Elijah mccoy why is he famous

McCoy used some of the money from ventures associated with his first patent to continue inventing, coming up with mostly railway-related inventions but also an improved ironing board. He moved to Detroit from Ypsilanti, Michigan, in with Mary McCoy, his wife, the railway hall of fame writes, where he consulted for firms and continued to come up with ideas. Unfortunately, he was greatly injured in a accident that also killed his wife, and, writes the railway hall of fame, he died in after suffering financial, physical and mental problems.

But his most widely known legacy—the "real McCoy" phrase—is less certain. As a result, they often asked for "the real McCoy," a phrase that still exists in today's vocabulary. Induction Event Collegiate Inventors Event. US Patent No. Born May 2, - Died October 10, Related Inductees. Although he is most well-known as the inventor of the lubricating oil cup, which he continued to improve upon over the years with more patents, he also invented a portable ironing board, a lawn sprinkler, and enhanced rubber heels for shoes.

Throughout his life, Elijah McCoy filed 57 U. He was recognized by several of his African American contemporaries, including Booker T. Washington, who in Story of the Negro cited him as having produced more patents than any other African American inventor of his time. McCoy passed away on October 10, in the Eloise infirmary at the age of Over the years he had sold the rights to many of his patents and wound up poor in money and in health.

Hayden, in his book Eight Black American Inventors, quoted an article in the Engineer's Journal: "There is no denying the fact that our present experience in lubricating the cylinders of engines using super-heated steam is anything but satisfactory … If the oil feed was made regular so the steam would distribute it over the bearing surface of cylinder while the engine was working, these bearing surfaces would be better protected than is now otherwise possible.

Rather than use oil alone as a lubricant, designers preferred to mix the oil with powdered graphite, a form of carbon. Powdered graphite is soft and greasy, and easily withstands high temperatures. However, because it is a powder rather than a liquid, it can clog an engine. Hayden cites a letter from a railroad superintendent: "We have found the McCoy Graphite Lubricator to be of considerable assistance in lubrication of locomotives equipped with superheaters.

In reviewing the life of this inventor, writers and essayists often note that railroad purchasing agents commonly insisted on buying "the real McCoy. Many of these authors assert that the phrase "real McCoy" passed out of the specialized world of railroad engineering and entered general usage, where it came to mean "the genuine article.

While McCoy's inventions made millions of dollars, little of this money reached his pockets. Lacking the capital with which to build his lubricators in large numbers, he sold many of his patent rights to well-heeled investors. In return, he was given only the modest sums that allowed him to continue his work. McCoy received at least 72 patents during his lifetime, most of which dealt with lubricating devices, but retained ownership of only a few of them. A year later, he married Mary Eleanora Delaney.

This marriage lasted half a century, but did not produce children. The firm manufactured and sold his graphite lubricators, including an advanced version that also lubricated a railroad train's air brakes. Soon afterward, he and his wife, Mary, were involved in a traffic accident. Mary received injuries from which she never fully recovered, and which hastened her death.

She died in For McCoy, the end now approached as well. His health deteriorated and, in , he entered an infirmary. McCoy was remembered in Detroit long after his death. In , the city celebrated Elijah McCoy Day, as officials placed a historic marker at the site of his home.

The city also named a street for him.