Elijah J. McCoy

Elijah J. McCoy

Improvement in lubricators for steam engines—McCoy, a mechanical engineer from Detroit, Mich., developed an automatic lubricator that provided a constant flow of oil onto machine parts as the machine was working. McCoy's invention, later known as “the real McCoy,” increased the life span and productivity of machines. In all, McCoy received more than 50 patents. (2001)