placed upon the slats, holding the diagonal rows of springs in a straight line, causing the springs to remain uniform all over the bed" (lines 72-80).
Date: May 19, 1885
Creator: Davis, Charles Robert
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car Coupling. (open access)

Car Coupling.

Patent for a new and improved coupling for railroad cars. This design "consists in the combination, with a draw-bar having a socket and buffer-prongs on its ends, of a ball in the socket, coupling-hooks pivoted between jaws connected with the ball, a weighted stem projecting from the ball, and a sliding latch-rod for engaging with the stem and automatically releasing it when the cars come together" (lines 8-15).
Date: May 19, 1885
Creator: Hampl, Joseph & Jacobs, David
System: The Portal to Texas History
Gate. (open access)

Gate.

Patent for a new and improved gate. This design "relates to improvements in that class of gates in which the gate is suspended from and adapted to transverse a supporting-beam adapted to oscillate and cause the gate to travel back and forth by gravity, according to the position the beam occupies, and has for its object to provide a gate and its operating mechanism which shall be simple and durable in construction, and capable of being readily and easily operated by a horse[back rider] or driver of a team approaching the same from either direction" (lines 9-20).
Date: May 19, 1885
Creator: Connelly, William E.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Plow (open access)

Plow

Patent for the invention of new and improvements in plows (1). Provide a plow specifically adapted for use in rich heavy soil.
Date: May 19, 1885
Creator: Emmerson, Francis; Faires, Joseph; Cummins, John, R. & Faires, Jonathan, L.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Saw Sharpening Machine (open access)

Saw Sharpening Machine

Patent for Saw Sharpening Machine. "have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Saw-Sharpeners." (lines 5-6) Including illustrations.
Date: May 19, 1885
Creator: Eidelbach, Andrew C.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Seed Planter. (open access)

Seed Planter.

Patent for a new and improved seed planter. This design consists "[i]n a seed-planter, the combination of the seed wheel or disk having a series of seed cups or recesses in its periphery with a band or tire fitting upon the periphery of the disk having slots registering with the recesses and provided at one end of each slot with an inwardly-bent tongue forming an adjustable wall for each recess" (lines 32-39).
Date: May 19, 1885
Creator: Scott, Arthur Eugene
System: The Portal to Texas History
Street Car. (open access)

Street Car.

Patent for a new and improved street-car. This design "is an improvement in street-cars, and has for an object to provide a draft attachment by the use of which the necessity of turn-tables will be obviated, and the horses will not have to be unhitched from the car until they have finished their work" (lines 13-18).
Date: May 19, 1885
Creator: Mayfield, William Dudley
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
System: The Portal to Texas History
Box for Meat and Oil Presses (open access)

Box for Meat and Oil Presses

Patent for box for meat and oil presses. This box prevents meat from adhering to the box by using a lining, preferably sheet metal (p. 2). This keeps the box from breaking.
Date: May 26, 1885
Creator: Culberston, John J., of Paris, Texas; O'Connell, John C., of Montgomery, Alabama & Gaston, Bernard, of Paris, Texas
System: The Portal to Texas History
Earth Auger. (open access)

Earth Auger.

Patent for a new and improved auger. This design "relates to a new and improved earth-auger made funnel shaped, with side cutting-edges, and adapted to be inverted for emptying the auger; and the invention consists of the construction and arrangement of parts" (lines 7-12).
Date: May 26, 1885
Creator: Porter, Thomas A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Saw Jointer. (open access)

Saw Jointer.

Patent for a new and improved saw-jointer. This design consists in "two casts having longitudinal triangular grooves upon their inner facing sides, having the lower portions of their inner facing sides cut away to form a longitudinal groove, and having the upper portions of their inner facing sides bulged to form longitudinal halves of a socket, with a screw passing through the castings in the space between the bulged socket portions and the longitudinal grooves, the said grooves being adapted to receive a triangular file having its lower face at right angles to the sides of the groove" (lines 64-76).
Date: May 26, 1885
Creator: Fitzpatrick, Francis B.
System: The Portal to Texas History