Murfey patented a piston-packing design, applying her lubrication technology to steam engine pistons rather than railroad axles.
On March 19, 1872, Eliza Murfey was granted U.S. Patent No. 124,846 for a piston-packing design, marking a significant expansion of her technology beyond the railroad axle bearings that had been the focus of her patents since 1870. By adapting her lubricated packing materials to steam engine pistons, Murfey demonstrated that her core innovation — a fibrous or composite material impregnated with lubricant to reduce friction and wear between moving mechanical surfaces — had applications across multiple branches of nineteenth-century industrial machinery.
Steam pistons, like railroad axles, suffered from friction-related wear and required effective sealing and lubrication to maintain efficiency and prevent mechanical failure. By extending her patented packing technology to this new application, Murfey showed a versatile and generalizable understanding of the underlying engineering problem, rather than a narrow focus limited to railroad equipment.
This patent is historically significant as evidence that Murfey's contributions were not confined to a single industrial niche but represented a broader body of mechanical engineering knowledge applicable to the steam-powered machinery that dominated American industry in the 1870s. It further cemented her reputation as one of the most technically accomplished women inventors of her generation, whose patents addressed fundamental mechanical challenges across multiple industries rather than incremental or decorative improvements.