BIRD-CAGE (open access)

BIRD-CAGE

Patent for a new and improved combined Bird-Cages and Fly-Traps. The improvements include the use of netting or wire gauze, making holes at the bottom of the cage to insert feed-cups or let flies in when the cage is used to catch flies, and placing a ring over the seed-cups in order to prevent insects or flies from getting into the cage when it is used as a bird-cage.
Date: July 6, 1880
Creator: Pinter, Francis T.
System: The Portal to Texas History
BOOK-RACK (open access)

BOOK-RACK

Patent for a book rack that can be used as book-rest.
Date: July 6, 1880
Creator: Murphy, James
System: The Portal to Texas History
Churn. (open access)

Churn.

Patent for a new and improved churn. This design consists in "[t]he combination, with the driving devices and the pivoted dasher-operating lever, of the fly-wheel provided with a series of holes each of square contour throughout the greater part of its length, the wrist-pin shaped to fit in any one of said holes, the cap pivoted on the rear side of the fly-wheel and adapted to cover any one of the holes in which the pin may be placed, and the pitman attached to the wrist-pin and connecting the same with the pivoted lever" (lines 70-80).
Date: July 6, 1886
Creator: Jones, Caleb
System: The Portal to Texas History
Valve-Gear for Engines. (open access)

Valve-Gear for Engines.

Patent for "a new and useful improvement in Steam-Engine Valve-Gears." The invention consists in "combining with a crank-shaft and a valve-shaft a lever, shaft, and two friction-wheels" (lines 4-9)
Date: July 6, 1880
Creator: Josserand, Peter
System: The Portal to Texas History
Leaf Turner. (open access)

Leaf Turner.

Patent for a new and improved leaf-turner for sheet music. This design consists "of a rack having attached guides, the horizontally-slidable rods arranged in said guides, one above the other, the leaf-turning fingers carried by one end of said rods, the elastic cords connected with the other ends of said rods for retracting the fingers, devices for holding the rods against the tension of the cords, and a finger-piece for successively disengaging said holding devices" (lines 56-64).
Date: July 6, 1886
Creator: Richards, Augustus, Sr.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Riding Saddle. (open access)

Riding Saddle.

Patent for a new and improved saddle. This design "provide[s] a flexible or elastic seat, consisting of a number of thicknesses of tanned sheepskin, with the wool on, between the saddle-tree covering and the ordinary external rawhide or other covering, thus preventing the said covering from resting on the inner edges of the saddle-tree side bars, which forms a comfortable and easy saddle; and, in addition to this, [the] invention relates to the opening rearwardly and laterally in the saddle-tree for attaching the girth-rigging thereto, in place of the ordinary rings" (lines 30-41).
Date: July 6, 1886
Creator: Hake, Francis A.
System: The Portal to Texas History