9781422283257

Ypsilanti, McCoy created what became known as the lubri- cating cup, which consisted of a piston, set in an oil-filled container. Steam pressure pushed down on the piston, forc- ing the oil into conduits that carried it to the engine’s moving parts. McCoy received a U.S. patent on June 23, 1872, and the Michigan Central Railroad agreed to try the lubricating

cup on some of its locomotives. The device was a resounding success, al- lowing for faster, more cost-effective train travel. The lubricating cup was later adapted to other types of steam engines and was widely used on ocean liners and in factory machin- ery. After others began making infe- rior knock-offs of the device, those in the knowwere said to ask for only the “real McCoy.” McCoy, who later moved to Detroit, received almost 60 patents over the course of his life—most for advanced, better-performing lubri- cation devices. (He said a device that allowed for the use of powdered graphite—an exceptionally effec- tive lubricant but one prone to trou- blesome clogging—was among the most important of his innovations.)

This is the drawing submitted by McCoy to the U.S. Patent Office for his most important railroad invention.

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Black Achievement in Science: Engineering