Adding-Machine (open access)

Adding-Machine

Patent for "an adding-machine which, while being constructed of but comparatively few parts, will be so adjusted as arranged as to allow an operator to make rapid and correct calculations; furthermore, to produce an adding-machine in which the operator will be enabled to detect immediately any mistake which he may have made, and, finally, to produce a simple, efficient, and effective adding-machine" (lines 13-22).
Date: June 25, 1889
Creator: Stinson, James C.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Animal Shears. (open access)

Animal Shears.

Patent for new and improved animal shears. This design is "of a platinum or other wire or conductor heated to a high temperature, sufficient to burn through the fibers of the wool or hair, and [is] passed over the surface of the body as close as may be deemed desirable to the roots. No injurious effects are produced upon the animal or upon the wool or hair removed, while at the same time the same may be removed with great uniformity and expedition" (lines 28-36).
Date: June 8, 1886
Creator: Harrell, Joseph J.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Animal Trap. (open access)

Animal Trap.

Patent for a new and improved animal trap. This design consists in "a platform having a rod or bar secured to its upper face, and having the ends of the choke-spring coiled thereon, pins or prongs extending from one edge of the platform for engagement with a side of a box, a box having one of its sides elevated, against which the pronged end of the platform abuts for engagement therewith, and having recesses in its opposite ends for the recession of a loop, which passes thence over the free end of the platform for binding the same to the box" (lines 3-14).
Date: June 12, 1888
Creator: Beach, Philemon Theodore
System: The Portal to Texas History
Anti-Freezing Tank Valve. (open access)

Anti-Freezing Tank Valve.

Patent for a new and improved tank valve. This design consists in "[t]he combination, with the tank, its valve and lever, and valve-rod, of the frost-chamber having an annular space to receive the non-freezing compound, the stuffing-box around the rod and screw-threaded at the ends, and the screw-threaded caps . . . having necks and flanges" (lines 7-13).
Date: June 11, 1889
Creator: Barrett, William Henry
System: The Portal to Texas History
Attachment for Harness. (open access)

Attachment for Harness.

Patent for a new and improved harness attachment. This design utilizes two disks, "one being notched in its thick or heavy edge and the other being notched in its thin or less weighty portion . . . thus effectively closing the space that would otherwise be left at the point of the hook, and preventing the ring . . . from becoming detached" (lines 55-63).
Date: June 28, 1881
Creator: Baton, Durham D.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Attachment for Harvesters and Mowing Machines. (open access)

Attachment for Harvesters and Mowing Machines.

Patent for a new and improved attachment for harvesters and mowers. This design is "to afford means whereby a mowing or reaping machine may be enabled easily to travel over soft or marshy ground; . . . the novelty consists in a shoe proper for each driving-wheel of the machine, each shoe made of a curved piece of metal . . . and provided with a long narrow slot running lengthwise of the shoe, . . . and so adapted that under each wheel one of the shoes shall be placed in such a manner that one of the shoes shall pass through the longitudinal slot in the shoe" (lines 19-32).
Date: June 28, 1887
Creator: Jones, Jeremiah C. & Marshall, Sumner B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
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
Baling-Press (open access)

Baling-Press

Patent for "a new and improved machine of this character embodying continuous power mechanism, whereby the plunger is automatically operated. . .the employment, in connection with the press, of a plunger provided with a spring-actuated face, whereby the plunger is caused to rebound after each stroke for the purpose herein specified. . .to provide tension mechanism whereby both sides of the baling-chamber are tightened or released by a single adjustment" (13-26).
Date: June 18, 1889
Creator: Paty, John F. & Bigham, Ambrose W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Baling-Press. (open access)

Baling-Press.

Patent for a new improvement in baling presses that improves strength, durability and handling and is cheap to manufacture, including instructions and illustrations.
Date: June 14, 1887
Creator: Mansfield, James Edward.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Bee-Hive. (open access)

Bee-Hive.

Patent for a "new and useful improvement in bee-hives" (lines 5-6), with instructions and illustrations.
Date: June 15, 1886
Creator: McCullar, John Jackson
System: The Portal to Texas History
Blind Stop. (open access)

Blind Stop.

Patent for a new and improved blind stop. This design consists in "[t]he combination, with a shutter provided with pivotal slats, of a flat spring-metal fastening-plate provided with a slot for clearing the slat-pivot, and projections upon its surface for engaging with the end of the slat, and having its rear end secured to the shutter-frame and its front end projecting beyond the plane of the shutter-frame and forming a thumb-piece for operating said spring-plate" (lines 59-67).
Date: June 11, 1889
Creator: Wesson, Miley B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Blind Stops. (open access)

Blind Stops.

Patent for a new and improved stop for blinds. This design "is to provide a convenient means by which blind-slats may be swung on their pivots, so as to open or close to the extent desired" (lines 8-11).
Date: June 5, 1883
Creator: Vandervoort, Charles Frederick
System: The Portal to Texas History
Brick-Machine (open access)

Brick-Machine

Patent for "that class of brick-machines usually termed 'dry-press machines,' in which clay is taken from the bank and passed into molds in a revolving wheel" (lines 15-19) and "consists more particularly in the construction of details and combination of parts" (lines 23-25) including instructions and illustrations.
Date: June 15, 1880
Creator: Johnson, Richard M.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Bridle Attachment. (open access)

Bridle Attachment.

Patent for a new and improved bridle attachment. This design "consists of a contrivance of nose-clamping strap having end rings through which pass the ends of a chin-strap connected by reign-straps passing through rings of a head-strap of the attachment . . . the invention comprising also a connection of the martingale-straps with the rings of the nose-clamping straps . . . to powerfully check up the horse when required, and also to prevent rearing and plunging" (lines 9-20).
Date: June 5, 1883
Creator: Massey, John T.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Burglar Alarm. (open access)

Burglar Alarm.

Patent for a new and improved burglar alarm. This design "consists in the combination of the lock-frame with a pivoted plate which is connected to it at one end, and which plate carries the nipple to receive the catch, and is provided with sharp points to catch in the jamb of the door, with a sidewise-moving trigger, which is operated by the door, and a set-screw for securing the lock-plate in position upon the door" (lines 13-21).
Date: June 26, 1883
Creator: Wright, William Henry
System: The Portal to Texas History
Calf Weaner. (open access)

Calf Weaner.

Patent for a new and improved calf weaner. This design consists in "a strap, ring, or belt surrounding the muzzle of the calf or other animal, and attached permanently by means of head-stall straps or other suitable-devices, the muzzle-ring being provided with radiating blunt-pointed wires of suitable length, whereby the calf is prevented from reaching the teat, and the mother, being irritated or titillated by the projecting wires, repulses the attempts of the animal to suckle" (lines 18-27).
Date: June 16, 1885
Creator: Evans, Thomas W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Calf Weaner. (open access)

Calf Weaner.

Patent for a new and improved calf weaner. This design "consist[s] of the plate provided with an upper inclined portion in which is held a rod having pointed projections, a vertical fixed arm, and an opposing pivoted arm, the upper ends of the said arms being curved toward each other and provided with opposing aligning buttons, and means for locking the pivoted arm" (lines 72-79).
Date: June 28, 1887
Creator: Rickman, Robert L.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car Axle Box. (open access)

Car Axle Box.

Patent for a new and improved car-axle box. This design consists "[i]n an axle-box, the combination, with the box having the wedge-shaped projections and slots, of the cover having pins and wedge-shaped recesses formed between said pins and the top of the lid, whereby the gravity of the cover will wedge it to the box when the pins are without a bearing" (lines 52-58).
Date: June 9, 1885
Creator: Scott, James O.
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 construction and novel arrangement of the fork-shaped draw-heads having under-beveled bearings between the branches, the slotted coupler-bars having hook-lugs in front of the slots and adapted to interlock, the side bearings or ledges on each side of each hook-lug, designed to support the sides of the bar and to allow the hook-lugs to enter the slots in coupling" (lines 19-27).
Date: June 20, 1882
Creator: Anderson, Lee
System: The Portal to Texas History
Car-Coupling. (open access)

Car-Coupling.

Patent for "a new and useful improvement in car-couplings" (lines 5-6), with instructions and illustrations.
Date: June 15, 1886
Creator: Ferguson, George Jones
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 an improvement in car-couplings, and has for its object to provide a coupling by means of which the link will be held up and guided into the draw-head, and the coupling-pin held in position to be coupled and automatically thrown into engagement with the link" (lines 7-13).
Date: June 5, 1888
Creator: Rutledge, William O.
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 car-couplings, and it has for its object to provide a device of this character which shall be automatic in its action, simple in its construction, positive and effective in operation, and one that will be strong and durable. A further object of the invention is to provide improved means for supporting the link in a horizontal position, so that it will engage the draw-head of the adjacent car. The invention consists in the improved construction and combination of parts" (lines 10-21).
Date: June 16, 1885
Creator: Hogan, John James & Miller, Rudolph Albert
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 "[t]he combination, with the draw-head having the downwardly and forwardly inclined floor and the floor slot or opening, of the coupling-bar having a curved or angular lever secured to its rear end and extending first downward through said opening and then under the draw-head" (lines 82-88).
Date: June 30, 1885
Creator: Anderson, Lee
System: The Portal to Texas History