Chemise (open access)

Chemise

Patent for improvements in chemises which would relieve wearers “the annoyance of having the garment gather about the limbs while walking which often produces great embarrassment in public places.” (Lines 42-45) Illustration is included.
Date: June 2, 1891
Creator: Burt, Emma Ruby
System: The Portal to Texas History
Corn-Sheller. (open access)

Corn-Sheller.

Patent for improvements in corn-shellers in which it would be easily-operated and consists of “a semi-cylindrical trough having serrations upon the sides and bottom thereof, so that upon pushing the ear back and forth in the trough the corn will be scraped off.” (Lines 22-25) Illustration is included.
Date: June 2, 1891
Creator: Townsley, Christopher C.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Apparatus for Handling and Cleaning Seed-Cotton. (open access)

Apparatus for Handling and Cleaning Seed-Cotton.

Patent for improvements in apparatus for handling and cleaning seed-cotton by “conveying cotton through a pneumatic tube and for automatically delivering therefrom to each of a series of gins an amount of cleaned cotton graduated at all times to the need of each gin. The flow of the main current in the tube is not interrupted by the several subtractions.” (Lines 17-23) Illustration is included.
Date: June 2, 1891
Creator: Elam, William E.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Baling-Press. (open access)

Baling-Press.

Patent for a baling-press that means "to provide a simple and efficient power for operating the plunger so constructed as to allow independent return movement of the plunger to avoid loss of time in the operation of the device" (lines 9-13).
Date: June 2, 1896
Creator: Davis, John R.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Life-Boat. (open access)

Life-Boat.

Patent for a life-boat that improves on a previous patent (No. 512,591) for a hydraulic propelling device and adapts the jet propulsion means to a life boat. The life-boat is made to have compartments that, when one compartment gets crushed, the others remain afloat. The water goes into the stove or crushed compartment and can be used to propel the boat forward. The boat also has a system of bulkheads on the roof of the boat, each independent of the others and has valved pipes. Independent oil-holding tanks connected with valved pipes to the hydraulic main pipes, and with valved pipes going outside the boat so they can be emptied in case of emergency.
Date: June 2, 1896
Creator: Walker, James C.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Staple-Puller and Wire-Tightener. (open access)

Staple-Puller and Wire-Tightener.

Patent for a simple, reliable, and efficient staple-puller and wire-tightener or twister. The operator can easily transfer between pulling staples and tightening wires.
Date: June 2, 1896
Creator: Wooten, Theophilus Parker
System: The Portal to Texas History
Fanning-Machine. (open access)

Fanning-Machine.

Patent for improvements in fanning-machines by making the fanning-machine portable, so that it “can be placed upon a table or other support or attached to a bed, chair, lounge, or seat of any kind;” (lines 18-21) it also can keep away flies and insects from people. Illustration is included.
Date: June 2, 1891
Creator: Wallace, James T.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Saw-Swaging Machine. (open access)

Saw-Swaging Machine.

Patent for an improved saw-swaging machine that is used as "an anvil-die and an independent roller-die" (lines 17-18). "The saw may be swaged from the front of the tooth without scalloping or concaving the tooth and at the same time avoiding friction thereon" (lines 21-24).
Date: June 2, 1896
Creator: Shepley, Benjamin A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Quilting-Frame. (open access)

Quilting-Frame.

Patent for improvements in quilting-frames in which it “can be used either with or without a sewing-machine. Several lines can be quilted without having to roll the quilt. The frame is suspended from above, preferably upon a wire or cord, and so arranged that it may be moved in any direction desired.” (Lines 17-22) Illustration is included.
Date: June 2, 1891
Creator: Stukes, John Marion
System: The Portal to Texas History
Pinless Clothes-Line. (open access)

Pinless Clothes-Line.

Patent for "pinless clothes-lines consisting of a series of wire sections connected loosely together at their adjacent ends by means of rings or links, each section having formed on its ends suitable spring-clamps to engage the articles of apparel hung on the line." (Lines 18-24) Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: June 2, 1896
Creator: Sterzing, Fred
System: The Portal to Texas History
Door-Check. (open access)

Door-Check.

Patent for an improvement on door-stops meant to "check the door at any point in its traverse and at the same time serve as a door fastening and stop" (lines 14-16). It is hand adjustable operating-rod.
Date: June 2, 1896
Creator: Campbell, Thomas Jefferson
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car-Coupling. (open access)

Car-Coupling.

Patent for improvements in car-couplings “with means for elevating the coupling-link without the necessity of the brakeman going between the cars, and also to provide means for holding the coupling-pin out of engagement with the link when the cars are uncoupled, said pin being automatically released when the cars come together, so that it will fall by gravity and engage with said link.” (Lines 17-25) Illustration is included.
Date: June 2, 1891
Creator: Hamilton, Weston G.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cotton Chopper and Cultivator. (open access)

Cotton Chopper and Cultivator.

Patent for improvements in cotton choppers and cultivators by using “the shearing action between a rotary hoe and a cutter-bar traveling along beside the row” (lines 20-22) to cut off the cotton. Illustration is included.
Date: June 2, 1891
Creator: Ferriott, Charles L.
System: The Portal to Texas History