Andrew J. Beard
#BlackFactz
Born a slave, Andrew J. Beard spent his first 15 years on a small farm in Eastlake, Alabama. After emancipation, he began working as a farmer in Pinson, Alabama after marrying at the age of 16. Five years later, he quit farming, built and operated a flour mill in Hardwicks. He patented one of his plows and later built and patented another one in December of 1887. While working on another invention, he experimented with what would later become his best invention-car coupling. Many men, as well as Beard, lost limbs or severely injured themselves when car coupling train cars. Beard invented the Automatic Railroad Car Coupler which secured two train cars together by simply bumping them into each other. This invention was patented on November 23, 1897.
by @mz_b24
