E. McCoy Steam-Cylinder Lubricator
2/1/1876
Add to Favorites:
Add all page(s) of this document to activity:
Born in Canada to enslaved people that had fled Kentucky, Elijah McCoy invented a method for improving the lubrication of steam engines.
Though trained as a mechanical engineer, discrimination at the Michigan Central Railroad at the time excluded Elijah from a engineer position, so instead he was hired as a fireman working in the boiler room of a locomotive. His training, however, led him to devise a method of using steam pressure to pump lubricating oil to the steam engine. Prior to its invention, trains would have to come to a complete stop for the engine to be lubricated to prevent overheating.
Though quickly copied by competitors, the quality of his Elijah's invention was reknowned. It has been said that railroad engineers began asking for the "real McCoy" instead of a lesser brand.
Though trained as a mechanical engineer, discrimination at the Michigan Central Railroad at the time excluded Elijah from a engineer position, so instead he was hired as a fireman working in the boiler room of a locomotive. His training, however, led him to devise a method of using steam pressure to pump lubricating oil to the steam engine. Prior to its invention, trains would have to come to a complete stop for the engine to be lubricated to prevent overheating.
Though quickly copied by competitors, the quality of his Elijah's invention was reknowned. It has been said that railroad engineers began asking for the "real McCoy" instead of a lesser brand.
This primary source comes from the Records of the Patent and Trademark Office.
National Archives Identifier: 301699596
Full Citation: 173032; E. McCoy Steam-Cylinder Lubricator; 2/1/1876; Utility Patent Drawings, 1837–1911; Records of the Patent and Trademark Office, Record Group 241; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/e-mccoy-steam-cylinder-lubricator, May 1, 2024]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.