ELIJAH "The Real" MCCOY (May 2, 1844 - October 10, 1929)
Today's Google Doodle features Elijah McCoy. McCoy is the Black Canadian inventor and engineer who created a lubrication system that revolutionized automation in locamotives. In honor of his birthday Google is featuring a Doodle that shows an animated illustration of Mr. McCoy appearing to think with a locamotive above his head. He branded his invention with his name to signify authenticity, which is associated with the phrase "The Real McCoy."
Born to slaves in Kentucky who escaped through the Undergroud Railroad, McCoy was raised free in Canada. (Incidentally, the McCoys of the famous Hatfield-McCoy feud were from Kentucky.)
The inventor received training as a mechanical engineer apprentice in Edinburg, Scotland. Upon his return to the United States McCoy in 1866 was unable to find work that would enable him to use his level of experience due to racial discrimination. He took a job with the Michigan Central Railroad as a fireman and oiler.
Trains were the primary method of long distance travel and land shipments during his time and required well-oiled engines to runcontinuously. He invented the oil-drip cup to keep oil flowing around a trainn's engine. Without it trains, would have to frequently stop after several miles to replace the oil manually.
McCoy patented the idea, referred to on the record as "Improvement in Lubricators for Steam Engines." This was one off 57 patented inventions he held in his lifetime that dealt with a wide range of drilling and oil technologies. Althouh the engineer is associated with railroads, McCoy, he is also responsible for improvements in oil-drilling, developing mining and construction equipment and factory tools. By getting his work patented he retained credit for himself, blocking industry piracy.
Both passenger and cargo trains are still intregal in day-to-day operations in America and were affected by the early innovation in locamotives by McCoy.