Cotton Condenser. (open access)

Cotton Condenser.

Patent for a new and improved cotton condenser. This design involves "[t]he lint pass[ing] from the gin through the flue and between the condensing-cylinders, by which it is formed into a bat. The blast from the gin serves to blow all dust from the lint through the wire-cloth of the cylinders and out through the openings in the ends of the latter. The upper cylinder will move vertically in its bearings . . . and thus adjust itself to any quantity of lint that may pass from the gin" (lines 46-55).
Date: July 10, 1883
Creator: Sewell, Franklin Milner
System: The Portal to Texas History
Cotton Chopper and Scraper. (open access)

Cotton Chopper and Scraper.

Patent for a new and improved cotton chopper and scraper. This design consists "[i]n a four-wheeled machine for scraping and chopping cotton, the combination of the two scrapers having their standards connected by a cross-bar at the top to form a foot-rest, and pivoted intermediately to the frame, with the rear rotary choppers connected adjustably with the same shaft, and arranged at an oblique angle thereto" (lines 86-93).
Date: July 10, 1883
Creator: Russell, William R.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Copy Holder. (open access)

Copy Holder.

Patent for a new and improved book holder. This design "consists in the peculiar construction of the main frame or case provided at or near one end with a slot or opening to expose a portion of the blank paper, and a clamping device to hold the copy-slips, and at its opposite end with a tubular instrument and pen-wiper receptacle" (lines 21-27).
Date: July 24, 1883
Creator: Gerard, Alonzo
System: The Portal to Texas History
Bale Tie. (open access)

Bale Tie.

Patent for a new and improved bale tie. This design "consists of a short thin plate of metal having two tongues . . . fronting each other, said plate being pivoted at one end to the bale-hoop . . . the other end of the bale-hoop being passed under the tongues and drawn tightly around the bale, the expansion of the bale on the hoop causes the respective ends to pull on the respective ends of the tie-plate . . . so as to grip the edges of the end passed between the tongues and hold it firmly" (lines 7-19).
Date: July 24, 1883
Creator: Arnold, Abbott
System: The Portal to Texas History
Condenser. (open access)

Condenser.

Patent for a new and improved condenser. This design "consists in the construction and novel arrangement of a series of condensing-compartments, forming a continuous convoluted condensing-vessel having vertical walls, to be employed in the process of extracting alcohol, essential oils, ether, &c." (lines 18-23).
Date: July 24, 1883
Creator: Wilmans, Frederick A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Vehicle Spring. (open access)

Vehicle Spring.

Patent for a new and improved vehicle spring. This design consists in "front wheels [that] are set well under the wagon-bed, so as to facilitate turning; and . . . the spring-braces, while they greatly assist in strengthening the spring and supporting the load as it grows heavier, do not in any way interfere with the action of said springs. . . . By this improved construction a simple, strong, and durable vehicle is provided, in which heavy loads may be carried with ease" (lines 46-55).
Date: July 10, 1883
Creator: Payne, Joseph Mott
System: The Portal to Texas History
Vehicle. (open access)

Vehicle.

Patent for a new and improved horse carriage. This design calls for "the rider [to] press the treadles so as to hold the wheels in contact with the ground. When sufficient speed has been acquired the treadles are released, and the springs will then raise the wheels from contact with the ground, and the momentum will then be sufficient to keep the wheel erect. Should it be inclined to tilt, it may easily be righted by pressing either treadle so as to throw the wheel on the tilting side in contact with the ground" (lines 61-74).
Date: July 10, 1883
Creator: Smith, James Franklin
System: The Portal to Texas History
Weather Strip. (open access)

Weather Strip.

Patent for a new and improved weather strip. This design "is to provide a new and improved weather-strip, which is raised into a groove in the bottom of the door when the door is open, but is pressed down upon the sill when the door is closed. The invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts" (lines 7-13).
Date: July 31, 1883
Creator: McCurdy, Thomas B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Wood Pavement. (open access)

Wood Pavement.

Patent for a new and improved wood pavement. This design "is to furnish an improved pavement which shall be strong, durable, and cheap, not being liable to decay nor become uneven, with perfectly water-tight concrete joints laid on a perfectly solid and compact foundation of gravel, which can be easily cut through and readily reunited should it become necessary to cut through it to lay sewer or gas pipes or water-mains, or make connections with same" (lines 10-19).
Date: July 17, 1883
Creator: Bell, Bushrod W.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Stalk Cutter. (open access)

Stalk Cutter.

Patent for a new and improved stalk cutter. This design "consists in the combination of a suitable frame, which is drawn along by two horses, so as to straddle a row of plants, a diagonal guide for guiding the plants, a guiding finger or piece for guiding the plants toward the knife, and a rake for raking the plants in piles or heaps as fast as they are cut" (lines 13-19).
Date: July 3, 1883
Creator: Early, Louis Simeon & Early, Matthias John Bourland
System: The Portal to Texas History
Steam Engine. (open access)

Steam Engine.

Patent for a new and improved steam engine. This design "consists in the construction and novel arrangement, in connection with a cylinder having bearings for the piston-shaft at each end and steam and exhaust ports at opposite ends, of an axially-elongated piston having opposite spiral threads or ribs of gradually-decreasing pitch from the end at which the steam enters to the end at which it escapes" (lines 19-26).
Date: July 3, 1883
Creator: Wilson, John C.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Stalk Cutter. (open access)

Stalk Cutter.

Patent for a new and improved stalk cutter. This design consists in "a stalk and weed cutter, the combination, with the oblique side knives, of the transverse slotted bars, springs, and the guide and pressure bars having vertical arms passing through the slots of the transverse bars, and connected to said springs . . . [and] the runner-frame, having oblique wings and front and side knives, the standards and bar, cross-bars, cross-springs, and adjustable pressure and guide bars" (lines 80-92).
Date: July 17, 1883
Creator: Cook, Emmanuel Thomas
System: The Portal to Texas History
Stalk Cutter. (open access)

Stalk Cutter.

Patent for a new and improved stalk cutter. This design consists "[i]n a stalk-cutter, the combination of the frame, having the central longitudinal parallel bars, slotted laterally and having the space between them, the sliding block, pivoted slotted knives, pivoted arms, and recessed side sills, and the pivoted lever and rack" (lines 77-83).
Date: July 17, 1883
Creator: Duncan, Garnett & Evens, John Richard
System: The Portal to Texas History
Mechanical Power. (open access)

Mechanical Power.

Patent for a new and improved engine. This design "relates to mechanical powers, the object being to combine with an ordinary tread-wheel mechanical advices adapted to be operated by horse-power to revolve said wheel. The invention consists in the features of construction and combination of parts" (lines 9-14).
Date: July 10, 1883
Creator: Perrin, William J.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Lamp. (open access)

Lamp.

Patent for a new and improved oil lamp. This design "relates to improvements in lamps in which the reservoir is beveled, adapting it for use in conjunction with a conical corrugated reflector; and the object of [the] improvement is to produce a lamp that will afford more and better light with a given amount of oil" (lines 7-13).
Date: July 24, 1883
Creator: Newman, William
System: The Portal to Texas History
Gate (open access)

Gate

Patent for an improvement to gates. This model consists of a gate mounted at the middle on a vertical post pivoted at top and bottom.
Date: July 10, 1883
Creator: Cope, Mason L.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Register for Barber's Chairs. (open access)

Register for Barber's Chairs.

Patent for a new and improved barber's chair. This design relates to certain improvements in registering devices for barber-chairs, and has for its object to provide means whereby a correct tally can be kept of the persons shaved and the number of hair-cuts which have been performed during the day, week, or month. . . . [The] invention is only applicable to the style of barber-chairs that have a tilting motion backward and forward, for the purpose of more conveniently placing the person when being shaved or having his [or her] hair cut" (lines 10-21).
Date: July 31, 1883
Creator: Lane, Fernando G.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Plow. (open access)

Plow.

Patent for a new and improved plow. This design "has for its object to produce a plow which shall scour or clean itself readily in sticky soil and shall be Light of draft. To this end it consists in the construction and combination of the point and mold-board of a plow" (lines 8-13).
Date: July 3, 1883
Creator: Simpson, George
System: The Portal to Texas History
Quilting Frame. (open access)

Quilting Frame.

Patent for a new and improved quilting frame. This design "consists of an improved arrangement of apparatus for suspending the quilting-frame from overhead rods, on which it is made to traverse for passing the quilt along the sewing-machine to be quilted, the essential object being to contrive a simple means of shifting the frame with relation to the machine and for placing it diagonally and for turning it around from side to side, so that when the quilt is very heavy one half can be quilted, and then the quilt turned and the other half quilted on the other side" (lines 7-18).
Date: July 17, 1883
Creator: Bledsoe, Robert B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Quilting Frame. (open access)

Quilting Frame.

Patent for a new and improved quilting frame. This design "is to improve the means for suspending a quilting-frame, so that a sewing-machine may be more conveniently used in the quilting operation" (lines 7-10).
Date: July 24, 1883
Creator: Bledsoe, Robert B.
System: The Portal to Texas History