Andrew Beard

Andrew Jackson Beard (born 1849 in Woodland, Jefferson County - died 1921) was a mechanic and inventor.

Beard was born into slavery before the Civil War, emancipated at the age of 15. Though he could not read or write, his mechanical abilities and inventiveness became well known through his employment as a carpenter, blacksmith and railroad worker.

While still working a farm, Beard built his own flour mill. He received his first patent, for a plow, in 1881, and sold the rights for $4,000 in 1884. He patented another improved plow design in 1887 and sold it for $5,200. He invested his profits into a real-estate business and moved to Woodlawn, and then to East Lake during its early development, and later to Mount Pinson.

In 1890, Beard patented an improved rotary engine with a better system for balancing internal pressure. Later in the decade, he took a job with the railroad. A brutal accident involving a botched car coupling maneuver cost him his leg and he devoted himself to improving the safety of rail car coupling.

Several years later he submitted a patent for a "Jenny Coupler" which greatly simplified the process, eliminating the need for a worker to stand between uncoupled cars. His design was displayed at a convention of the Master Car Builder's Association in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Based on the direct applicability of his design he was made an honorary member of that association.

Beard's attempts to perfect and market his inventions were supported by several Birmingham investors, and aided by Mayor Mel Drennen. His several patents for couplings were approved between 1897 and 1905. He founded the Beard Automatic Coupler Company and later sold the rights to the coupler for $50,000 and was able to live comfortably. The design revolutionized railway operations and survives as the basis for modern automatic couplers.

Patents

• Beard, Andrew J. (June 12, 1890) "Rotary engine" Patent application. Patent No. 433,847 granted August 5, 1890
• Beard, Andrew (May 8, 1901) "Rotary engine" Patent application. Patent No. 462,614 granted November 3, 1891
• Beard, Andrew J. (January 25, 1892) "Rotary engine" Patent application. Patent No. 478,271 granted July 5, 1892
• Beard, Andrew Jackson (September 20, 1897) "Car-coupling" Patent application. Patent No. 594,059 granted November 23, 1897
• Beard, Andrew Jackson (March 4, 1899) "Car-coupling" Patent application. Patent No. 624,901 granted May 16, 1899
• Beard, Andrew Jackson (October 24, 1900) "Automatic car-coupling" Patent application. Patent No. 675,346 granted May 29, 1901
• Beard, Andrew Jackson (September 2, 1903) "Automatic car-coupling" Patent application. Patent No. 761,056 granted May 31, 1904
• Beard, Andrew Jackson (May 16, 1904) "Automatic car-coupling" Patent application. Patent No. 807,430 granted December 8, 1905

References

• Hornady, John R. (1921) The Book of Birmingham. Dodd, Mead and Co., pp. 224-6
• Bellis, Mary (n. d.) "Andrew Beard (184-1921)". About:Inventors