Car-Coupling. (open access)

Car-Coupling.

Patent for an improved car coupling that can be operated without going between cars. The coupling facilitates "the coupling of cars having drawheads at the same and different heights by readily guiding the link of one of them into the other" (lines 14-17).
Date: July 18, 1893
Creator: Norcross, George A.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Trousers-Protector. (open access)

Trousers-Protector.

Patent for trousers protectors "designed to uphold the bottom edge of the trousers, either at the side or at the rear, for preventing the same from becoming wet or soiled with mud, slush, &c." (Lines 9-11) Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: July 20, 1897
Creator: Neuendorff, John B.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Toy. (open access)

Toy.

Patent for certain new and useful improvements in toys, including instructions and illustrations.
Date: July 12, 1898
Creator: Busse, Annie
System: The Portal to Texas History
Hoof-Cleaning Tool. (open access)

Hoof-Cleaning Tool.

Patent for an improved farriers tool that cleans animals' hoofs that is a specially designed hook. It works quickly, thoroughly, and easily.
Date: July 25, 1893
Creator: Jenner, Robert C.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Horse-Check. (open access)

Horse-Check.

Patent for an automatic that prevents horses from starting off when left unattended. It detects when the vehicle begins moving and pulls back on the reins.
Date: July 21, 1896
Creator: Lee, Charles
System: The Portal to Texas History
Flour-Separator (open access)

Flour-Separator

Patent for "a machine of this class by means of which by a single operation the flour may be separated from the middlings and the tine from the coarser grade of middling-s, thus performing at a single operation that which heretofore has required two separate operations to accomplish" (lines 10-16).
Date: July 29, 1890
Creator: Sadravezt, Peter
System: The Portal to Texas History
Method of Converting Mesquite Beans. (open access)

Method of Converting Mesquite Beans.

Patent for a new and improved method of treating mesquite beans. This is a design "whereby they are converted into a healthful easily-digestible article of food . . . or may be infused in liquid for producing a healthful or agreeable drink" (lines 8-13). It consists, "first, in a preliminary drying of the bean as a whole to eradicate moisture; second, breaking the thus-dried bean into short pieces to render it more readily affected by the heat . . . third, roasting the broken particles to render friable or more brittle; fourth, grinding the mass, and fifth, separating the powdered bean and outer pod from the hull" (lines 13-21).
Date: July 26, 1892
Creator: Jacobs, Thomas H.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Desk-Ruler. (open access)

Desk-Ruler.

Patent for certain new and useful improvements in desk-rules, including instructions and illustrations.
Date: July 4, 1899
Creator: Connett, Matthew F.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Dental-Care Attachment. (open access)

Dental-Care Attachment.

Patent for a dental-chair attachment mean to support a table to hold instruments, a waste-bowl, a lamp, glasses, and other things a dentist might need. The attachment can easily be separated and adjusted.
Date: July 2, 1895
Creator: Mayes, Robert Martin
System: The Portal to Texas History
Design for a Handkerchief, &c. (open access)

Design for a Handkerchief, &c.

Patent for "a new and original design for handkerchiefs, fans, napkins, cards, and similar articles" (lines 8-10).
Date: July 7, 1896
Creator: Bowen, George R.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Design for a Handkerchief, &c. (open access)

Design for a Handkerchief, &c.

Patent for a design for handkerchiefs, cards, napkins, etc., which features an Indian head,, a lion head, unicorns, scrolls, etc. Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: July 7, 1896
Creator: Bowen, George R.
System: The Portal to Texas History