Miles, Alexander (1838?-1918), an African American inventor and businessman, invented a mechanism to automatically open and close elevator doors. Miles’s invention improved elevator safety. At one time, Miles was considered the wealthiest African American in the Midwestern United States.
In early elevators, shaft doors and elevator car doors had to be opened and closed by hand, either by passengers or by an elevator operator. But people could accidentally fall down the elevator shaft if the shaft doors were not closed properly. Miles designed a special system for the elevator car that allowed the shaft doors to open and close automatically together with the elevator car doors. A belt attached to the car opened and closed the shaft doors as it came into contact with small drums (rollers) at each stop along the elevator shaft. Miles received a patent for his invention in 1887. Another inventor, John W. Meaker, received a patent for an automatic elevator door system in 1874. However, Miles’s invention became the one used in many elevators.
Little is known of Miles’s early life. He was probably born in Ohio on or around May 18, 1838. Miles moved to Waukesha, Wisconsin , near Milwaukee , in the 1860’s to work as a barber. He also created a number of hair care products. In the 1870’s, Miles moved to Duluth , Minnesota , where he opened a barbershop in a luxury hotel. He became a real estate developer in the city and built a three-story office building. Miles became the first black person to serve on the Duluth Chamber of Commerce .
Around 1899, Miles moved to Chicago , Illinois , where he operated a life insurance company for African Americans. However, he soon moved to Seattle , Washington . Miles died on May 7, 1918, in Seattle. He was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2007.
