The Real McCoy

 

 

 

     That's Elijah J. McCoy in the photo. But he's not "the real McCoy."

Improvement in Lubricators for Steam-Engines

 

 

     This is a drawing of "the real McCoy." It is a mechanical device invented by Elijah J. McCoy. 

     The McCoy oil-drip lubrication system was used to lubricate steam engines. It was so reliable that it became a popular favorite on railroads in Canada and the United States. Railroad engineers and yard workers would insist on "the real McCoy."
    
     In the United States and Canada, the expression "the real McCoy" was soon applied to anything that was reliable and first rate.
    
     Elijah J. McCoy was born at Colchester, Ontario in 1844. His parents were fugitive slaves who escaped to Canada from Kentucky. His family moved to Ypsilanti, Michigan in 1847. When he was 15 years old, he went to Edinburgh, Scotland to study mechanical engineering. He returned to Michigan and worked for the Michigan Central Railroad. His oil-drip lubricating device was granted a patent in 1872. He called it an "Improvement in Lubricators for Steam-Engines." McCoy obtained over 55 patents during his lifetime.

     After the death of his first wife, he married again in 1873 and moved to Detroit. He continued to work on various mechanical inventions while living there. He died in Westland, Michigan on October 10, 1929.

Reference:
1) U.S. Patent number 29843.
2) Wikipedia--Elijah McCoy