Ferrell, Frank J.
unknown · Contribution: 1880s
Patented valves, a steam trap, and a snow-melting apparatus; labor union organizer
Portraits are AI-generated interpretations, not photographs.
Impact on the world
Built a manufacturing company in New York City around his patented valve and steam trap inventions, while also serving as a delegate and organizer for the Knights of Labor, one of the era's most significant labor unions.
Life & background
A skilled machinist, Ferrell patented several valves, a steam trap, and an apparatus for melting snow, founding a manufacturing company in New York City based on these inventions. He was also an ardent labor unionist, serving as a delegate and organizer for the Knights of Labor, one of the first major national labor unions in the United States.
Sources
- MIT Press Reader (300 Years of African-American Invention and Innovation); U.S. Patent 468,242; African American Registry
More in Industrial & Mechanical
Boyd, Henry
1802-1886
Invented the Boyd bedstead, a reinforced wooden bed frame design; founded a bedstead factory
Brooks, Charles
1865-unknown
Street sweeper truck design; paper punch
Coffey, Cornelius Robinson
1903-1994
Became the first African American certified aircraft mechanic in the United States in 1932 and designed a patented carburetor heating system that prevented icing, allowing aircraft to fly safely in cold and wet weather, a design principle still used in aviation today
Crosthwait, David Jr.
1892-1976
Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system design