Discover the Inventor: Top 10 Fun Facts About Elijah McCoy That Will Amaze You!

1. Tin Man's Locomotive Hero

If steam engines could talk, they'd probably say they need to take five to lube up their joints like the Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz: The true wizard behind the scenes, Elijah McCoy, ingeniously invented the automatic engine lubricator which lubricated locomotives in action, saving precious time and boosting efficiency, landing him 57 U.S. patents and an induction into the National Inventors Hall of Fame®.
Source => invent.org

2. Birth of "The Real McCoy"

When people say "the real McCoy," they're not just reminiscing about an old Star Trek character or craving some tasty rum: This popular expression has its roots in the steam-powered world of locomotive genius Elijah McCoy. The serious reveal: McCoy's top-notch automatic lubricator was the talk of the railroad and machine industries, and his device was so effective that it stomped on the competition and left engineers demanding "the real McCoy" to secure authenticity.
Source => invent.org

Did you know? Thomas Edison's electric-lamp patent in 1880 not only illuminated our world but also led to over 1,000 inventions, revolutionizing industries with the phonograph and the moving picture camera. Discover more about this brilliant inventor!

=> Fun Facts about Thomas-Edison

3. Gaga for the Real McCoy

Before train conductors went gaga over Lady Gaga, they were all aboard the "real McCoy" express: Elijah McCoy, the ingenious inventor of the automatic lubricating oil cup for steam engine trains, found his creation so astonishingly effective that it spawned a fleet of inferior imitations, only leaving railway aficionados craving the genuine article.
Source => detroithistorical.org

4. Greasing the Wheels of Talent

Who needs a knife to cut through the competition when you can grease your way to the top? Elijah McCoy, smoother than greased lightning, glided through various fields like a well-oiled machine: With a whopping total of 57 U.S. patents, McCoy was known not only for his game-changing lubricating oil cup but also for his inventive flair in a portable ironing board, an upgraded lawn sprinkler, and rubber shoe heels.
Source => detroithistorical.org

5. Toasting the Unsung Locomotive Hero

Chugga-chugga-choose-who? That's right, the next time your train chugs along without a glitch, remember to toast the unsung locomotive hero, Mr. Elijah McCoy: This ingenious Black inventor battled discrimination in the railroad business but still managed to create the automatic lubricator, also known as the "oil-drip cup," revolutionizing the performance of steam engines. Thanks to his brainchild, trains could travel longer distances without stopping for maintenance, and McCoy steamrolled his way to over 57 U.S. patents, using his talent to grease the wheels of transportation!
Source => invent.org

6. WWE Wrestler or Loco Cocktail?

Before "the real McCoy" became synonymous with Elijah's genius invention, it could have been the upgrade to your favorite WWE wrestler or even a fail-proof recipe for a lip-smacking cocktail: Elijah McCoy's lubricating cup for steam engines revolutionized locomotive technology, dominating the North American railroad scene by 1900, thanks to its ingenious mechanism that automatically and evenly distributed oil over a locomotive's moving parts while in motion.
Source => nps.gov

7. Pancake-Smooth Inventor Extraordinaire

They say the real McCoy was smoother than butter on a hot pancake, but his inventions were no laughing matter: Elijah McCoy invented a lubricating oil cup that revolutionized the railroad industry, allowing trains and ships to speed on without so much as a hiccup, and amassed a total of 57 U.S. patents across various innovations like lawn sprinklers and rubber shoe heels—though, sadly, no spider-like folding ironing tables.
Source => detroithistorical.org

8. All-You-Can-Patent Buffet

If Elijah McCoy were a buffet, he'd be an all-you-can-eat, patent-licious feast, with special sides of ironing board and rubber heels: This brilliant inventor racked up 57 U.S. patents, including gems like the oil cup, a portable ironing board, lawn sprinkler, and shock-absorbing rubber heels for shoes. His work was even lauded by the esteemed Booker T. Washington, and though you may not find him teaching workshops on mechanical consultations, this forerunner was still one of the top African American inventors of his era.
Source => detroithistorical.org

9. Racing with "The Real McCoy" Stamp

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but when it came to Elijah McCoy, the railway industry couldn't help but demand "the real McCoy" when it came to keeping their engines well-oiled: This ingenious inventor created the automatic lubricator that revolutionized steam engine efficiency, making nearly all North American trains race faster by 1899, racking up a whopping 57 patents in his career, yet surprisingly, remaining stampless in his snail mail fame.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

10. Machinery's FOMO: The Real McCoy

Back in the day, machinery partied so hard with Elijah McCoy's ingenious invention that they coined their own version of FOMO: not wanting to settle for anything less than "the real McCoy!" : An automatic lubricating device created by McCoy became such a vital component in machinery that users, not wanting to settle for inferior imitations, popularized the phrase "the real McCoy" to ensure they purchased the genuine product, which is where the term comes from and remains widely used today.
Source => invent.org