Alexander Miles
Encyclopedia
Alexander Miles was an African-American inventor who was best known for being awarded a patent
for an automatically opening and closing elevator
door design in 1887. Contrary to many sources, Miles was not the original inventor of this device. In 1874, 13 years before Miles' patent was awarded, John W. Meaker was awarded for the invention of the first automatic elevator door system.
Alexander Miles was born in Ohio in 1838. He moved to Waukesha, Wisconsin
where he earned a living as a barber
. After a move to Winona, Minnesota in 1870, he met his wife Candace J. Dunlap a white woman born in New York, in 1834. Together they had a daughter named grace. Shortly after her birth, the family relocated to Duluth, Minnesota
.
Alexander Miles is known for improving the elevator. He improved the method of the opening, and closing to the elevator door; and he improved the closing and opening to the elevator shaft when an elevator was not on that floor. He created an automatic mechanism that closed access to the shaft. At that time elevator patrons or operators were often required to manually shut a door to cut off access to the shaft.
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
for an automatically opening and closing elevator
Elevator
An elevator is a type of vertical transport equipment that efficiently moves people or goods between floors of a building, vessel or other structures...
door design in 1887. Contrary to many sources, Miles was not the original inventor of this device. In 1874, 13 years before Miles' patent was awarded, John W. Meaker was awarded for the invention of the first automatic elevator door system.
Alexander Miles was born in Ohio in 1838. He moved to Waukesha, Wisconsin
Waukesha, Wisconsin
Waukesha is a city in and the county seat of Waukesha County, Wisconsin, in the Upper Midwest region of the United States. The population was 70,718 at the 2010 census, making it the largest community in the county and 7th largest in the state. The city is located adjacent to the Town of Waukesha...
where he earned a living as a barber
Barber
A barber is someone whose occupation is to cut any type of hair, and to shave or trim the beards of men. The place of work of a barber is generally called a barbershop....
. After a move to Winona, Minnesota in 1870, he met his wife Candace J. Dunlap a white woman born in New York, in 1834. Together they had a daughter named grace. Shortly after her birth, the family relocated to Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
.
Alexander Miles is known for improving the elevator. He improved the method of the opening, and closing to the elevator door; and he improved the closing and opening to the elevator shaft when an elevator was not on that floor. He created an automatic mechanism that closed access to the shaft. At that time elevator patrons or operators were often required to manually shut a door to cut off access to the shaft.