Granville T' Woods

1
Granville T. Woods

• 1856-1910

2
Who is Granville T. Woods ?

• Colored inventor during the late 20th and early
  21st century
• According to the Catholic Tribune Greatest
  inventor in the history of his race
• Many called him the Black Edison
• Note during the time of segregation race was
  clearly emphasized.

3
Background

• Born April 23, 1856 in Australia
• (Note, other sources say he was born in Ohio)
• Part Aborigine and part African
• No one is certain when he immigrated to the U.S.

4
Education

• Most believe Woods attended school until the age
  of 10
• Dropped out to support his family, worked in a
  machine shop.
• Some believe that he received formal training as
  an Electrician.
• All agree, however, that Woods was largely
  self-taught.

5
Background Cont.

• 1872 Fireman on Danville and Southern Railroad
• Eventually became and engineer
• 1874 Moved to Springfield, IL
• Worked in a rolling mill
• 1876 Moved east
• Worked in a machine shop
• Took Mechanical engineering course

6
Background Cont.

• 1878 Became engineer
• British steam boat (Iron sides)
• 2 years later - Chief engineer
• Could never advance in careers
• Even with his great experience and background

7
Inventive Career

• Woods created an invention that sent a signal to
  the elevator operator from a floor.
• Did not posses enough money to patent the idea
  (repeating problem throughout most of his life).
• Eventually became discouraged and abandoned this
  device, but not his career

8
Inventive Career

• Invented Inductive Communication Device.
• This device was far ahead of anything previously
  used.
• This device allowed for communication between
  trains and stations.
• If used this device could save many lives and
  prevent many accidents.
• Couldnt patent this device because he had no
  money.
• Woods attempted to invent other devices to build
  up funds to patent and sell this communication
  device.

9
Inventive Career

• Attempted to patent and sell many of his ideas to
  fund Inductive Communicator, but unsuccessfully.
• Eventually Lucius J. Phelps invented similar
  device
• After a long court battle Woods was awarded the
  right for the patent.

10
Inventive Career

• 1880 Starts his own business
• Woods electrical company
• With help of John A. Gano and Ralph Peter
• This new company used Woods more than helped him
• Woods Electrical Company turned into a big mess
• After a long battle he was able to leave
• Once again Woods had no money!

11
Inventive Career

• He moved to New York city, where Woods found
  himself in an even bigger mess.
• Woods attempted to promote his ideas, but with no
  success.
• Probably because of racial discrimination, bad
  ideas, or because he lacked business connections.
• After a year he ran into James S. Zerbe, promoter
  of inventions.
• Desperate for help Woods trusted Zerbe and
  American Engineering Company is formed.

12
Inventive Career

• During his time with AEC Woods found himself
  working on a new railroad system. Incorporating
  idea for the Third Rail on the modern Subway.
• When Woods completed this system, he realized
  that Zerbe was going to steal it away from Woods
  and take full credit for the invention as well as
  the money it would generate (estimated at over
  1,000,000 at the time).

13
Inventive Career

• After a very lengthy and challenging court battle
  with Zerbe, Woods once again wins the right to
  the patent.
• Unfortunately Woods, did not receive any money
  from the patent because other inventors claimed
  credit for this third rail during the court
  battle.
• Now this system is used in almost every Subway
  around the world.

14
Inventive Career

• After this unsuccessful and unrewarding (at least
  monetarily) attempt, Woods switches his inventive
  genius from large systems, to small components.
• In other words, he no longer builds new devices,
  but instead, small devices that improve existing
  ones.
• After the battle with Zerbe, little known about
  Woods.

15
Inventive Career

• He did however patent 17 more things bring his
  lifetime total to over 45 devices.
• And it appeared that he was beginning to receive
  the attention and reputation that he deserved
  within engineering and inventive community.
• However, as it seemed that Woods life was
  beginning to reach success, he died of cerebral
  hemorrhage.

16
Inventive Career

• Although it is hard to say how much direct
  discrimination Woods faced through his career due
  to his ethnicity, it is clear that he was
  discriminated again all along as an inventor.
• When Woods was looking for partners and
  investors, people continuously took advantage of
  him.
• People like Zerbe, Gano, and Peter exploited his
  inventive talents with no regard to their mutual
  partnership.

17
CONTEMPORARIES

• Its hard to find and real contemporaries of
  Woods because everyone he worked with took his
  ideas!
• It seems Woods may have been a mentor to many
  other indirectly (Phelps, Zabre, Gano, and Peter)
• Also Woods seemed to be the leader in everything
  he did without any mentors showing him the way

18
Summery

• Inventions
• Improved Steam-Boiler Furnace
• Telephone transmitter
• Telegraphony
• Synchronous Multiplex Railway Telegraph
• Electric Motor Regulator
• Third Rail System
• Dimmer Switch
• And many others!

19
Steam Boiler
20
Summery

• Woods biggest challenge to patent inventions was
  a constant lack of funding (money).
• During his early career, Woods was often taken
  advantage of by the people whom he choose to
  trust.
• In order to continue his inventive career, Woods
  began inventing smaller components for larger
  devices.