Crayon Holder (open access)

Crayon Holder

Patent for a new and useful improvements in crayon holders. This design is to "provide an improved device which may be constructed cheaply, be light, and have a neat appearance" (line 13-14).
Date: December 14, 1897
Creator: Rugeley, Fannie M.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Bathing-Suit. (open access)

Bathing-Suit.

Patent for a new and useful improvement in bathing suits.
Date: March 29, 1898
Creator: Davis, Jesse W D.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Book-Support. (open access)

Book-Support.

Patent for a book-support made to hold large, heavy books used in commercial and government offices. The platforms can be moved up and down by a crank on the side of the support.
Date: January 19, 1897
Creator: Barnes, William A.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Baling-Press. (open access)

Baling-Press.

Patent for a baling press that holds the material in the press while it is being formed into a bale. It consists of a frame with notches in the back, a resistance bar that pivots across the back of the frame, a latch that holds the bar in place, and a pin to pin the bar to the latch.
Date: December 12, 1893
Creator: Mealer, James A.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Crate. (open access)

Crate.

Patent for a crate build specifically for shipping bananas "which will be of light weight, and which can be manufactured at slight cost" (lines 16-17).
Date: November 1, 1892
Creator: Jeanes, Elisha A.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Broadcast Seeder. (open access)

Broadcast Seeder.

Patent for a broadcast seeder designed to "cultivate, plant, and subsequently roll or cover the seed, the elements for accomplishing the same being combined in a single device simply constructed" (lines 10-13).
Date: June 3, 1890
Creator: Callaway, Johnathan Asa
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Animal-Shears (open access)

Animal-Shears

Patent for an improvement in animal shears to "simplify and improve the construction of animal-shears, and render their operation more positive and reliable" (lines 11-13).
Date: August 26, 1890
Creator: Monday, Robert
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Animal Shears. (open access)

Animal Shears.

Patent for new and improved animal shears. This design consists in "mechanism for imparting a combined reciprocating and edgewise play to the cutting knife or knives in order to cause the teeth of said knife or knives to follow or describe a curved or oval path, and thus insure greater efficiency of operation; to provide for the proper lateral contact of the knives in order to insure their proper action and to regulate the pressure or force with which one knife bears on the other; [and] to provide a peculiar form of cutter-teeth which shall be automatic or self-cleaning" (lines 19-30).
Date: February 11, 1890
Creator: Bechtol, William S. & Bessonette, William T.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History

Lampasas Sheet

Topographic map of a portion of Texas from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) project. The map includes towns, historic or notable sites, bodies of water, and other geologic features. Scale 1:125000
Date: 1894
Creator: Geological Survey (U.S.)
Object Type: Map
System: The Portal to Texas History

San Saba Sheet

Topographic map of a portion of Texas from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) project. The map includes towns, historic or notable sites, bodies of water, and other geologic features. Scale 1:125000
Date: 1894
Creator: Geological Survey (U.S.)
Object Type: Map
System: The Portal to Texas History
Vehicle-Pole. (open access)

Vehicle-Pole.

Patent for a simple vehicle-pole that has an improved fastening. It consists of a table with a socket, a pole in the socket, arms connected to the table, singletrees attached to the extending ends of the arms, and a running gear.
Date: July 11, 1893
Creator: Rohn, Frank G.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Locomotive Drive-Wheel. (open access)

Locomotive Drive-Wheel.

Patent for "driving-wheels for locomotives; and it has for its object to provide an approximately perfect balanced driving wheel and thereby materially decrease the internal disturbances to the mechanism of the locomotive due to the present methods of counterbalancing in the driving-wheel the reciprocating and revolving parts thereof." (Lines 12-19) Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: March 9, 1897
Creator: Davis, Philip Z.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Locomotive Driving-Wheel. (open access)

Locomotive Driving-Wheel.

Patent for a perfectly balanced wheel for locomotives. It is meant to "materially decrease the internal disturbances to the mechanism of the locomotive due to the present methods of counterbalancing in the driving-wheel" (lines 15-18).
Date: March 9, 1897
Creator: Davis, Philip Z.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Windmill. (open access)

Windmill.

Patent for an improvement in windmills by providing “a number of converging blades which are arranged to the inner side of a casing, midway between the front and rear series of feathering wings or sails. These blades are arranged at opposite angles to the normal position of the feathering wings or sails. These blades are stationary and serve the purpose of deflecting the wind after it has operated upon the front set of wings or sails and directing it squarely against the rear set of wings or sails.” (Lines 90-101) Illustration is included.
Date: June 16, 1891
Creator: Monday, Robert
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Vehicle-Wheel. (open access)

Vehicle-Wheel.

Patent for "driving wheels for locomotives; and it has for its object to provide an approximately perfect balanced driving-wheel and thereby materially decrease the internal disturbances to the mechanism of the locomotion due to the present methods of counterbalancing in the driving-wheel the reciprocating and revolving parts thereof." (Lines 12-19) Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: March 9, 1897
Creator: Davis, Philip Z.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Kitchen-Cabinet. (open access)

Kitchen-Cabinet.

Patent for a new and useful kitchen cabinet, including instructions and illustrations.
Date: November 21, 1899
Creator: Goodale, Frank O.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Well-Bucket. (open access)

Well-Bucket.

Patent for a simple and efficient well-bucket that are used in bored, drilled, and dug wells. This invention will not get caught on things when it is being raised and lowered, can, by design, can withstand wear, and is meant to be automatically filled and emptied of its contents.
Date: November 5, 1895
Creator: Goodwin, Thomas J.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Mechanism for Cleansing Clothing for Textile Fabrics (open access)

Mechanism for Cleansing Clothing for Textile Fabrics

Patent for a new and useful improvements in mechanism for cleansing clothing or textile fabrics. This invention is to "provide a simple and economical construction and combination of parts whereby the clothes or fabrics operated upon shall be disturbed and displaced at each successive stroke of a pump forming part of the mechanism" (line 11-16).
Date: December 21, 1897
Creator: Wright, John W. & Burkes, Howell H.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Tire-Heater. (open access)

Tire-Heater.

Patent for a rotary tire-heater that used for and movably supported near a blacksmith's forge, where it can be swung over for use when needed. It economizes time and fuel, and is automatically adjustable.
Date: June 26, 1894
Creator: Callaway, John A.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Hay-Press (open access)

Hay-Press

Patent for a hay press that is both efficient and easy to use so that the bales may be "rapidly and firmly compressed" (lines 18-19).
Date: October 18, 1892
Creator: Mealer, James A.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Hinge. (open access)

Hinge.

Patent for a two-way roller hinge for gates, doors, shutters, etc. Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: August 24, 1897
Creator: Goodwin, Thomas J.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Engine. (open access)

Engine.

Patent for general "improvements in engines, and while one feature of our invention is adapted for use on all styles of engines, the invention in the complete form ...is especially suited for use on locomotive engines designed to exert high tractive power and to attain high speeds" (lines 12-19).
Date: February 19, 1895
Creator: Davis, Philip Z. & Barton, Alexander M.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Separable Button. (open access)

Separable Button.

Patent for a simple, inexpensive, strong, and durable separable button that does not accidentally separate or unfasten. It consists of two disks connected with a stem, and the disks are different sizes.
Date: August 9, 1892
Creator: Monday, Robert
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History
Washing-Machine. (open access)

Washing-Machine.

Patent for improvements to the washing machine "which shall enable the washing of clothes or garments to be effected with but little exertion to the operator and with but comparatively little wear to the garments themselves." (Lines 19-23). Includes instructions and illustrations.
Date: May 2, 1891
Creator: Smith, Robert H.
Object Type: Patent
System: The Portal to Texas History