Ruston-Bucyrus

Ruston-Bucyrus Ltd was an engineering company established in 1930 and jointly owned by Ruston and Hornsby and Bucyrus-Erie, the latter of which had operational control [The Amazing Story of Excavators:Volume 1. Peter N Grimshaw] and into which the excavator manufacturing operation of Ruston and Hornsby was transferred.

Ruston-Bucyrus Ltd era

Gradually "Universal Excavators" designed by Bucyrus-Erie replaced Ruston and Hornsby designed models [The Amazing Story of Excavators:Volume 1. Peter N Grimshaw] Ruston-Bucyrus built larger machines for the British market to Bucyrus-Erie designs. The Bucyrus-Monigan 5W was a top seller for export by Ruston-Bucyrus, thus they started building it. This was a walking dragline, with either Diesel or electric powered options.

The R-B International era

In 1985Ruston Bucyrus was bought by its management, severing all links with Bucyrus-Erie resulting in the formation of 'R-B Lincoln', which became R-B International, a subsidiary of Lincoln Industries (part of The Heather Corporation Ltd) [The Amazing Story of Excavators:Volume 1. Peter N Grimshaw] . Production of existing Ruston-Bucyrus designed cable excavator/crane models from the 22RB to the 71RB continued at the Lincoln factory with 'Improved Crane Dragline' versions also offered. From 1985 onwards all new machines carried the 'RB' name instead of 'Ruston-Bucyrus' and in 1987a new mechanical/hydraulic powered 51-60 model developed from the 38-RB was offered for use as a crane or dragline excavator [The Amazing Story of Excavators:Volume 1. Peter N Grimshaw] In 1990 RB bought from its rival Priestman, the design and maufacturing rights to Priestman's Variable Counterbalance hydraulic/cable long reach excavator range and its extensive range of Grabs.In 1992 RB began introducing its CH series of fully hyrdraulic crane/dragline models with further models added in 1999In 1996 R-B changed ownership in a buy-in management by out [http://www.contractjournal.com/Articles/1996/08/22/24103/INBRIEF.html] but in 2000 R-B International entered voluntary administration as a tough trading environment including a strong Pound and stiff competition from overeseas competititors meant it could no longer continue as a going concern without a significant injection of capital. [http://www.contractjournal.com/Articles/2000/07/26/14563/r-b-international-in-admin.html] [http://www.cranestodaymagazine.com/story.asp?storycode=4011]

RB Cranes era

Having entered administration on the 3rd of July2000 [http://www.cranestodaymagazine.com/story.asp?storycode=4011] and following unsuccesful attempts to sell the company to Daniel E. Davis, former president of Favelle Favco [http://www.cranestodaymagazine.com/story.asp?storycode=2001415] R-B International was sold to Langley Holdings plc as a going-concern on the 22 of December 2000and a new company 'RB Cranes Ltd' was created.A day earlier on the 21st of December 2000, Langley Holdingsplc had acquired the material handling divison of Rolls-Royce PLC which became the Clarke Chapman Group comprising Cowans Sheldon, RB Cranes, Stohert and Pitt, Wellman Boothas its principal subsidiary companies.In January 2001 Clarke Chapman ceased production at RB's Lincoln works with production transferred to facilities in Retford and Gainsborough.Following a rationalisation of the RB product line, as of 2008 RB continue to offer the CH40,CH50,CH70,CH80, CH100,CH135 and CH135LJ Hydraulic Crawler Cranes as well as specilaist variants for Dockside usage [http://www.clarkechapman.co.uk/site/9/Hydraulic-Crawler-Cranes.asp?nav_id=747] [http://www.clarkechapman.co.uk/site/9/Dockside-Mobile-Cranes.asp?nav_id=748] RB also offer the CH E ( Series (CH50E & CH70E)for draglineand clamshell grab applications [http://www.clarkechapman.co.uk/site/9/Dragline/Clamshell-Cranes.asp?nav_id=749] and the CH HD (Heavy Duty) Series (CH50D & CH70D) for adaption for piling and foundation engineering applications e.g. as a piling rig. [http://www.clarkechapman.co.uk/site/9/Dragline/Clamshell-Cranes.asp?nav_id=749]

RB continues offer four models of Variable Counter-balance hydraulic long reach excavators, the VC20-15, VC20-17,VC20-20 and VC20-22 [http://www.clarkechapman.co.uk/site/9/Long-Reach-Excavators.asp?nav_id=750] as also continues to offer the RB Priestman range of grabs for excavation and material rehandling applications [http://www.clarkechapman.co.uk/site/9/RB-Priestman-Grabs.asp?nav_id=751] .

ee also

*Ruston & Hornsby

References

*Lincoln's excavators -The Ruston-Bucyrus years 1930-1945 by Peter Robinson

External Links

* [http://www.clarkechapman.co.uk/site/9/RB-Cranes.asp?nav_id=742 Clarke Chapman/RB Cranes website]