PEOPLE AND PATENTS

U. S. Patent Office as it looked in the very early days of the City of Manor

It appears that from it's earliest days, the people of Manor were very inventive folks. Records of the U. S. Patent Office contain evidence of this beginning about the time that James Manor first gave land to the Houston and Texas Central Railway, which led to the founding of Manor in it's present location. Listed here are the basics of some of the products invented by Manor's citizenry. More details can be found by conducting a patent search.

On August 20, 1872, patent number 130,764 was issued to Bengt Johan Svenson. It reads, in part; 

“Be it known that I, B. J. Svenson, of Manor Station, in the county of Travis and in the State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Corn and Cotton Planters;…my invention consists in the construction and arrangement of a “corn and cotton planter,”.”

On the same date, patent  number 130,765 was also issued to him. It reads, in part; 

“Be it known that I, B. J. Svenson, of Manor Station, in the county of Travis, and in the State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Double Sweep Plows;…This invention is used, in the cultivation of corn and cotton, to clean out the middles and to chop out or remove the grass and weeds.”

On September 14, 1897, patent number 590,193 was issued to Robert H. Posey. It reads, in part; 

“Be it known that I, Robert H. Posey, of Manor, county of Travis, and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Needle;…..a needle provided with an incision or slot located near the point of the needle extending out to the exterior of the needle and having a cutting edge formed within the sides of said incision.”

On January 8, 1901, patent number 665,733 was issued to George J. Eppright. It reads, in part;
"Be it known that I, George Jacob Eppright, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Manor, in the county of Travis and State of Texas, have invented a new and Improved Shutter Attachment…to provide means for holding the slats of window shutters open.”

On January 2, 1906, patent number 808,634 was issued to Peet Carlson. It reads, in part;

“Be it known that I, Peet Carlson, a citizen of the United States, residing at Manor, in the county of Travis and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Vessel-Propelling Device…has for its principal object to provide a novel form of propeller in which a current of air or other fluid is forced under pressure through a port in the stern of the vessel, the stern being so shaped that the volume of propelling fluid is more or less confined and its force utilized to the best advantage in the propulsion of the vessel.”

On September 1, 1908, patent number 897,428 was issued to Frank Swenson. It reads, in part;

“Be it known that I, Frank Oscar Swenson, a citizen of the United States, residing at Manor, in the county of Travis and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Match-Safe…has for its object to provide a match safe by means of which a number of matches contained therein will be fed to the bottom of the safe one at a time, and there so located that but one match at a time can be withdrawn from the safe...and when withdrawn will be ignited by the act of withdrawing the same from the safe.”

On January 12, 1909, patent number 909,346 was issued to Arthur Swenson. It reads, in part;

“Be it known that I, Arthur Swenson, a citizen of the United States, residing at Manor, in the county of Travis and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints…and it’s object is to provide the meeting ends of two rails with a simple and practical scarf or interlocking connection which will effectually hold them in perfect alignment, and at the same time permit them to be readily disconnected.” 

To be continued...