David Brown Tractors: Inside Story
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University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Tractor Test and Power Museum, The Lester F. Nebraska Tractor Tests Larsen January 1978 David Brown Tractors: Inside Story Nebraska Tractor Test Lab University of Nebraska-Lincoln, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/tractormuseumlit Part of the Energy Systems Commons, History of Science, Technology, and Medicine Commons, Other Mechanical Engineering Commons, Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons, Science and Mathematics Education Commons, and the United States History Commons Nebraska Tractor Test Lab, "David Brown Tractors: Inside Story" (1978). Nebraska Tractor Tests. 99. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/tractormuseumlit/99 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Tractor Test and Power Museum, The Lester F. Larsen at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Nebraska Tractor Tests by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. - -;..- . dJIII' j ~,, -.. ." ., Private reservoir (1805) for cotton thread mills (now DBT factory) Bobbin Reel Mill Royd Edge Dye Works now DBTEngine Machine - Shop Extant Bobbin Mill 1845 Spring Lane Mill, - now DBTEngine Test Section Cotton thread mills Clock Mill (1760) Holmfirth, Extanf Demolished 1959 (now DBTfactory) Manor Mill 1822 Extant I¥ Mellham Gas Works Demolished 1972 Cotton Spinning Mill (c. 1850) Demolished 1933 Replaced by DBT Machine Shop (1951) Site 01 cotton thread mill (1928) Now DBT Manufacturing Engineering Mellham Mills - Gearbox Assembly Church (1845) and School (now youth club) :-" Background to the illustration comparatively large builcli"ngsin this wooded valley in the foothills of the Meltham Mills, headquarters of David Pennines. .. ~ Brown Tractors Ltd., is approximately 8km or 5 miles south-west of Huddersfield In 1845 it acquired the originaf cOtn mill Jo' in West Yorkshire. premises which were either convwted - T-bislithographic print by an unknown to textile use or replaced. The cO"'pany ...Jist IS believed to have been produced The name Meltham Mills derives from a continued to prosper and expar,": until """""'7e late 1860's It incorporates in the small corn mill built in 1760 by Mr. the general trade depression in ~he I I J 'ound a view of the original Nathaniel Dyson, who substantially 1930's. In 1931 Jonas Brook a[)d ~ros. , ~hr1lf'Mills (now the headquarters of extended the premises in 1786. amalgamated with'J. andP..coats~o Da I ~ ~ TIactors Ltd.) The picture form Unitea Thread Mills ~1d., by whic:-- 'Iso 1" ' JfJrtextile mills and In the early part of the 19th century namethe companywas know!)until " 'I 11('1r](7oS e 01 which ,,"'ere actuallv Jonas Brook and Bros. Ltd., pioneers in closed down in 1939. Shortly,afterw 1 ' ~Ielal miles away. The the manufacture of sewing Gatton, the buildings and site wert; purch:- 'n' purpose was to present i;m established a factory nearby. By 1822 by David Brown Tractors Ltd. ar " 1pression of prihcipaltJt,iildings this family-owned textile business was era in the historv of Meltham tv. :1 flourishing and had erected additional began. .. ~ m"""".,,",",",,,,",","'"""..".",. ",""" "". By Appolotme"' """,",","'","' to Her Majesty QDee" Ehzabe'h II Ma"ufac'",e" of Agrlcoltural Machl"ery . David Brow" Trac'o" LImited David Brown 'Firsts' Honours List Few, if any, tractor manufacturers can In recent yearstheeor;ppany and its equal the David Brown r~cord of products havebE)en grar)ted an pioneeripgachievemenfin tractor unusuallylargeriUmber of national manufactu(.e and development. Major awards and distinctions. examples are: On .fOiC.Ifoccas.ions-1966,1968,1971 1937 - World's first fanrvtractor and 1'978-"the company has been equipped with hydraulic lift and granted a Queen's Award to Industry for converging 3-point linkage export achievement. 1948- Two speed power take-off In 1972its Hydra-Shift semi-automatic 1949- High-speed direct injection diesel transmission was awarded silver engine for farm tractors medals for outstanding design by four 1953- Traction control (implement national agricultural institutions - the weight transfer) Royal Agricultural Society of England, 1948- Six-speed and 1966- twelve' the Royal Association of British Dairy speed gearboxes Farmers, the Dublin Agricultural Society and the Royal Ulster Agricultural 1959- All purpose tractor hydraulic Society. system with single lever control 1964- Dial-controlled tractor hydraulic In 1974the company also gained a system Queen's Award to Industry for 1968-Introduction of fully approved technological achievement (Hydra-Shift safety cabs for all models semi-automatic transmission) - the first 1971 - Semi-automatic transmission such award made to a farm tractor manufacturer. providing on-the-move clutchless changes to any of four ratios in each In 1976 the company received a,Design working range Council Award for the design of the Hydra-Shift semi-automatic transmission. Since 1955thE).companyhas held a Royal Warrant of Appointment to Queen Elizabeth II as manufacturers of I,; agricultural machinery. 11' 11 ¥' ii SNSIDESTORY " f'irst ediicr !UJiB'e:: .., ~ ~ 31C SpcAsrL i9""Q IJ .. Setxni a::i:iD'">::::O-OeEi~ ~ ~ 2R: .~ o:a2 ;Lbished"" English: 1917. '"' ~ ~ cr-C;u~5. ?"'" -'-..5C!:J..Di:st"'ec'" ~ ,g:-'""- Upda1ed am rep<Wlied: "lg,"3, a sectionalised DB 1412 Hydra-Shift tractor, is also by David a: wall chart. Smaller drawings on the wal feat 'dra-Sh if! . e DB1 rd 4-re speed 0 rfmin' . I. an,.,Hebrew, Italian, PortuguesEi"and e I:ca~.,ipEnglish, Danish, Finnish and t " , I tl "'.R .. Forty years on . ~, --- [;a c Brc n tac 0' assernb, :ine -1977. David Brown involvement in farm mainly towards gear manufacture, for completed at Meltham, containing many machinery began in 1936when the which the name David Brown - then as unique features and production company, then a subsidiary of the local now - was renowned. techniques with particular emphasis on familyfirm David Brown and Sons quality control. (Huddersfield) Ltd.,collaborated with However, the Meltham plant was able to I. Mr Harry Ferguson in the manufacture maintain and develop its tractor The revitalised Leigh plant became the of the legendary Ferguson-Brown manufacturing expertise by producing main supplier of large tractor tractor. small quantities of aircraft towing and components for the Meltham plant and r-- recovery vehicles. This facilitated the also designs and builds basic tractor- Built initiallyin the corner ofthe David switch-over to peacetime production of mounted implements: front 10p.dersand Brown gear factory, the Ferguson- farm tractors in 1946. a rear-mounted ditcher/digger/loader. Brown model was the world's first production tractor to be equipped with Despite the company's comparatively Bythis time the David Brown company hydraulic liftand converging 3-point late entry into the highly competitive had become Britain's third largest farm , linkage; a revolutionary concept which farm tractor industry. Meltham-built tractor manufacturer. The company soon became a fundamental part of machines quicklyearned a world- holds the Royal Warrant and has won farm tract'b}design the world over. reputation for quality and ipVermve several Queen's Awards to Industryfor -J-' " ,... - design. export achievement (four out of every xirni:ttely 1.,350FerguSon-Brown five David Brown tractors are sold NfEi'~. w~(;,ebuilt - the last twenty or In 1955 the compan;. aCQti~"'edthe oog-- overseas). so _epf.esent Meltham factory- established firm of Harrison. :JcGregor before F.~usQn and Brown parted; the and Guest Ltd. of Leigh, Lancashire. In1976the company's unique Hydra-Sm formerto~"5in Henry Ford in the USA; whose range of Albion farm machinery semi-automatic tractor transmission wr;?' the lafter:ltQ? make tractors of his own products (notably mowers and binders) a Design Council Award - the first such design.~. had previously earned them high award to be made in respect offarm international esteem. tractor design. The first David Brown model \l\(as exhibited at the 1939 Royal Show. It was In recent years the Meltham and Leigh widely acclaimed but before quantity plants have been extensively production could begin theSec'6r1d modernised and extended. InJuly 1971 World War broke out a.nd the Meltham a new tractor assembly complex,- the f2.::tory's resources were directed most modern of its type in Euro~ - was L 2 ~~ttantic all iance .... .., ;- .. The year 1972 marked another franchises are being established. Case/David Brown tractor line-up significant milestone in the company's Additionally, an increasing number of development. David Brown Tractors Ltd. Case construction equipment products was acquired in that year by the employ engines and transmission units international conglomerate, Tenneco rnantrtacturec bj Dav;cJ BrOW!' Tradars Inc. of Houston, Texas, and was Ltd. affiliated to another world-famous Tenneco subsidiary, the J I Case The Meltham Company has three Company, of Racine, Wisconsin, USA. subsidiary companies in Scandinavia; David Brown Traktor A/S, Denmark; Under the Tenneco banner, David David Brown Tractors AB, Sweden; and Brown Tractors and Case are actively David Brown Tractors Oy, Finland. and successfully co-ordinating and There are two additional European expanding their combined production, subsidiary marketing companies, David ,.,.- marketing and distribution facilities. Brown Tractors (France) SA and David - .", . ~ Early visible evidence of this