IEEE History Center: Andrew Beard

Andrew Beard was born a slave in Woodland, Alabama in 1849.  He was emancipated at the age of 15, was married at 16, and became a farmer.  He farmed near Birmingham for a few years, then decided to pursue other occupations.  Beard worked as a carpenter, blacksmith, railroad worker and businessman, as well as his many inventions.  He built a flourmill in Hardwicks, Alabama after his farming days, and in 1881 he patented one of his plow designs and sold it in 1884; another plow was invented in 1887.  In 1889, Beard invented a rotary steam engine and patented it in 1892.

During work on his rotary steam engine, Beard began to experiment with the idea of an automatic car coupler for railroad cars.  After his own work on the railroads – which cost him a leg – Beard wanted to make the dangerous task of coupling cars safer.  He invented the Automatic Railroad Car Couple (also known as the “Jenny” coupler) which was patented in 1897.

Beard’s life from 1897 until his death in 1921 is unknown.