A brief biography of the inventor can be found below the photo.

James Mabray was an African American born a slave around 1835 in Petersburg, VA. James Mabray was emancipated sometime prior to 1858 and became active in local abolitionist activities in Boston and Worcester, Massachusetts.

He was a boot maker and burnisher by trade. In 1886, James Mabray applied for two patents, both for cutters for the trimming of soles of boots and shoes. The patents were granted in 1894 and 1895. The date and place of his death are unknown.

He is listed in the 1880 Census for Worcester, MA as a single mulatto male and in the Worcester City Directories of the time as a boot maker, machine operator and burnisher.

Patrick Marshall was issued U.S. Patent #5,947,121 on September 7 1999 for his tracheotomy tube water blocking system. A brief biography follows the image.

Patrick Marshall is a husband and father of five, a former US Marine, college graduate (cum launde), and devoted Christian. Born in Lafayette, Louisiana, Patrick now resides in Cocoa, Florida. Besides being the inventor of over twenty inventions, Patrick works as a Emotional Behavior teacher at Golfview Elementary in Rockledge, Florida. Patrick Marshalls invention the Star Trach Water Trachea Prevention Kit provides a new and improved water blocking system for tracheotomy patients. It allows patients the ability to shower and bathe without getting soap, shampoo and water into the trachea tube. The Star Trach prevents debri from entering the stoma - a small hole in your throat left after a trach operation.

GM engineer, Onassis Matthews invented a torque control system and patented it on July 13, 2004.

Patent Abstract: A torque control system for a vehicle including an internal combustion engine, an electronic throttle coupled to the internal combustion engine, a powertrain controller controlling the electronic throttle, a first control loop operating in the powertrain controller including a feed forward function to control engine torque, a second control loop