Elijah McCoy: Specification for Improvement in Apparatus in Oiling Slide Valves, Filed March 12, 1887

THF95243 / Elijah McCoy: Specification for Improvement in Apparatus in Oiling Slide Valves, Filed March 12, 1887
01

Artifact Overview

Canadian-American inventor Elijah McCoy developed a mechanical lubricator to oil the slide valves on a steam locomotive. McCoy's device automatically supplied measured amounts of oil to the valve, reducing the need for crews to lubricate it manually. McCoy received a patent on his invention in 1872. He refined the device many times. This patent is for an 1887 modification.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Specification

Date Made

1887

Subject Date

12 March 1887

Location

at Henry Ford Museum in Made in America

Object ID

91.0.110.160

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Material

Paper (Fiber product)

Technique

Typewriting
Handwriting

Dimensions

Height: 13.375 in
Width: 8.125 in
Thickness: 0.063 in

02

Related Content

  • Diagram for Radio Beacon Patent, #1,937,876, Granted December 5, 1933
    Set

    The Patent Process

    • 20 Artifacts
    The radio beacon may be Henry Ford's most important contribution to aviation. Early pilots depended on landmarks, preventing reliable navigation in bad weather. Ford's engineers developed a radio beacon that simultaneously transmitted the Morse code letter "A" (dot-dash) in one direction and the letter "N" (dash-dot) in another. The pilot steered until the separate signals merged into a steady hum.
  • A metal Steam Engine Lubricator
    article

    Elijah McCoy’s Steam Engine Lubricator

      Learn how Elijah McCoy, the Black son of formerly enslaved parents, secured at least 52 patents and design registrations during his lifetime--and explore his 1882 steam engine lubricator, on exhibit in Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation.