![]() “Elijah McCoy, Inventor of Quality Products.” African American Registry, n.d. “Elijah McCoy.” Great Black Heroes, 2011. However, he is notable for providing innovation to the industry he was forced into, and for creating his own success when racial barriers hindered him.Ĭheck back tomorrow for more Travelbox History Corner.īellis, Mary. Like many African American inventors, he received little credit for his inventions during his time, and his story is rarely told in schools. Many people have heard the term “the Real McCoy,” but most people do not know that it originated from Elijah McCoy. The site is a Registered Michigan State Historic Site. Regardless, many historians fail to recognize McCoy’s importance in revolutionizing the railroad or machine industries with his devices.Įlijah McCoy commemorative historical marker, Ypsilanti District Library, 229 West Michigan Avenue, Ypsilanti, Michigan. Washington recognized McCoy as having more patents than any other black inventor at the time. In 1920, toward the end of his life, McCoy formed the Elijah McCoy Manufacturing Company to finally produce lubricators bearing his name. McCoy lacked the capital with to manufacture his lubricators in large numbers, so he typically assigned his patent rights to his employers or sold them to investors. His other popular inventions include an improved folded ironing table and a lawn sprinkler.Īlthough McCoy’s achievements were recognized in his own time, his name did not appear on the majority of the products that he devised. The graphite lubricator, used on the cylinders of superheater train engines, is considered his greatest invention due to it’s innovative use of graphite powder as lubricant without the risk of clogging. McCoy went on to obtain 57 total patents over the course of his lifetime, with a majority of them related to lubrication. Michigan Central Railroad promoted him to an instructor in the use of his inventions, and he later became a consultant to the railroad industry on patent matters. McCoy continued to improve upon his design and invented several more improvements. The patent for McCoy’s original lubricating cup. The invention made it possible for faster railroad deliveries and spurred economic growth in a nation dependent on steam engines. Though McCoy’s invention was initially known perjoratively as “nigger oil cups,” soon everyone was asking for “the real McCoy” since attempts to duplicate it were inferior. Later that year he received a patent for his invention, and requests for it came in from railroad businesses all over the country. ![]() In 1872 he designed a “lubricating cup” that could routinely drip oil when and where needed. Because the train had to stop in order to be oiled, it was very inconvenient that railroad engines could not lubricate themselves.īored from the lack of stimulation provided to a trained engineer, and motivated to boost efficiency and overcome the repeated halting needed for lubrication of the train, McCoy came up with a method of automating the task. His role required him to shovel coil onto the fires for steam engines, and to oil the train every few miles to ensure the axles and bearings were properly lubricated. Since African Americans were not considered for skilled professional positions, McCoy worked as a fireman and oiler for the Michigan Central Railroad. ![]() Due to racial barriers, McCoy was unable to find work as an engineer in the United States. McCoy returned to Michigan after the end of the American Civil War. By 15, his parents sent him to Edinburgh, Scotland for an apprenticeship in mechanical engineering. At a young age, McCoy showed a strong interest in mechanics. In 1847 they returned to the United States and settled in Michigan. ![]() ![]() His parents were fugitive slaves that had escaped from Kentucky via the Underground Railroad. McCoy was born on May 2, 1844, in Ontario, Canada. Even as a young child, he enjoyed playing with tools and machines and experimenting with different ways to fix and improve them.Elijah J. They later moved to Ypsilanti, Michigan, where George opened a tobacco business. When Elijah was 3, his family moved back to the U.S. George McCoy enlisted in the British forces, and in return, he was awarded 160 acres of land for his service. His parents-George and Mildred McCoy-had been enslaved from birth and became freedom seekers leaving Kentucky for Canada on the Underground Railroad. 1868-1872), Mary Eleanor Delaney (m.1873-1922)Įlijah McCoy was born on May 2, 1844, in Colchester, Ontario, Canada. Awards and Honors: National Inventors Hall of Fame.Died: October 10, 1929, in Detroit, Michigan.Born: May 2, 1844, in Colchester, Ontario, Canada.Known For: McCoy was a Black inventor who improved steam engine technology by designing an automatic lubricator. ![]()
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