Murfey patented processes combining hemp, cotton, and wool fibers with lubricating powders to create advanced packing and bearing materials.
On October 11, 1870, exactly one week after her previous batch of grants, Eliza Murfey received three more patents — US 108,284, 108,285, and 108,286 — covering fibrous packing materials made by combining hemp, cotton, and wool fibers with lubricating powders. These composite materials were engineered to be packed around axles and bearings, slowly releasing lubricant as the fibers compressed and wore under mechanical stress.
This innovation reflected a sophisticated understanding of material science, blending natural fibers of differing strength and absorbency characteristics to optimize lubricant retention and gradual release — a precursor to modern engineered composite bearing materials. The use of multiple fiber types in combination suggests Murfey experimented extensively with formulations to solve the persistent problem of bearing friction and overheating.
Together with her earlier and later patents from 1870, this trio underscored the breadth of her inventive strategy: rather than patenting a single design, she systematically protected multiple material formulations and mechanical configurations achieving the same safety goal. This methodical, portfolio-building approach was unusual for any inventor of the period, let alone a woman working in an overwhelmingly male-dominated industrial patent landscape, and it helped secure her legacy as one of the most prolific women patentees of the era.