|
Fascinating
facts about Granville Woods inventor of the Multiplex Railway Telegraph in
1887. |
Granville T. Woods |
AT A GLANCE:
Granville
T. Woods's inventions were part of the everyday lives of millions of
people. They rode street cars and subways powered by Woods's motors,
supplied with electricity by Woods's electric transfer devices, and wree brought
to safe stops by Woods's improved air brakes.
In 1887, Woods developed his most important invention - a device he called Multiplex Railway Telegraph.
|
THE
STORY
RELATED INFO
BOOKS
WEB SITES
DID YOU KNOW? |
| Inventor: |
Granville
T. Woods |
|
|
Criteria: |
First to invent. First
to patent. Entrepreneur |
| Birth: |
April 23, 1856
in Columbus, Ohio |
| Death: |
January 30, 1910
in New York City, New York |
|
Nationality: |
American |
|
|
Invention: |
Multiplex
Railway Telegraph |
|
|
Function: |
noun /
mul·ti·plex rail·way tele·graph
|
|
Definition: |
A variation
of the "induction telegraph," it allowed for messages to be sent
from moving trains and railway stations. By allowing dispatchers to
know the location of each train, it provided for greater safety and
a decrease in railway accidents.
|
| Patent: |
373,915 (US) issued
November 29, 1887 |
|
Milestones:
1856 Granville T. Woods was born a free black man on April 23, 1856
in Columbus, Ohio
1866 Attending school until age 10, he served an apprenticeship as a
machinist and blacksmith 1872 Woods obtained a job
as a fireman on the Danville and Southern Railroad in Missouri
1874 Granville Woods moved to Springfield, Illinois, and worked in a
steel rolling mill.
1876 Woods took college courses in electrical and mechanical engineering
1878 He served as engineer on the British steamer
Ironsides
1880 He settled in Cincinnati, Ohio
1884 His first
patent was for a steam boiler furnace
1884 Woods, along with his brother
Lyates, formed the Woods Railway Telegraph Company
1885 Woods patented a device which was a combination of a telephone and
a telegraph.
1885 The device was so successful that he sold it to the American Bell
Telephone Company.
1887 Woods developed a device he called Synchronous Multiplex Railway
Telegraph
1890 Woods moved to New York City to expand on his
subway and trolley electrical inventions
1892 Woods created a method to supply electricity to a train without any
exposed wires or batteries
1903 Woods received a
patent for an "Electric Railway" (U.S. No. 729,481)
1910 He suffered a stroke and died January 30, at Harlem Hospital in New
York City
CAPs: Woods, Granville Woods, Lyates Woods,
Woods Electrical Company, General Electric, Westinghouse and Bell Telephone Company,
The Multiplex
Telegraph,
SIPs:
electrical, railway, streetcar, subway,
trolley, telegraphony,
inventor, biography, profile, history,
inventor of, history of, who invented, invention of, fascinating
facts. |
|
STORY:
Known as the "Black Thomas Edison", Granville T. Woods taught himself
electrical and mechanical engineering while working in railroad machine
shops and steel mills. In his career, he received more than 45 patents and
established his own company. His first patent for a furnace and boiler to
produce steam heat. In the years that followed, the prolific inventor
improved the telephone transmitter and developed an electric car powered by
overhead wires, a grooved wheel for the trolley car, a "third rail" system
for an electric locomotive, an improved airbrake system, and a telegraph
system for communicating between moving trains, which contributed to
railroad safety.
Granville Woods was born a free man on April 23, 1856 in Columbus, Ohio. He spent his
early years attending school until the age of 10 at which point he began
working in a machine shop repairing railroad equipment and machinery.
Intrigued by the electricity that powered the machinery, Woods studied other
machine workers as they attended to different pieces of equipment and paid
other workers to sit down and explain electrical concepts to him.
Working as a fireman in 1872 on the Danville & Southern Railroad in
Missouri, Woods worked his way up to engineer and studied electronics on the
side. In 1874, Woods would move to Springfield, Ill. and work in a
steel rolling mill.
He then moved East working part-time in a machine shop and taking a
mechanical engineering course.Woods took college courses in electrical and
rnechanical engineering from 1876 to 1878. In 1878, he took a job aboard the Ironsides, a British steamer,
and, within two years, became Chief Engineer of the steamer.
Unfortunately, despite his high
aptitude and valuable education and expertise, Woods was denied
opportunities and promotions because of the color of his skin. In 1880, Woods moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, to look for
better opportunities. It was there that Woods would revolutionize the railroad industry. As an
electrician, he invented 15 appliances for electrified railways, receiving
his first patent for a steam boiler furnace in 1884.
Out of
frustration and a desire to promote his abilities, Woods, along with his
brother Lyates, formed the Woods Electric Company in 1884. The
company manufactured and sold telephone, telegraph and electrical equipment. In 1885, Woods patented a apparatus
which was a combination of a telephone and a telegraph. The device, which he
called "telegraphony," would allow a telegraph station to send voice and
telegraph messages over a single wire.The device was so successful that he later sold it to the American Bell
Telephone Company..The Bell Company's purchase of
this invention enabled Woods to become a full-time inventor.
In
1887, Woods developed a device he called Synchronous Multiplex Railway
Telegraph. A success in the powerful railroad industry of the late
nineteenth century, the device not only helped dispatchers locate trains,
but also allowed moving trains to communicate by telegraph. This invention was so useful that Woods found
himself fighting patent suits filed by none other than Thomas Edison,and one
by another inventor named Lucius Phelps.. Woods
eventually won, but Edison continued to pursue the telegraph by offering
Woods a lucrative partnership in one of Edison's businesses. Woods refused,
preferring to be independent.
In 1888, Woods developed a system for overhead electric conducting lines for
railroads, which aided in the development of the overhead railroad system
found in cities such as Chicago, St. Louis, and New York City. In
1890, Woods moved to New York City to expand on his
subway and trolley electrical inventions
In 1892, Woods used his knowledge of electrical systems in creating a method
of supplying electricity to a train without any exposed wires or secondary
batteries. Approximately every 12 feet, electricity would be passed to the
train as it passed over an iron block. He first demonstrated the device as
an amusement apparatus at the Coney Island amusement park and while it
amused patrons, it would be a novel approach towards making safer travel for
trains.
Many of Woods inventions attempted to increase efficiency and safety
railroad cars, Woods developed the concept of a third rail which would allow
a train to receive more electricity while also encountering less friction.
This concept is still used on subway train platforms in major cities in the
United States.In 1903, Granville T. Woods received a patent for an "Electric Railway" (U.S. No.
729,481).
He suffered a stroke and died January 30, 1910 at Harlem Hospital in New
York City, at the young age of 53. He was very poor when he died,
despite his great success as an inventor. Some suggest that his fortunes
were spent on legal fees defending his patents.
Of the more than 45 patents that he registered, the majority were concerned
with railroad telegraphs, electrical brakes, and electrical railway systems. Some of his better known contributions were in developing the "third rail"
concept in mass-transit subway systems and developing the "trolley" system
for trolley cars.
Mr. Woods' inventions were well-received, he had become an admired and well
respected inventor, having sold a number of his devices to such giants as
American Bell Telephone Company, General Electric, Westinghouse Air Brake
Company and American Engineering. The magnitude of an inventors work can often be defined by the esteem in
which he is held by fellow inventors. If this is the case, then Granville
Woods was certainly a respected inventor as he was often referred to as the
"Black Thomas Edison." |
TO
LEARN MORE
RELATED INFORMATION:
Black Inventors, A Class Act from The Great Idea Finder
Communication History
from The Great Idea Finder
ON THE BOOKSHELF:
African
American Inventors
by Otha Richard Sullivan, James Haskins / Library Binding - 176 pages (1998) / John Wiley
& Sons
For more than three centuries, African American inventors have been coming up with
ingenious ideas. In fact, it is impossible to really know American history without also
learning about the contributions of black discoverers.
Black Inventors
by Nathan Aaseng / Hardcover: 144 pages / Facts on File, Inc.(August 1997)
Ten short, well-written biographies tell the stories of black inventors whose
contributions have often
been overlooked or unrecognized.
Black Pioneers of Science and Invention
by Louis Haber / Paperback - 264 pages Reprint edition / Harcourt Brace
(January 1992)
Dr. Haber has lifted from obscurity 14 remarkably gifted black Americans who played
crucial roles in this country's scientific and industrial progress. Includes photos and
illustrations.
Five
Notable Inventors (Great Black Heroes)
by Wade Hudson, Ron Garnett (Illustrator) / Paperback:/ Cartwheel Books; ; (April 1995)
Follows five inventors: Elijah "the real" McCoy, machinery oiling equipment;
Madame C.J. Walker, hair products for black women; Granville Woods, electrical signal
system for trains; Garrett Morgan, gas masks and traffic signals; and Jan Matzeliger, shoe
machinery.
The African-American Century : How Black Americans Have Shaped Our
Country
by Henry Louis, Jr. Gates, Cornel West / Paperback: 432 pages / Free
Press (February 5, 2002)
When it began, only 35 years after the end of slavery, few could
envision what the 20th century would hold for black Americans. Fills
the aching gaps in public awareness about African Americans and
remind us that self-confidence, dignity, and excellence are the
essential virtues in the great historical drama of American
democracy.
The New York Public Library African American Desk Reference
by New York Public Library / Hardcover: 624 pages / Wiley; 1 edition
(September 16, 1999)
This is exactly the type of reference book you'd expect from the New York
Public Library--it is packed with tables, charts, timelines, and summaries
devoted, in this case, to the African American experience. Including a
chapter on notable achievements of African Americans are also addressed,
including inventors and innovators.
ON THE WEB:
African-American Inventors – Railroad/Transportation Industry
An extensive list of black inventors contrubutions to the railroad industry.
Prepared for African-American Railroader Month 2004 by Norfolk Southern
Corporation.You will find information on Granville Woods and a complete list
of his inventions.
(URL: www.nscorp.com/)
Invention
Dimension - Inventor of the Week
Celebrates inventor/innovator role models through outreach activities and annual
awards to inspire a new generation of American scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs.
(URL: web.mit.edu/invent/iow/woods.html)
Granvillle T. Woods
Wods's inventions were part of the everyday lives of millions of
people. They rode street cars and subways powered by Woods's motors,
supplied with electricity by Woods's electric transfer devices, and brought
to safe stops by Woods's improved air brakes.
(URL: purpleplanetmedia.com/bhp/pages/gtwoods.shtml)
The Black Thomas Edison
The magnitude of an inventors work can often be defined by the esteem in
which he is held by fellow inventors. If this is the case, then Granville
Woods was certainly a respected inventor as he was often referred to as the
"Black Thomas Edison." This site has COOKIES and
POP-UP ADS.
(URL: www.blackinventor.com/pages/granvillewoods.html)
Electrical Engineer, Mechanical Engineer, Inventor
Woods took college courses in electrical and rnechanical engineering from 1876 to 1878. He served as engineer on the
British steamer Ironsides in 1878, and later settled in Cincinnati, Ohio.
(URL: www.users.fast.net/~blc/xlhome3.htm)
Black History Month Feature on Ganville T. Woods
IEEE is the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. The IEEE
established the IEEE History Center to preserve, research and promote the
legacy of Electrical Engineering and Computing. In 1990, the Center
moved to the campus of Rutgers University, a cosponsor.
(URL: www.ieee.org/organizations/history_center/woods.htm)
On the Move with Advanced Trolleys and Safer Trains
Granville Woods was awarded more than 35 patents for electrical system and
devices which created new energy techniques for the transportation and
communication industries.
(URL: www.africanamericans.com/GranvilleTWoods.htm)
Scholastic Magazine Top Ten African-American Inventors
Throughout history, African Americans have invented some important
and fun devices. Read about ten examples of men and women and see
what they invented.Think about what kind of obstacles they may have
faced, personally and professionally.
(URL: teacher.scholastic.com/activities/bhistory/inventors/)
The Faces of Science: African Americans in the Sciences
Profiled here are African American men and women who have
contributed to the advancement of science and engineering. The
accomplishments of the past and present can serve as pathfinders to
present and future engineers and scientists.
(URL: www.princeton.edu/~mcbrown/display/faces.html)
Honoring Black Inventors of the Past
Black minds have been inventors, engineers and master-builders since
antiquity. We must maintain the time-honored tradition in
preparation for the 21st century and beyond. Stories of seven black
inventors presented by Byron L. Crudup, P.E.
(URL: www.users.fast.net/~blc/xlhome2.htm)
DID YOU KNOW?:
- In 1969, a public school in Brooklyn, New York was named after Granville Woods
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This page revised January 30, 2006. |
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