Elijah McCoy invented a drop-by-drop lubricating system for factory machines. Before his invention, machines had to be shut down and oiled by hand. He discovered the need for a lubricating system while working in railroad yards. Today his invention is used with automobiles, rockets, ships and other machines. Although others tried to copy his work, people demanded the original. Using a phrase that has now become part of our language, people said they wanted “the Real McCoy”