Car Coupling. (open access)

Car Coupling.

Patent for a new and improved coupling for railroad cars. This design "consist[s] of a draw-head having a spring-actuated sliding piece projecting into the draw-head, with a shouldered end therein, and a hole adapted to register with the coupling-holes in the draw-head, a coupling-link having yielding slotted pieces pivoted at its ends above slots in the ends of the link, and a coupling-pin with reacting spring mounted in a frame having a winding-drum, and a rope connected with the coupling-pin, the latter projecting through and engaging the sliding piece and link" (lines 76-87).
Date: July 24, 1888
Creator: Griffith, William H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Wagon-Bed Elevator (open access)

Wagon-Bed Elevator

Patent for a wagon-bed elevator that "is to provide an elevator for wagon-beds by means of which a single person can raise the bed from the wagon to any desired height and leave it suspended in position where it can be readily lowered upon the wagon again at any time" (p. 2).
Date: July 24, 1888
Creator: Holliday, William A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Windmill. (open access)

Windmill.

Patent for a new and improved windmill. This design consists in "[t]he combination of the horizontal wind-wheel, the semi-cylindrical case partly inclosing the same and independently revoluble, the case having the notches in its upper side, the vane having the shaft or port whose lower end forms the upper pivot for the said case, and the lever having its inner end fast to the vane shaft or port, and adapted to engage the said notches, and thereby cause the case to expose any desired area of the wheel to the wind" (lines 89-99).
Date: July 24, 1888
Creator: Hamm, Jordan
System: The Portal to Texas History
Sulky Cultivator. (open access)

Sulky Cultivator.

Patent for a new and improved sulky cultivator. This design consists in "the beam having the cross-bar at its rear end, and the rearward-diverging brace-arms connecting the beam to the ends of the cross-bar, the links hinged to the rear ends of the brace-arms and pivoted to the sulky-frame, the hand lever fulcrumed on the frame, and the rod connecting the hand-lever to the front end of the beam" (lines 40-48).
Date: July 24, 1888
Creator: Hazlewood, James Allan
System: The Portal to Texas History
Hair-Tonic (open access)

Hair-Tonic

Patent for use the liquid preparation is applied to the head once a day why the scalp is thoroughly irrigated, and the after once or twice a week. By its use the hair will be prevented from falling out as often occurs after fevers, and when the foilices are not dead a new growth of hair will be formed on bald heads.[20]
Date: July 24, 1888
Creator: Wallace, William, T.
System: The Portal to Texas History