Balanced Pump. (open access)

Balanced Pump.

Patent for a new and improved balanced pump. This design "relates to improvements in balanced pumps having a horizontal cylinder provided with a horizontally-reciprocating plunger, and a curved cylinder placed directly under it, provided with a curved plunger, both having suitable valves operating automatically in conjunction therewith" (lines 8-14).
Date: July 1, 1884
Creator: Ramsey, Haley S.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Bellows Attachment for Barrels. (open access)

Bellows Attachment for Barrels.

Patent for a new and improved bellows attachment for barrels. This design "provide[s] means for securely attaching the bellows to the barrels, so as to exclude the admission of air, except such as is forced in by the bellows; and a further object of the same provides for the shutting off the flow of liquid, as desired" (lines 13-18).
Date: July 1, 1884
Creator: Park, Hardy B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Nut Lock. (open access)

Nut Lock.

Patent for a new and improved nut lock. This design "consists of a volute spring-washer which is formed of a stiff or steel strong plate that is coiled or set up in . . . an edgewise manner, and is provided with one or more projections or spurs on its top and bottom surfaces, adapted to engage with the under side of the nut and the fish-plate or other object, said spurs or projections being formed on the top and the bottom edges of the inner and outer coils of the spring-washer" (lines 20-29).
Date: July 1, 1884
Creator: Campbell, Eli F.; Noble, Laroy C. & Howe, Milton G.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Rotary Plow (open access)

Rotary Plow

Patent for a rotary plow. "It pertains to improvements in rotary plows" (p. 4). There is a detailed illustration of the rotary plow. Each component is labeled and it is described thoroughly in the text.
Date: July 1, 1884
Creator: Willis, W. Beale
System: The Portal to Texas History
Wood Pavement. (open access)

Wood Pavement.

Patent for a new and improved wood pavement. This design "consists in a pavement consisting of wooden blocks stripped of bark, cylindrical in shape, and sawed at right angles to the axis of the blocks. Said blocks of live bois d'arc or other hard timber, about six inches long, and placed on ends on a road-bed of bank sand and gravel after the same has been well and compactly rolled, and the spaces between the blocks filled with screened gravel and rammed until solid, and then coated with tar and pitch" (lines 12-22).
Date: July 1, 1884
Creator: Johnson, William M.
System: The Portal to Texas History