Granville T. Woods

Biography

Granville "Black Edison" T. Woods
1856-1910
Born a free man in Columbus Ohio in 1856, Granville is responsible for having 60 patents!
He received little schooling as a young man, and as a teenager took on jobs various jobs. He moved to New York City to take on electrical and engineering courses in 1876-1878.

During the 1878 summer in Ohio, he was hired to work in the Springfield, Jackson and Pomeroy Railroad Company to work at the pumping stations for 8 months, then he worked at the Dayton and Southeastern Railway Company as an engineer for 13 months.
It was during these points in his lifetime when he made most of his inventions.

In 1889, he made his first patent, he made an improved steam boiler furnace, his 2nd patent being an improved telephone transmitter.
Alexander Graham Bell bought his idea, that combined the telephone with the telegraph.
One of his later more important inventions, was the trolley, which allowed carts to be powered through electrical cords overhead.
In 1887, he invented the induction telegraph, or the block system, which allowed people to communicate by voice over telegraph wires. This allowed for faster communications, and prevented crucial accidents from happening.
With this same invention, Woods defeated Thomas Edison's lawsuit that challenged his patent, and Woods then declined to become partners with Thomas Edison, and it was from then on he was known as the Black Edison.

In 1901, one of Woods last important inventions, was called the power pickup device, which is what the "third rail" currently used by electric-powered transit systems, is built off of.
It was from 1902 to 1905, that he received patents for an improved air brake system.

When he had passed away in 1910, during his life he had invented 15 appliances used in electrical runways, and had 60 patents registered under him. He passed away in New York City.