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By Andrew Jackson Beard
Living in Woodlawn, Beard studied engines empirically to create a motor more responsive and faster than the industrial standards of the day.
Beard's rotary engine had virtually no "dead center," allowing it to restart instantaneously. It was credited with the fastest revolutions ever recorded during tests by a local Birmingham newspaper.
While not globally standardized, it demonstrated the breadth of Beard's genius in thermodynamics. His engine remains an example of advanced engineering produced by a self-taught individual.
His genius was recognized by his contemporaries, including investors and journalists. Despite his successes, he ended his life in poverty and paralyzed in 1921.
