Cotton-Harvester. (open access)

Cotton-Harvester.

Patent for a cotton harvesting machine used for gathering the cotton from the plant, stripping the bolls or pods, and cleaning the cotton in one continuous operation during the traction of the harvester over a cotton field. This cotton harvester has a rotary picking member disposed forwardly and grabbing arms disposed rearwardly of the rotary picking arms. These rotary picking members are used for receiving the cotton gathered by the said picking arms and depositing it between two vertically operable crushers for crushing the bolls or pods preparatory to their passage into the ginning apparatus.
Date: July 30, 1918
Creator: Berry, Louis J.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Crude Oil Burner (open access)

Crude Oil Burner

Patent for crude oil burner allowing for the utilization of "crude petroleum and other similar oils" (line 13) for fuel.
Date: July 30, 1918
Creator: Worley, Ernest T.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Device for Controlling the Flow of Fluid from Wells (open access)

Device for Controlling the Flow of Fluid from Wells

Patent for device controlling fluid flow from wells which allows for drawing off oil where oil and water are both present in a reservoir.
Date: July 30, 1918
Creator: Summerrow, Edward D.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Elevator Signal System (open access)

Elevator Signal System

Patent for an elevator signal system that can be installed in elevators which indicates "the floor positions of all the cars as well as the car carrying the indicator" (lines 10-12), including illustrations.
Date: July 30, 1918
Creator: McNabb, Alvin C.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Railway Frog (open access)

Railway Frog

Patent for railway frog which "will tend to minimize the danger of train derailment at switch crossings" (lines 12-13).
Date: July 30, 1918
Creator: Jackson, George Ferris
System: The Portal to Texas History
Combination Pool and Billiard Table. (open access)

Combination Pool and Billiard Table.

Patent for a combination pool and billiard table. The table has plugs for the pockets, which can be used to convert the table from a pool to a billiard table. There is also a circular removable covering, which converts the table from a game table to an ordinary household table.
Date: July 23, 1918
Creator: Lee, Hoard
System: The Portal to Texas History
Elbow-Joint for Artificial Arms (open access)

Elbow-Joint for Artificial Arms

Patent for an elbow joint for artificial arms that can be manipulated by the wearer into any desired position.
Date: July 23, 1918
Creator: Corley, Quentin D.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Fireplace Guard (open access)

Fireplace Guard

Patent for a fireplace guard. This fireplace guard is designed to prevent accidental fires.
Date: July 23, 1918
Creator: Haley, Ernest T.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Well-Screen. (open access)

Well-Screen.

Patent for a "well screen in which a maximum screening area is obtained without weakening the frame" (lines 11-13) including instructions and illustrations.
Date: July 23, 1918
Creator: Layne, Mahlon E.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Windmill (open access)

Windmill

Patent for a windmill that makes it possible to convert the force of the wind into electrical or mechanical energy. This windmill has a governor that makes positioning adjustments when the windmill reaches an unsafe velocity.
Date: July 23, 1918
Creator: Cox, Oscar M.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Apparatus for Molding Silos and the Like. (open access)

Apparatus for Molding Silos and the Like.

Patent for an apparatus of simple structure that allows for the easy adjustment and manipulation of parts. It is "used for molding silos and similar structures from concrete cement material" (lines 10-12).
Date: July 16, 1918
Creator: Atkins, Thomas B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Automobile Direction-Signal. (open access)

Automobile Direction-Signal.

Patent for an invention of a simple signal that allows drivers to indicate they are turning left or right to the vehicle behind them, illustrations included.
Date: July 16, 1918
Creator: Vaca, Pedro
System: The Portal to Texas History
Bale-Core-Operating Device (open access)

Bale-Core-Operating Device

Patent for bale core operating device which improves the bale core quality around which the bale is formed, including illustrations.
Date: July 16, 1918
Creator: Taft, John A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Candy-Wrapping Machine. (open access)

Candy-Wrapping Machine.

Patent for a candy and small object wrapping machine that automatically cuts, feeds, and positions paper, making use of a folding arm. Intended to significantly decrease time taken to wrap small objects by hand.
Date: July 16, 1918
Creator: Greer, John H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Combined Desk and Map-Cabinet. (open access)

Combined Desk and Map-Cabinet.

Patent for a convertible writing desk that doubles as a cabinet for storing and displaying maps. Intended to allow multiple scrolled maps to be stored inside and easily displayed and retracted in classroom settings.
Date: July 16, 1918
Creator: Fanning, Samuel H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Hopper-Door. (open access)

Hopper-Door.

Patent for a hopper door especially designed to be used "with a vertically movable weighing hopper adapted to receive and weigh cotton seed" (lines 10-12). The specifics of how the door is hinged and operates is especially important to the design.
Date: July 16, 1918
Creator: Peck, James F.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Machine-Gun. (open access)

Machine-Gun.

Patent for a machine gun, meant to have relatively few parts, that includes a belt to carry a large amount of cartridges. The machine gun "provides a structure wherein the cartridges are positively and consecutively fed to the explosion chamber" (lines 11-14).
Date: July 16, 1918
Creator: McManus, Luis M. & Warner, James Harold
System: The Portal to Texas History
Overall-Waist (open access)

Overall-Waist

Patent for connections between union overalls and coat (waist). This invention enables a close overlap between trousers and coat, "to avoid all loose or flying portions of the garment which might otherwise impede or obstruct the free use of arms of the wearer or catch in machinery" (p.1 lines 51 to 55) etc.
Date: July 16, 1918
Creator: Elliott, Joseph S.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Protecting-Casing for Electrical Conductors (open access)

Protecting-Casing for Electrical Conductors

Patent for "new and useful Improvements in Protecting-Cases for Electrical Conductors" (lines 5-7). The object of the invention is to provide a device... for surrounding the commutator of an internal combustion motor and protecting the terminals thereof and the electrical conductors connected to said terminals" (lines 12-17).
Date: July 16, 1918
Creator: Rooke, Henry L., Jr.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Pump Mechanism (open access)

Pump Mechanism

Patent for improvements in well pumps involving protecting and lubricating parts during use.
Date: July 16, 1918
Creator: Layne, Mahlon E.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Splitting-Ax (open access)

Splitting-Ax

Patent for a splitting ax to be used for splitting wood, especially rails, constructed in a manner to prevent the ax wedge from sticking in the rail. The patent includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: July 16, 1918
Creator: Sandidge, Thomas R., Sr.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Spark-Plug Attachment (open access)

Spark-Plug Attachment

Patent for A Spark-Plug Attachment. This spark- plug attachment is designed to facilitate the sparking process without further damaging the porcelain component of the spark-plug.
Date: July 15, 1918
Creator: Sherill, Guy M.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Vulcanizing Apparatus (open access)

Vulcanizing Apparatus

Patent for an apparatus used during the process of retreading tires that updates the manufacture of rubber tire patches.
Date: July 12, 1918
Creator: Rasor, James, E.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Adjustable Window-Shade Support. (open access)

Adjustable Window-Shade Support.

Patent for an adjustable window shade support that can readily attach a shade to a window frame and the roller can be adjusted to any desired location or elevation.
Date: July 9, 1918
Creator: Simmons, Oscar C.
System: The Portal to Texas History