Alexander Miles

Alexander Miles (May 18, 1838 – May 7, 1918) was an African American inventor and businessman, known for being awarded a patent for automatically opening and closing elevator doors.

Miles may have resided in the nearby town of Chillicothe, Ohio,[3] but subsequently moved to Waukesha, Wisconsin, where he earned a living as a barber.

It is believed by some that Alexander got the idea for his elevator door mechanism after Grace accidentally fell down a shaft, almost ending her life.

The belt allowed for automatic opening and closing when the elevator reached the drums on the respective floors, by means of levers and rollers.

[17] John W. Meaker was granted a patent 13 years earlier for another related mechanism of automatic closing of elevator doors.