Reynolds, Humphrey H.
unknown · Contribution: 1883
Railway passenger car ventilator that filtered out dust and cinders
Portraits are AI-generated interpretations, not photographs.
Impact on the world
His ventilator design, widely adopted on Pullman railway cars, allowed fresh air in while filtering out the dust and soot that typically enveloped moving train cars; when Pullman declined to credit him, Reynolds sued and won a $10,000 verdict.
Life & background
A Pullman railway porter, Reynolds devised a screen-based ventilator after noticing how often dust and cinders blew into passenger cars through open windows. His design was adopted across Pullman's railway cars, but when the company declined to recognize his claim to the invention, he left Pullman's service, sued, and won a $10,000 verdict, asserting his rights as the inventor.
Sources
- MIT Press Reader (300 Years of African-American Invention and Innovation); U.S. Patent 275,271; Hennepin County Library
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