Elijah McCoy -Elijah McCoy (1844–1929) was a Canadian-American inventor and mechanical engineer whose innovations revolutionized industrial lubrication. Born in Ontario to formerly enslaved parents and later apprenticed in Scotland, McCoy returned to the U.S. to work on railroad machinery. Frustrated by costly engine downtime for manual oiling, he developed an automatic lubricator that allowed trains and factories to run continuously without stopping for maintenance. He secured over 50 patents for his “lubricating cup” and related devices, earning him a reputation for quality so distinguished that engineers insisted on “the real McCoy” rather than inferior imitations. His inventions boosted efficiency across railroads and manufacturing plants, leaving a legacy of smooth operation wherever moving parts meet.