Ant-Trap (open access)

Ant-Trap

Patent for an ant trap,with illustrations. Purpose of the invention was to be efficient more efficient in both cost and use in comparison to other ant traps being sold at the time.
Date: July 30, 1889
Creator: Davis, Edwin E.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Boot and Shoe Box. (open access)

Boot and Shoe Box.

Patent for a new and improved shoe box. This design "has relation to store-boxes for boots and shoes, designed to open automatically when drawn forward, and to close automatically when pushed back into place on the shelf or on the floor; and the invention consists in the construction and novel arrangement of a swinging hanger pivoted to a bearing above the box, and a slideway secured to the cover, which is hinged to the back of the box" (lines 18-27).
Date: July 22, 1884
Creator: Cook, Emmanuel T.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Twin Cultivating-Harrow. (open access)

Twin Cultivating-Harrow.

Patent for a twin cultivating harrow with an especially designed coupling that connects the harrow frames. It is adjustable and is meant to cultivate corn, cotton, and similar crops.
Date: July 18, 1893
Creator: Waldrip, Thomas A.
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
Grain Toller. (open access)

Grain Toller.

Patent for a new and improved grain toller. This design "consists in a novel construction of a revolving cylinder provided with cavities representing certain measures . . . separating a certain portion [of grain] to be retained as toll, and whereby, also, provision is made for varying the size of the toll-measure, so as to enable it to separate different proportions from the main body of the grain, according to the amount of toll to be taken" (lines 7-19).
Date: July 20, 1880
Creator: Wilson, William John
System: The Portal to Texas History
Slat Fastening. (open access)

Slat Fastening.

Patent for a new and improved slat fastener. This design consists in "[t]he combination, with the eyes, of the notched slats adapted to receive said eyes in the end notches and the hooks pivoted to the slats and adapted to engage the eyes" (lines 64-67).
Date: July 14, 1885
Creator: Keith, Stephen Perry
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cotton-Chopper. (open access)

Cotton-Chopper.

Patent for a cotton chopper, which can operate in uneven soil and attaches to a cultivator.
Date: July 28, 1908
Creator: Allen, John W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Air-Brake Governor (open access)

Air-Brake Governor

Patent for an air brake governor improvement that regulates the pressure of fluid or air in the braking system as to prevent it from braking with too much pressure.
Date: July 10, 1906
Creator: Williams, Leonard F.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Acetylene - Gas Generator (open access)

Acetylene - Gas Generator

Patent for certain new and useful improvements in gas generating apparatus, including instructions and illustrations.
Date: July 5, 1898
Creator: Lewis, Thomas E.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Design for a Tire For Vehicle-Wheels. (open access)

Design for a Tire For Vehicle-Wheels.

Design patent for a tire for vehicle-wheels with a primary feature of longitudinal grooves and having short transverse grooves arranged at intervals and extending across the space between the longitudinal grooves.
Date: July 18, 1899
Creator: Kelly, Erastus Peter
System: The Portal to Texas History
Union Garment (open access)

Union Garment

Patent for union garment underwear for children that can have outer clothes attached to suspenders on the undergarment.
Date: July 23, 1912
Creator: Miller, Tom A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Apparatus for Destroying Insects. (open access)

Apparatus for Destroying Insects.

Patent for an apparatus used to kill insectects, particularly boll weevils on cotton blooms. The apparatus is attached to a wagon which is driven through a cotton field, and the device knocks off the boll weevil eggs and then suctions them into the device and destroys them by fire.
Date: July 4, 1916
Creator: Morrow, James Morton
System: The Portal to Texas History
Window Shade Support (open access)

Window Shade Support

Patent for window shade supports; specifically adjustable curtains, draperies, and shade supports. This invention is to provide a device that is strong, durable, convenient, and functionally effective for the purposes intended.
Date: July 7, 1913
Creator: Hammers, Wendell P.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Knee-Protector. (open access)

Knee-Protector.

Patent for knee protectors that provide padding for the wearer when kneeling, attached by springs that allow for comfortable movement and easy donning.
Date: July 15, 1919
Creator: Hooker, Rufus B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Manually-Operated Coal-Mining Machine. (open access)

Manually-Operated Coal-Mining Machine.

Patent for manually mining coal and allows miners to cut coal close to the ground from an upright position, including illustrations.
Date: July 8, 1919
Creator: Jackson, Ed
System: The Portal to Texas History