Richard Hornsby & Sons

Infobox Defunct company
company_name = Richard Hornsby & Sons
company_
slogan =
company_type = Private
fate = Taken over
Predecessor =
successor = Ruston & Proctor
foundation = 1828
defunct = 1918
location = Grantham, Lincolnshire
industry = Agricultural engineer
products = Engines, Traction engine
key_people =
num_employees =
parent =
subsid =

Richard Hornsby & Sons was an engine and machinery manufacturer in Lincolnshire, England from 1828 until 1918.

Formation

The company bearing the name of Richard Hornsby (1790-1864), the agricultural engineer, was founded when Richard opened a blacksmithy in Grantham, Lincolnshire in 1815 with Richard Seaman, after joining Seaman's business in 1810. The company became Richard Hornsby & Sons in 1828, when Richard bought out his partner's ownership, when Seaman retired.

Product range and inventions

R. Hornsby & Sons grew into a major manufacturer of agricultural machinery, at their Spittle Gate Works. The firm went on to produce steam engines used to drive threshing machines and other equipment such as traction engines; their portable steam engine was one of their most important products and the market leader. A farm was procured nearby, where all their new products were tested before being produced.

Later a "chain-track" was added to an oil-engined tractor: the caterpillar track; these were developed and patented by Hornsby's chief engineer (and managing director), David Roberts, from July 1904. These were first used on tractors which served with the British Army towing artillery from 1910, but were later fitted to tanks which were used in the First World War from 1916. In 1909, a development model called the "Little Caterpillar" was demonstrated to the War Office. The army officers present at the demonstration believed it would "frighten the horses".

First commercial film

In 1907, a chain-track was fitted to a 40hp petrol-engined car, and trialled in Aldershot, with film footage taken of the 15mph phenomenal machine. The film also showed a team of horses pulling a heavy carriage over a marsh. The horses, without much ceremony, sank. A caterpillar tractor then drove over the same marsh and avoided similarly sinking, and pulled out the horses. This film was shown to cinema audiences in summer 1908, who found it beguiling. It is thought to be the first (long-length) film made for commercial purposes. Shorter length film adverts had also been produced since the late 1890s.

Hornsby Akroyd engine

Work with Herbert Akroyd Stuart in the 1890s lead to the world's first commercial vaporizing oil engines being made in Grantham (from July 8 1892). Other larger engineering companies had been offered the option of manufacturing the engine, but they saw it as a threat to their business instead. Only Hornsbys saw its possibilities. The first one was sold to the Newport Sanitary Authority (later to be re-bought by Hornsbys and displayed in their office). Later in 1892, T.H. Barton at Hornsbys replaced the engine's vaporiser with a cylinder head, increased the compression ratio, and the engine ran on compression alone for six hours; the first time this had been achieved. This was the first recognisable 'diesel engine', although it was built several years before Rudolf Diesel built his first prototype engines. 32,417 of the vapourising oil ('hot-bulb') engines were made by Hornsbys. They would provide electricity for lighting the Taj Mahal, Rock of Gibraltar, Statue of Liberty (chosen after Hornsbys won the oil engine prize at the Chicago World's Fair of 1893), many lighthouses and for powering Marconi's first trans-atlantic radio broadcast.

Ownership

After Richard's death in 1864, the firm was owned by his son, also Richard. He died at the early age of 50, quite suddenly, in 1877. The company became a public company, being valued at £235,000. Employing about 1,400 workers, it was managed by the two other sons - James and William. Throughout the First World War, Hornsbys were to producing munitions and engines for the Admiralty. This left them little room for marketing or manufacturing other products - often needing years of development. The management realised their future was in doubt, so looked for a suitable (and preferably nearby) company to amalgamate with, choosing Ruston. On September 11th 1918 when employing about 3,000 people, the company was bought out by Ruston & Proctor of Lincoln.

ee also

* Ruston (engine builder)
* History of the internal combustion engine

References

* "One Hundred Years of Good Company" (history of R & H), by Bernard Newman, 1957, Northumberland Press.

External links

* [http://community.webshots.com/photo/340690721/1340694410040600051wiWfBW Scale model of Hornsby Chain Tractor at 2005 Harrogate Model Engineering Show]
* [http://engines.rustyiron.com/hornsby/index.html Richard Hornsby & Sons oil engine]
* [http://hornsbycrawler.org Dedication to the only commercially-sold Hornsby caterpillar crawler]

Video clips

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtBN2218tuI 1905 Hornsby-Akroyd engine] at the Great Dorset Steam Fair in 2005