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
Grave Guard. (open access)

Grave Guard.

Patent for a new and improved grave guard. This design allows for a grave guard that receives fence posts, headstones, and water for neighboring plants, which compiles these effects from various other devices.
Date: May 16, 1882
Creator: Gent, Alfred
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
Brace for Bedsteads, Gates, &c. (open access)

Brace for Bedsteads, Gates, &c.

Patent for a new and improved brace for bed frames. This design consists in "the posts having the hooks or eyes, the head-board, foot-board, and rails, also provided with hooks or eyes, the swivel, the wires, each having one end secured to one of the corner hooks or eyes, passed through the eye-bolt and screw-bolt, respectively" (lines 97-102). Said wires are further "given a half-turn on themselves, and their other ends secured to the opposite corner hooks, and the [other] wire having one end secured to one of the center hooks or eyes and woven in and out over the hooks or eyes" (lines 1-5).
Date: May 31, 1887
Creator: Lenix, John M. & Swann, George B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Mechanical Motor. (open access)

Mechanical Motor.

Patent for an improved and efficient "in motors adapted especially for domestic use, its object being to provide a cheap, compact, durable, and efficient automatic motive mechanism which may be utilized for drivers various household apparatus" including instructions and illustration.
Date: May 25, 1880
Creator: Miller, Noah J.
System: The Portal to Texas History