Self Cigar-Lighter. (open access)

Self Cigar-Lighter.

Patent for a new and improved self-lighting cigar that has "[a]n attachment for cigars, consisting of a metallic holder having spring-arms . . . and a projecting portion adapted to hold the igniting composition, and a disk adapted to bear upon the outer end of the cigar" (lines 6-11).
Date: June 3, 1890
Creator: West, Thomas & Turner, Ephraim M.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Trace and Trace Chain Supporter. (open access)

Trace and Trace Chain Supporter.

Patent for a new and improved trace and trace-chain supporter. This design consists "of the pivoted springy trace or chain keeper, and the hook or loop having its outer branch perforated, whereby the keeper itself is enabled to act as a spring, and after being sprung into its place is retained above the trace or chain by the conjoint agency of a shoulder or offset on the keeper and the outer branch of the loop or hook" (lines 43-50).
Date: June 17, 1890
Creator: Wroe, Missouria E.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Trace Carrier. (open access)

Trace Carrier.

Patent for a new and improved trace-carrier. This design "relates to harness, and is more particularly a trace-carrier connected to the back-band thereof at its point of connection with the traces; and the same consists of a buckle composed of two parts having laterally-extending arms hinged together at their outer ends, whereby an open eye or loop is produced for receiving the trace" (lines 8-15).
Date: June 3, 1890
Creator: Brooks, George Washington
System: The Portal to Texas History
Trace Carrier. (open access)

Trace Carrier.

Patent for a new and improved trace-carrier. This design consists in "[a] back-band hook comprising a buckle provided with a lower cross-bar constructed of two parts having their inner adjacent ends terminating in depending hooks arranged parallel with each other and separated by a space and provided with inwardly-projecting ends partially closing the mouths of the hooks, the swinging hooks arranged in the space between the parallel hooks" (lines 90-98).
Date: June 24, 1890
Creator: Miller, Amauel M.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Wagon Step. (open access)

Wagon Step.

Patent for a new and improved wagon-step. This design "consist[s] of the support-piece adapted to be secured to the side of a wagon-bed and formed with a chamber having parallel inclined end walls, extended shoulders, and parallel inclined end walls, in combination with the step formed with a head to fit the chamber of the support-piece, and a lifting and holding hook" (lines 7-15).
Date: June 10, 1890
Creator: Nichols, Eliza A.
System: The Portal to Texas History