Invention Making Railroads More Efficient - Elijah McCoy

 



Elijah McCoy
May 2, 1844- October 10, 1929

Elijah's parents, George and Mildred were slaves in Kentucky and escaped to Canada by way of the Underground Railroad where Elijah was born on May 2, 1844. About three years later Elijah's family moved back to the US to Michigan. Elijah showed passionate interest in mechanics. With his parents help he was able to travel to Scotland as a teenager for an apprenticeship in mechanical engineering. Upon completion, McCoy was a certified mechanical engineer.

Elijah's parents, George and Mildred were slaves in Kentucky and escaped to Canada by way of the Underground Railroad where Elijah was born on May 2, 1844. About three years later Elijah's family moved back to the US to Michigan. Elijah showed passionate interest in mechanics. With his parents help he was able to travel to Scotland as a teenager for an apprenticeship in mechanical engineering. Upon completion, McCoy was a certified mechanical engineer.


Due to racial inequalities, McCoy wasn't able to find an engineering job, so he accepted a position as an oiler for the Michigan Central Railroad. This was the start of his many inventions. Elijah McCoy invented an oil cup distributing oil evenly over the engine's moving parts. Before his invention, the train would have to stop so he could manually oil each part so the engine wouldn't overheat. Elijah's invention effectively changed the railroad industry drastically. He acquired a patent for this invention since it empowered trains to continuously run without stopping for maintenance. Once Elijah departed Michigan Central Railroad, he focused on more inventions regarding machine lubrication. "The real McCoy" was produced because people believed his oil drip cup invention was most effective compared to others in the market. Elijah established Elijah McCoy Manufacturing Company fabricating lubricators for the railroad industry. Elijah McCoy was admitted to the National Inventors Hall of Fame. A couple of Elijah's other inventions are ironing table and lawn sprinkler design.

Source: https://www.biography.com/inventors/elijah-mccoy

             Elijah McCoy - Wikipedia

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