Today (October 10, 1929) is the anniversary of Elijah J. McCoy, the American inventor who invented the lubrication of most steam engines.

Today (October 10, 1929) is the anniversary of Elijah J. McCoy, the American inventor who invented the lubrication of most steam engines.

Elijah J. McCoy was born on May 2, 1844, in Colchester, Ontario, Canada to George and Mildred. Elijah J. McCoy is a U.S. citizen. Elijah's parents, who had been passionate about machines since childhood, were slaves who had escaped from the United States. Again, in 1847 his family moved to the United States and settled in Michigan. At the time, his parents sent their 15-year-old son to Edinburgh, Scotland, because it was difficult for a black man to study in the United States. After studying there and qualifying as a mechanical engineer, McCoy returned home but could not find a suitable job because he was black.

                                             

Temporarily, he worked as a firefighter and engine oil engineer for the Michigan Central Railway. Elijah not only looked at his work, but also explored how the machine works. He invented the Automatic Lubricator, an oil-trip cup for steaming engines. It allowed oil to penetrate evenly into the running parts of the engine. This allowed the engine to heat up and continue uninterrupted for a long time. The patent for the oil drop cup was obtained on June 23, 1872, from the United States Patent Office. 

Although his invention was simple, it made the industry more profitable by speeding up trains, speeding up services such as mail and parcel. McCoy made many improvements to the machines using his engineering prowess, constantly improving the tools he discovered. He invented and patented the public use of ironing board, sprinkler, and rubber heel for shoes. More than fifty of the devices he detected were related to the lubricant type. 

Elijah J., who is credited with making the most inventions among blacks and patenting them. McCoy's famous book, The Story of the Negro, was published in 1909 by Booker de Washington. At the same time, Elijah, who did not care about being denied recognition on a large scale because he was black, patented about 50 devices. Lacking the investment to manufacture the lubricator devices he discovered, he sold the licenses to his employers and investors. Thus, his name does not appear as an inventor in the references to many of the devices he discovered. Finally, in 1920 he started a factory in his own name to produce what he found. Lubricating devices bearing his name were manufactured there. 

Elijah J. McCoy, who had been inventing something for a lifetime and had made a tremendous contribution to lubrication technique, was injured in a four-wheeler accident. He passed away on October 10, 1929, at the age of 85, in the city of Detroit, Michigan, in the northeastern United States.

Source By: Wikipedia

Information: Ramesh, Assistant Professor of Physics, Nehru Memorial College, Puthanampatti, Trichy.