African-American  Inventors

in Railroad System


The number listed is the number is the patent number assigned by the United States Patent Office

       INVENTOR                      INVENTION              PATENT DATE          PATENT No.

Bell,L Locomotive smoke  stack May 23,1871 115,153
Blackburn,A.B. Railway signal Jan 10,1888 375,362
Brown &Latiumer Water closets Feb. 10,1874 147,363
Burr,W.F. Switching device Oct.31,1899 636,197
Butler,R.A. Train alarm Jun 15,1897 157,370
Byrd, T.J. Car coupings Dec 01,1874  
Cherry,M.A. Street car fender Jan 01,1895 531,980
Clare,O.B. Trestle Oct. 09,1888 390,753
Jackson,W.H. Railway switch Mar 09,1897 578,641
  Railway switch Mar 16,1897 593,665
Purvis, W.B. Electric railway   May 01,1894 519,291
  Magnetic device May 21,1895 539,542
  Electric switch   588,170
		   
( Purvis also patented 10 paper bag machines between 1884
                        and 1894.)

Richey, C.V. Car couping Jun 15,1897 584,650
Railroad switch Aug 03,1897 587,657
Railroad switch Oct. 26,1897 592,448
Robinson,E.R. Electric railway trolley Sep 19,1893 505,370
Casting composite Nov 23,1897 594,286
Robinson, J.H. Life saving guards Mar 14,1899 621,143
Life saving guards Apr 25,1899 623,929
Romain, A. Passenger register Apr 23,1889

602,035

Shanks, S.C. Berth register Jul 21,1897 587,165
Spikes,Richard Contact trolley 1919
Railroad semaphore 1906