Railroad car couplerIn 1897, a U.S. patent was issued to black American inventor, Andrew Jackson Beard for his invention of the "Jenny coupler," (U.S. No. 594,059). It does the dangerous job of hooking railroad cars together by simply allowing them to bump into each other, when "horizontal jaws engage each other to connect the cars." Beard's idea has probably saved countless lives and limbs. It remains in use today. He received $50,000 for the patent rights to the "Jenny Coupler." Beard was born a slave on a plantation in Alabama, shortly before slavery ended. He was a farmer, carpenter, blacksmith, a railroad worker, a businessman and finally an inventor. Beard's other patents included a steam driven rotary engine, and a double plow. |
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