Automatic Car Uncoupler. (open access)

Automatic Car Uncoupler.

Patent for a new and improved car uncoupler. This design consists in "[t]he combination, with a coupling adapted to hold two cars together, of an uncoupler comprising a lever pivotally connected to the car, a weight supported on the car and connected to said lever, and a connection between the weight-operated lever and the coupling for operating it, to separate the cars upon the dropping of the weight" (lines 4-11).
Date: June 7, 1887
Creator: Flett, John Henry
System: The Portal to Texas History
Bale Tie. (open access)

Bale Tie.

Patent for a new and improved bale tie. This design consists in "[t]he buckle, having the side re-entering angles, the bars, and the slot the edges at the apices of the re-entering angles being expanded . . . with strengthening-fins formed therein" (lines 65-70). This novel construction and combination of parts allows for "the provision of a tie-buckle that can readily be applied without extraneous fastening devices either with the tie or the buckle itself, and one which can be repeatedly used, and one which can be manufactured at a minimum expense and with the least possible waste of material" (lines 10-16).
Date: June 7, 1887
Creator: Copeland, Eliza A.
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 object "to provide a coupler which may be used in connection with an ordinary pin-and-link coupler, or with a novel form of draw-pin formed especially for use in connection with the coupler . . . the object of the invention being to so arrange the parts that cars may be automatically coupled and uncoupled without entering the spaces between the ends of the approaching cars" (lines 8-17).
Date: June 7, 1887
Creator: Flett, John Henry
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car Coupling. (open access)

Car Coupling.

Patent for a new and improved coupling for railroad cars. This design is "for automatically coupling cars of various heights, and also to provide devices for uncoupling the cars without the necessity of going between them. [The] invention consists in a spring-pressed hook attached to or formed upon a rock-shaft extending to the top of the car, and provided with a hand-wheel, by which it may be turned. It also consists in the combination, with the hook, of a rod connected thereto and extending to the side of the car, for uncoupling the car from the ground" (lines 16-27).
Date: June 7, 1887
Creator: De May, Eugene A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cotton Compressor (open access)

Cotton Compressor

Patent for Cotton Compressor. "This invention relates to apparatus for compressing bales of cotton and for similar purposes." (lines 11-13).
Date: June 7, 1887
Creator: Taylor, George
System: The Portal to Texas History
Drawer of Furniture, Store Fixture, &c. (open access)

Drawer of Furniture, Store Fixture, &c.

Patent for a new and improved chest of drawers. This design "consists, first, in a drawer applied upon side cleats or ledges, grooved longitudinally with the movement of the drawer, and having balls placed in such grooves in such a manner that they are kept separated and are free to roll or move longitudinally, and that they serve as bearings for the drawer, while they keep it from frictional contact with the cleats . . . second, in a novel mode of construction of cleats" (para. 1).
Date: June 7, 1881
Creator: Johnson, William H. & Whomes, Joseph
System: The Portal to Texas History
Hopper for Leaching Ashes. (open access)

Hopper for Leaching Ashes.

Patent for improved ash-hopper that is composed of suitable frame, two side boards, two triangle end boards that can be used to improve leaching ashes.
Date: June 7, 1881
Creator: Alexander, Abbington B.
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 "is to flexibly connect the metal plates or leaves of a three-leaved oil-press mat in such manner that when the mat with the bags of meal interposed between its leaves is subjected to pressure for the purpose of expressing the oil the parallelism of the leaves will be maintained and endwise shifting of the same prevented. A further object is to provide a fastening . . . which shall be stronger, more durable, and more positive in its functions" (lines 31-41).
Date: June 7, 1881
Creator: Ahrenbeck, William
System: The Portal to Texas History
Press Mat. (open access)

Press Mat.

Patent for a new and improved cotton-seed-oil press mat. This design calls for three separate plates to be bound together, which allows for two pressings simultaneously. The materials (sheet metal, leather, press cloth) make for a press that is stronger, cheaper, more durable, and more effective than previous presses.
Date: June 7, 1881
Creator: Mistrot, Jean Jacques
System: The Portal to Texas History
Railway Signal. (open access)

Railway Signal.

Patent for a new and improved railroad signal. This design consists in "[a] continuous electric conductor extending beside a railroad, a contact-maker borne by a train, an electric galvanic battery, a stationary transmitter, and a train provided with transmitting and receiving instruments on two or more members of the train and connected with the electric circuit in multiple arc . . . whereby a message can be sent to each member simultaneously" (lines 8-17).
Date: June 7, 1887
Creator: Armstrong, James Henry
System: The Portal to Texas History