Allis-Chalmers
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2008) |
The Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Co. of West Allis, Wisconsin was an American manufacturer with diverse interests, perhaps most famous for their bright orange farm tractors. The company eventually divested its manufacturing businesses and today is known as Allis-Chalmers Energy, and is based in Houston, Texas.
Contents |
[edit] History
Allis-Chalmers first entered the manufacturing business as E.P. Allis of Milwaukee in the 1840s.[1] They made waterwheel, sawmill and grindstones. While originally incorporated in Delaware, the company soon became a major manufacturer of steam engines and industrial equipment in the Milwaukee area after merging with other firms—Fraser & Chalmers were a large steel and mining retort manufacturer. The company's presence in Milwaukee became so large that its plants were once used as a landmark there, and, in particular, its "west" plant lent its name to the city of West Allis. Allis-Chalmers entered into the farm equipment business in 1914 at about the time of the World War I. The company would also play a major part as a manufacturer in the World War II building pumps for uranium separation as part of the Manhattan Project and building electric motors for U.S. Navy submarines. Allis Chalmers also built triple expansion marine steam engines for Liberty ships.
The company introduced a number of product lines including Agricultural Tractor, Implements, Industrial Tractor, Gleaner Combines, Hydroturbines, Valves and Pumps, Compressors, Electric Motors, Crushing and screening equipment, Comminution, Air Purification, Coal Gasification and Simplicity Garden Tractors. Allis-Chalmers was one of fourteen major electrical manufacturing companies that went to court in October 1937 to change the way unions excluded contractors and products in the building trades through the union use of the "Men and Means Clause". The action of Allis-Chalmers and others eventually resulted in the U.S. Supreme Court decision of June 18, 1945 that ended certain union practices that violated the Sherman Antitrust Act (reference: Allen Bradley Co. et. al. v. Local Union 3, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, et. al. U.S. Supreme Court case 325, U.S.797). A series of acquisitions were made by the company beginning in 1928 with the acquisition of Monarch Tractor Company. In 1931, the company acquired Advance-Rumely based in LaPorte, Indiana. Buda Engine Co., based in Harvey, Illinois was acquired in 1953. Two years later the company acquired Gleaner Harvester Co., and in 1959 it acquired the French company Vendeuvre. Allis-Chalmers also acquired Simplicity, which was later sold to its management in 1983.
The company began to struggle in the 1980s in a climate of rapid economic change. It was forced amid financial struggles to sell its farm equipment division to K-H-D (Klöckner-Humboldt-Deutz) AG of Germany in 1985, the owners of Deutz-Fahr, which was renamed Deutz-Allis. Deutz-Allis later was sold to management and became what is now the AGCO Corporation (AGCO), and tractors were sold under the AGCO-Allis name - though later this became just AGCO. What remained of the manufacturing businesses were dispersed in 1998 and the company officially closed its offices in Milwaukee in January 1999 The remaining service businesses became Allis-Chalmers Energy in Houston, Texas.
In August, 2008, Briggs & Stratton announced that it would sell lawn tractors under the Allis-Chalmers brand name[2].
[edit] Agricultural machinery
Allis-Chalmers offered a complete line of agricultural machinery, from tillage and harvesting to tractors.
[edit] Generators
In 1965 Allis-Chalmers built "Big Allis" or Ravenswood No.3, the biggest generator of its time. It's located in Queens NY and the total output is 1000 MW. It is still operational today.
[edit] Fuel cell golf carts
In 1965 Allis-Chalmers built hydrogen fueled fuel cell golf carts[3].
[edit] Tractor models
In 1959, a team led by Harry Ihrig built a 15 kW fuel cell tractor for Allis-Chalmers which was demonstrated across the US at state fairs. This system used potassium hydroxide as the electrolyte and[citation needed]compressed hydrogen and oxygen as the reactants. The original AC fuel cell tractor is currently on display at the Smithsonian.
[edit] Balers
The first model introduced in 1949.
[edit] Tractor parts
AGCO is now the parts manufacturer for everything one would need to fix up their older Allis-Chalmers tractors, including water pumps to oil filters, and even rebuild kits and tractor manuals. Many aftermarket suppliers offer parts for the older models.
[edit] Military machinery
- M1 tractor medium model HD7W
- M1 tractor heavy model HD10W
- M4 Tractor high speed 18-Ton artillery tractor manufactured from 1943.
- M6 Tractor high speed 38-Ton (artillery tractor)
- M7 Snow Tractor
- M19 snow trailer, 1-Ton
- Ontos - a light anti-tank vehicle, 297 units produced from 1955 to 1957.
[edit] See also
- List of Allis-Chalmers tractors
- List of Allis-Chalmers engines
- AGCO (holder of former Deutz-Allis assets)
- CNH Global (holder of former Fiat-Allis assets)
- Siemens AG (holder of former Siemens-Allis assets)
- Timeline of hydrogen technologies
- Gleaner (harvester)
[edit] References
[edit] Further reading
- Buescher, Walter M. (1991), Plow Peddler, Macomb, Illinois, USA: Glenbridge Publishing, Ltd, ISBN 978-0944435182. A memoir by a man who worked for Allis-Chalmers company for over 30 years as a sales representative and sales manager.
[edit] External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Allis-Chalmers vehicles |
