Elijah McCoy (May 2, 1844–October 10, 1929) was an African-American inventor who received more than 50 patents for his inventions during his lifetime. Born free in Canada, he came to the United States as a young child when his family returned in 1847, becoming a U.S. resident and citizen. McCoy trained as an engineer in Scotland as a teenager. Elijah McCoy was a famous African-American inventor that earned more than 57 exclusive rights for his exception inventions. His first major invention was a lubrication for oiling the engines of locomotives and steamboats which he patented in July of 1872.

Elijah J. McCoy was a Canadian-born inventor and engineer of African American descent who was notable for his 57 US patents, most having to do with the lubrication of steam engines.

Elijah McCoy was a Canadian inventor who developed an automatic lubricator that spread oil evenly over the engines of trains in motion. Born in Colchester, Ontario in 1843, Elijah McCoy’s parents were slaves in the Underground Railroad. ... How did Elijah McCoy's accomplishments change the world?

Elijah McCoy is a famous African American inventor. His most famous invention was a cup that fed lubricating oil to machine bearings through a small tube. He also secured several other patents in his lifetime as a result of his work. Elijah McCoy is best known for his work inventing and developing lubrication devices that made trains and railroad operations more efficient.

Elijah’s father was enlisted in British forces, receiving approximately 160 acres … Some of his most well known inventions included a cup that was fed by lubricating oil through a tiny bore tube.

Machinists and engineers who wanted genuine McCoy lubricators might have used the expression "the real McCoy"—a term meaning "the real deal" or "the … He was born May 2, 1844 in Colchester, Ontario, Canada, to parents who had fled slavery in Kentucky via the Underground Railroad. Elijah McCoy was born in Canada, to parents who had fled slavery. This allowed trains to run faster, more efficiently, and for longer periods of time without stopping.

Elijah Mccoy changed the world by inventing the sprinkler and the iron bored as well as the lubricator for steam engines!