With over 60 patents, he revolutionized the railways. He helped trains speak to one another.
Granville T. Woods was an electrical genius. Dealing with racism that denied him opportunities, he started his own company and registered nearly 60 patents. He was so prolific that he was often called "The Black Edison," though his genius stood entirely on its own.
1. He left school at age 10
Born in Ohio in 1856, Woods had to leave school at age 10 to support his family. He worked in a machine shop and a steel mill, learning engineering by doing it. He used his spare time to study electricity at the library.
2. He invented the "Induction Telegraph"
Before Woods, moving trains couldn't communicate with stations. If there was a mistake in the schedule, collisions happened. Woods invented the Synchronous Multiplex Railway Telegraph. It used static electricity to allow messages to jump from the train to telegraph wires overhead. This invention stopped countless train wrecks.
3. He defeated Thomas Edison in court
Thomas Edison claimed he had invented the induction telegraph first and sued Woods. Woods fought back. He produced his notes and models, proving he was the true inventor. He won the case. Edison sued again. Woods won again.
4. Edison tried to hire him
After losing in court, Edison was impressed. He offered Woods a high-ranking job at the Edison Electric Light Company. Woods declined, preferring to remain independent.
5. He invented the "Trolley"
Woods patented the grooved wheel that allows streetcars (trolleys) to collect electricity from overhead wires. This invention, the "troller" (later trolley), allowed for the development of electric streetcar systems in cities across America.
6. He invented the "Third Rail"
If you ride a subway today, you use Woods' technology. He developed and patented the concept of the "third rail" to power underground trains, a system still used by subways in New York, London, and beyond.
7. He invented an automatic brake
In 1902, he patented an automatic air brake for trains. His system was combined with the Westinghouse air brake and is the foundation of the fail-safe braking systems used on railroads today.
8. He invented a chicken incubator
His genius wasn't limited to trains. He invented an egg incubator that could keep 50,000 eggs at a constant temperature, revolutionizing the poultry industry.
9. He held over 60 patents
By the time of his death in 1910, Woods held more than 60 patents for electrical and mechanical inventions. He sold many of them to giants like General Electric and Westinghouse.
10. He died forgotten
Despite his brilliance, Woods struggled financially, often selling his patents for a fraction of their value to pay bills. He died in New York City in 1910 and was buried in an unmarked grave. It wasn't until 1975 that a historian located his resting place and a headstone was raised.