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Elijah McCoy

Although the name Elijah McCoy may be unknown to most people, the enormity of his ingenuity and the quality of his inventions have created a level of distinction which bears his name Elijah McCoy was born in Colchester, Ontario, Canada on May 2, 1844 His parents were George and Emillia McCoy, former slaves from Kentucky who escaped through the Underground Railroad George joined the Canadian Army, fighting in the Rebel War and then raised his family as free Canadian citizens on a 160 acre homestead At an early age, Elijah showed a mechanical interest, often taking items apart and putting them back together again Recognizing his keen abilities, George and Emillia saved enough money to send Elijah to Edinburgh, Scotland, where he could study mechanical engineering After finishing his studies as a 'master mechanic and engineer' he returned to the United States which had just seen the end of the Civil War - and the emergence of the 'Emancipation Proclamation' Elijah moved to Ypsilanti, Michigan but was unable to find work as an engineer He was thus forced to take on a position as a fireman\oilman on the Michigan Central Railroad As a fireman, McCoy was responsible for shoveling coal onto fires which would help to produce steam that powered the locomotive.

As an oilman, Elijah was responsible for ensuring that the train was well lubricated After a few miles, the train would be forced to stop and he would have to walk alongside the train applying oil to the axles and bearings In an effort to improve efficiency and eliminate the frequent stopping necessary for lubrication of the train, McCoy set out to create a method of automating the task In 1872 he developed a 'lubricating cup' that could automatically drip oil when and where needed He received a patent for the device later that year The "lubricating cup" met with enormous success and orders for it came in from railroad companies all over the country Other inventors attempted to sell their own versions of the device but most companies wanted the authentic device, requesting 'the Real McCoy' In 1868, Elijah married Ann Elizabeth Stewart Sadly, Elizabeth passed away just four years later In 1873, McCoy married again, this time his bride was Mary Eleanor Delaney and the couple would eventually settle into Detroit, Michigan together for the next 50 years.

McCoy remained interested in continuing to perfect his invention and to create more He thus sold some percentages of rights to his patent to finance building a workshop He made continued improvements to the "lubricating cup" The patent application described the it as a device which "provides for the continuous flow of oil on the gears and other moving parts of a machine in order to keep it lubricated properly and continuous and thereby do away with the necessity of shutting down the machine periodically" The device would be adjusted and modified in order to apply it to different types of machinery Versions of the cup would soon be used in steam engines, naval vessels, oil-drilling rigs, mining equipment, in factories and construction sites In 1916 McCoy created the graphite lubricator which allowed new superheater trains and devices to be oiled In 1920, Elijah established the 'Elijah McCoy Manufacturing Company' With his new company, he improved and sold the graphite lubricator as well as other inventions which came to him out of necessity He developed and patented a portable ironing board after his wife expressed a need for an easier way of ironing clothes.

When he desired an easier and faster way of watering his lawn, he created and patented the lawn sprinkler In 1922, Elijah and Mary were involved in an automobile accident and both suffered severe injuries Mary would die from the injuries and Elijah's health suffered for several years until he died in 1929 McCoy left behind a legacy of successful inventions which would benefit mankind for another century and his name would come to symbolize quality workmanship - the Real McCoy! .

Elijah McCoy - Our Black Canadian Hero

Canadian Black History Biography.

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Elijah McCoy

this is about Elijah McCoy, an african american inventor. Elijah was one of the top ten inventors. He invented the oil dropper and the self-regulating lubric...

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Biography of Elijah McCoy

Elijah McCoy Presentation..........When I uploaded it,,,i didn't recognized the grammar errors sorry :(

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Elijah McCoy Chemistry Project.wmv

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Elijah McCoy

FOX21 New highlights Black History month today with a look at Elijah McCoy. In the early 1900's McCoy rose to heroic status in the African American community...

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Great African American inventors concealed by History by Dr. Benjamin Carson

http://www.newscastmedia.com/africas-forgotten-history.html - From Garrett Morgan to Elijah McCoy, Madam CJ Walker and many more pioneers, this video accompa...

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Elijah McCoy U.S. Trademark & Patent Office Opens in Detroit

By Karen Hudson Samuels/Tell Us USA News Network DETROIT (Tell Us USA) - Detroit celebrated opening day ceremonies Friday for the first-ever satellite locati...

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Elijah McCoy by Larry Southern

Elijah McCoy by Larry Southern Vivian E. Summers.

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Moments In Black History by DAVIDBLAYNE - ELIJAH MCCOY

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Black Inventors

Renaissance MultiMedia Group LLC 1911 Reflections of YOU Reflections of a DIVA Atlanta Elijah McCoy, Benjamin Banneker, Lewis Howard Latimer, Granville Woods...

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Elijah McCoy - AMI Canadian Portrait

Here's one of the short commercial spots my portraits were used for on the Canadian cable station AMI (1 of 3).

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Elijah McCoy - The Real McCoy - Black Inventor - Black History Month

This 30-second Black History Month (BHM) Public Service Announcement (PSA) highlights the life of Elijah McCoy. He was one of the most prolific black invento...

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Crispus Attucks, Blanche K. Bruce, Shirley Chisholm, Elijah McCoy, and Dr. Charles Richard Drew get their due as the unsung heroes of black history.

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Sherai Taylor Puclic Speaking Instructor Jane Robbins.

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elijah mcCoy first ride

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Elijah McCoy by Andrew

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Khai presents Elijah McCoy

Khai's Black History Month presentation.

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Elijah McCoy @ Step It Up Showcase Camp in Chicago

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Elijah Mccoy black history program

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Apostle Elijah McCoy speakiing at New Birth anniversary

Apostle Elijah McCoy speakiing at New Birth Life Line church anniversary about the appreciating the Gift of God. Pastor Lindsey and Pastor Renee' Crowe are t...

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