“Charles V. Richey, of Washington, D.C., has obtained about a dozen patents on his inventions, the last of which was a most ingenius device for registering the calls on a telephone and detecting the unauthorized use of that instrument.”
“The late Granville T. Woods, of New York, and his brother, Lyates took out some fifty or more patents. Wood’s inventions principally relate to electrical subjects, such as telegraph and telephone instruments, electrical railways and general systems of electrical control. Several are on devices for transmitting telegraphic messages between moving trains. According to Patent Office Records, several of Woods’ patents have for valuable considerations been assigned to the foremost electrical corporations, such as the General Electric Company, of New York, and the American Bell Telephone Company, of New York. Mr. Woods’ inventive faculty also worked along other lines. He devised an incubator, a complicated amusement device, a steam boiler furnace and a mechanical brake.”
“John Ernest Matzeliger, born Dutch Guiana, 1852, died, Lynn, Massachusetts, 1889. He is the inventor of the first machine that performed automatically all the operations involved in attaching soles to shoes. This wonderful achievement marked the beginning of a distinct revolution in the art of making shoes by machinery. Matzeliger realized this, and attempted to capitalize it by organizing a stock company to market his invention; but his plans were frustrated through failing health and lack of business experience and shortly thereafter he died. The patent and much of the stock of the company organized by Matzeliger was bought up. The purchase laid the foundation for the organization of the United Shoe Machinery Company the largest and richest corporation of the kind in the world.”
“During 1917-1918, Negroes made a large number of inventions. Many of these related to the war. Charles Stevenson of Amarillo, Texas, invented a glass war bomb. It was reported that L. A. Hayden, a native of Charlotte, North Carolina, invented an airship stableizer which was adopted by the British Government and that he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the British aviation corps. Julius Hart of Columbus, Georgia, invented three war bombs which were reported to be of great military value and that for one the War Department gave him $15,000. Wm. D. Polite, of Charlotte, North Carolina, has patented an anti-aircraft gun.”
“Jacob W. F. Berry of Decatur, Alabama, invented an electrically driven submarine. H. A. Cooper of Sabetha, Kansas, invented a submarine detector. Henry Grady of Westbourne, Tennessee, has had patented a Torpedo-Catcher and a Mine Destroyer.”
“The ‘national safety helmet’ or hood, invented by Garrett A. Morgan of Cleveland, is reported to have been used by the United States and the Allies to combat poisonous gases and as a safety device on Submarines. The ‘Safety Hood and Smoke Protector’ was originally invented for firemen.
“In addition to seven American patents on this device, Mr. Morgan holds patents for Canada, England, Germany and other countries. This invention received a gold medal prize from the American Museum of safety and the first grand prize at the second Inter-National Convention of Safety and Sanitation which was held at New York City. In 1914, the Inter-National Fire chief’s Association in session in New Orleans, voted Mr. Morgan a gold honorary membership badge. ‘The safety hood’ is manufactured by the Safety Device Company of which Mr. Morgan is the general manager. As a protection for firemen, it is in use in a large number of cities.”
“H. C. Webb of Bradentown, Florida, is the inventor of the Webb Palmetto Grubbing Machine, which removes the stumps from 5 to 10 acres of land per day.”
C. J. Perry, of Cincinnati, O., has invented a hydro-carbon device that saves 10 to 20 percent of coal fuel and also consumes 85 percent of the smoke. This invention is now in use on the Milwaukee Railroad and in the Metropole Hotel in Chicago, Ill. C. H. Jackson has invented a diving outfit with which the world record for deep-sea diving has been broken. Miss Alice H. Parker, of Washington, D.C., has received a patent on a heating furnace. Wm. Solder, Boston, Mass., has been given a patent on a cooking stove and water heater combined.
“The largest number of patents received on inventions, by a Negro, was by Elijah McCoy, of Detroit, Michigan. McCoy obtained his first patent in July, 1872, and his last one in 1917. During this period of forty years he invented one thing after another and has some fifty-eight patents to his credit. His inventions cover a wide range of subjects, but relate particularly to the lubricating of machinery. He was a pioneer in the art of steadily supplying oil to machinery in intermittent drops from a cup so as to avoid the necessity for stopping the machine to oil it. McCoy’s lubricating cup was famous thirty years ago as a necessary equipment for all-up-to-date machinery.” (quotations from Work’s Negro Year Book, 1918-1919 edition, pgs. 5-6-7-8-341-2-3-4)