Bag. (open access)

Bag.

Patent for a new and improved bag. This design is "compris[ed of] the body divided down its front, one edge having staples and the other edge having openings adapted to engage said staples, a covering-flap provided with an opening adapted to engage one of said staples, and a flexible fastening device secured to said bag and adapted to be passed through said staples for securing the edges and covering-flap" (lines 62-71).
Date: July 19, 1887
Creator: Franks, Lewis Wigfall
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 "to provide a novel car-coupling pin and means for operating the same to automatically couple cars through the medium of ordinary links without the use of triggers located within the draw-head . . . The invention consists, essentially, in a vertically-movable coupling-pin adapted to rotate axially in the pin-hole of the draw-head, and having a wing or lug for supporting it in its elevated position, combined with a yielding draw-head having a vertical slot to receive the wing or lug and a shoulder to support the same" (lines 8-22).
Date: July 19, 1887
Creator: Power, Kelsey L.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Bale Tie. (open access)

Bale Tie.

Patent for a new and improved bale tie. This design is of a metal band with several slots, so that the accompanying metal button can pass through any two overlapping slots, securing the bale within the band.
Date: July 19, 1881
Creator: Griffin, James Lee
System: The Portal to Texas History
Wire Stretcher. (open access)

Wire Stretcher.

Patent for a new and improved wire stretcher. This design consists in "the combination of a bar provided with a toothed quadrant and with a boss having an overhanging projection at its rear end, an eccentric pivoted on the face of the said boss for holding the wire against the projection, a hand-lever pivoted to the bar, and provided with a spring-detent engaging with a toothed quadrant, a plate pivoted at one end to the hand-lever and provided with an overhanging projection, and a second eccentric pivoted upon the face of the plate for gripping the wire against the projection" (lines 77-88).
Date: July 19, 1887
Creator: Mason, James Alexander
System: The Portal to Texas History
Water Elevator. (open access)

Water Elevator.

Patent for a new and improved water-elevator. This design consists in "a supporting frame, a drum journaled therein, a rope wound on the drum, a bucket attached to the rope, mechanism for turning the drum to lift the bucket, and a fork journaled below the drum and provided with a central arm adapted to catch under the raised bucket resting in the fork to discharge its contents as the fork is tilted" (lines 21-28).
Date: July 19, 1887
Creator: Mefferd, George Washington
System: The Portal to Texas History
Thill Coupling. (open access)

Thill Coupling.

Patent for a new and improved thill-coupling. This design is "compris[ed of] perforated checks . . . a coupling-bolt, a locking-lever hinged to said bolt, said lever being provided with knob and notch, a cover -plate having groove and catch, and a spring-pin adapted to hold the lever and cover in engagement" (lines 81-87).
Date: July 19, 1887
Creator: Owens, Israel P.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Pump. (open access)

Pump.

Patent for a new and improved pump. This design "has been specially devised for use in pumping gas, air, or vapor — as in ice-machines, for instance — and mainly with reference to attaining circulation with low pressure; but when operated at high speed considerable pressure may be attained therewith, whether operating upon vapors or liquids, as . . . [the] pump involves a novel mode of operation, in that it possesses characteristics partially common to pumps of the rotary system, as well as to those having a reciprocating piston" (lines 10-21).
Date: July 19, 1881
Creator: Rose, Thomas
System: The Portal to Texas History
Motor (open access)

Motor

Patent for "a device which may be used for pumping, sawing, drilling, and other analogous purposes, which will be effective in its operation, and which will not be liable to get out of order, and the parts of which will not be liable to get out of alignment with each other" (lines 24-31).
Date: July 19, 1887
Creator: Holmgreen, Julius H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Grain Measurer and Tally (open access)

Grain Measurer and Tally

Patent for improvements in the construction and design of grain measurers and registers.
Date: July 19, 1887
Creator: King, Benjamin Cicero & Boon, George Hamilton
System: The Portal to Texas History
Roller Cotton-Press (open access)

Roller Cotton-Press

Patent for a new improved Roller Cotton-Press. The "invention relates to machines for compressing cotton and other similar material into the form of cylindrical bales." (lines 15-18). Includes description and illustrations.
Date: July 19, 1887
Creator: Evans, Henry A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Rotary Steam Engine. (open access)

Rotary Steam Engine.

Patent for a new and improved rotary steam engine. This design "first, provide[s] a novel form of valve for regulating the induction and eduction of steam to and from the cylinder; second, [it] provide[s] novel devices for reversing the movements of the rotating pistons; and, third, [it] provide[s] novel combinations of the parts of which the engine is composed"
Date: July 19, 1881
Creator: Cross, David L.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Rotary Cultivator. (open access)

Rotary Cultivator.

Patent for a new and improved rotary cultivator. This design is "to lessen the weight on tongue and the down draft while the power is applied more directly to the plows. By this means [the design is] enabled to make the whole frame very light; also, to provide convenient means of adjusting the altitude of the wheels with respect to the plows, so as to regulate the depth of the latter, and also to hold them out of the ground; also, to obtain suitable means for adjusting the plows at any desirable angle to the line of travel, and to throw greater or less soil to or from the plants" (lines 15-26).
Date: July 19, 1887
Creator: Coleman, Benjamin T.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Electric Brush (open access)

Electric Brush

Patent for invention of new and useful improvements of electric brush, adapted for use as a body or flesh brush, with battery that can be easily removed and replaced with accompanying drawings
Date: July 19, 1882
Creator: Williams, Robert, E.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Combined Fire Screen and Fender. (open access)

Combined Fire Screen and Fender.

Patent for a combined fire screen and fender. This design "works in the mantle-piece by means of weights, and is secured in position by by means of a spring-latch that catches in notches in the jamb. This screen thus arranged can be made to answer for three purposes: By letting it down nearly to the hearth it acts as a blower; by letting it entirely down accidents from fire are prevented, and when let down in the summer time it makes a handsome summer screen" (lines 21-30).
Date: July 19, 1881
Creator: Matthews, James Charles
System: The Portal to Texas History