Rights Held by: Ypsilanti Historical Society
When people use the term ‘the real McCoy’ they may be referring to something real, or of high quality.
But, do you know that this phrase is associated with a great inventor named Elijah McCoy?
He is the man who ensured that machines ran efficiently and without complications through his creations. Let’s get to learn more about this extraordinary man and how he influenced the society.
Early Life and Education
The birth of Elijah McCoy took place on May 2, 1844, in Colchester, Ontario, Canada. His parents were freed slaves from Kentucky and they escaped to Canada through the Underground Railroad.
When he was still very young, his parents moved to Michigan and McCoy showed a lot of interest in mechanics at an early age.
Even though there were restrictions on the opportunities for black people, McCoy’s parents had been able to save enough money to send him to Scotland to study mechanical engineering.
He trained as an engineer and went back to the United States to search for a job in his area of choice.
But McCoy was deprived of a job due to racism and he could only manage to get a job as a fireman and oilman with the Michigan Central Railroad. But McCoy did not allow this to prevent him from becoming a historian.
The Invention That Changed Everything
During the time McCoy worked for the railroad, he identified a major issue. It was a real challenge because steam engines required to be stopped and oiled by humans which slowed down the movement of trains and wasted time.
He came up with a solution: a lubricating cup that would provide oil to moving parts of the train even when the train was in motion. This meant that trains could travel for more miles and at higher speeds without having to stop as often for repairs.
In 1872, McCoy patented his automatic lubricating device, which was an important part of trains, ships, and factory machines. It was because his product was so reliable that companies did not want cheap imitations.
They asked for “the real McCoy” only, a phrase that became a hallmark of quality and excellence.
Other Inventions and Accomplishments
McCoy did not stop at the first invention; he made 57 patents in his lifetime, most of which were related to lubrication and included a folding ironing board and a lawn sprinkler.
His ideas helped to improve the development of industries and increase the productivity and efficiency of transportation and manufacturing.
As successful as he was, McCoy had his share of difficulties. He was unable to produce his inventions on his own because he did not have the funds to do so, and thus had to sell off his patents.
However, his brilliance could not be hidden, and his work remained in high demand.
Legacy and Contribution to the World
Elijah McCoy’s efforts in the field of engineering and mechanics saw him come up with innovations that changed the face of industrial technology. His automatic lubrication systems were adopted in locomotives, ships, and even present-day machinery due to their efficiency.
If it were not for his invention, there are a lot of companies that would have not been as effective as they are today.
McCoy is still famous to this day. He was welcomed into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2001. He did not just make the machines work better but also opened the door for the black inventors and engineers to come up.✿