The Afro-American., 1895-11-02
som B AFR IA MERICAN
NV ENTORs
PATENTS THAT HAVE BEEN
TAKEN OUT BY C0LORED
MEN.

paper In one OF its periodical at
tacks on the colored people of the
United States made statement to
the effect that the colored people
had no mechanical ingenuity, and
offered as a proof Of it that On the
records Of the patent office there
We're no col0red inventors. The
newspaper article having been
called to the attention Of the com
missioner Of patents, says the REV
York SIM, an investigation was
made of the files of the patent of
flee. Many colored men have Oh
tanned patents, but it was a diff
cult matter To trace them, for there
was nothing to 60 by but the
names of the inventors and the rec
objection Of the 4erent examin-
crs cf patents before. whom the in
ventors had appeared in prosecnt
ing their Claims y systematic
search, howe vas made at the
time, and made again re-
Gently AZ tie Instance Of Exon
gresham George Washington Muir
ray, Of South Carolina, to the end
that a list has been made which
comprises most Of the more inn
portant inventions by colored men
Since 1867. Prior to 1867, it APP
pears that but one invention had
been patented by colored man
This was a patent gridiron by Jos
eph Hawkins, since 1867, however
and more particularly with n the
last fifteen years, many patents
have been granted to colored men,
some Of which have proved valu
able and are in general use in some
parts Of the United States.
Mr.. Murray has had this list Of
inventions made as complete AS
possible, an description Of the
best known of the inventions, to-
gether with a number Of models,
has been sent to the Atlanta Expo
sition with the other color~d PEG
pies exhibits. The patent office
detailed special agent for the es
pecial duty Of having these models
presented ID the proper way, and
collection consists of about twenty
five models Of the most remarkable
and most useful inventions by col
ored men.
The IL. II. Reynolds ventilator
- the altman cars is perhaps the
invention mooa widely used of
those exhibited at Atlanta. Rey
nolds was a porter on one vf the.
Pullman cars. Opening and shut
ting the windows as he did 50 often
for his passengers, he devised A
screen 70 keep the cinders out.
Pullman heard of it and Reynolds
was sent for. tie explained his
invention to the car magnate, and
the interview resulted shortly after
ward in the adoption Of this venti-
lator on all the huffman cars. Rey-
nolds claimed Tie invention, but
Pullman did not recognize the
claim. He got out Of the service Of
the Pullmans, sued them, and got
d verdict for ten thousand dollars.
Granville 7. Woods, a colored
man in the employ Of an electric
company in Cincinnati, recently
transferred his patents on some
electrical appliances to the Ameri-
can Bell Telephone company of
Boston for ten thousand dollars.
w. a. Lavalette invented some
printing press appliances which
arc in use in the government print
ing office. Moses Payne, jockey
Oh tile Latonia race track, invented
springy horseshoe intended to
better the time in running and
trotting races.
Congressman Murray has made
a good deal Of money out Of his
patents, Of which there are eight
Oh file. These are all agricultural
implements; most Of them are de-
voted to cotton planting. These
different agricultural appliances
will form all important part Of the
Atlanta exhibit of the colored men.
Elijah Mccoy, Of Detroit, has q
number Of inventions relating to
railroad car lis eeeiyes
handsass8s nous
and g.
itic IL aP-
pliariN