Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Co. of West Allis, Wisconsin, is an American company known for its past as a manufacturer with diverse interests, perhaps most famous for their bright Persian Orange farm tractors. The company eventually divested its manufacturing businesses and today is based in Houston, Texas, as Allis-Chalmers Energy.
History
Allis-Chalmers first entered the manufacturing business as E.P. Allis of Milwaukee in the 1840s. 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 may have 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.
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. Also in 1959, Allis-Chalmers acquired Tractomotive Corporation located in Deerfield, IL. Allis-Chalmers also acquired Simplicity, which was later sold to its management in 1983.
In 1978 a partnership Siemens-Allis was formed, supplying electrical control equipment. Siemens bought Allis-Chalmers’ interest in the company in 1985 and it was incorporated into Siemens’ Energy and Automation division.
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 (Allis-Gleaner Corporation), 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.
Agricultural machinery
Allis-Chalmers offered a complete line of agricultural machinery, from tillage and harvesting to tractors.
Generators
In 1965, Allis-Chalmers built “Big Allis,” or Ravenswood No. 3, the biggest generator in New York. It’s located in Queens, and has a total output of 1000 MW. It is still operational today.
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 was the first fuel-cell-powered vehicle. Potassium hydroxide served as the electrolyte. The original AC fuel cell tractor is currently on display at the Smithsonian.
Balers
The first model introduced in 1949. They called their baler the Roto-Baler”. It was the fore-runner to what we know today as a round baler. The Roto-Baler was built until sometime in the 1960s or 1970s. Allis Chalmers also built many small square baler models.
Tractor parts
While AGCO is now the parts manufacturer for most of the parts one would need to fix up their older Allis-Chalmers tractors, including water pumps to oil filters, and even rebuild kits and tractor manuals, aftermarket suppliers offer parts that AGCO does not.
Industrial and power house equipment
Allis Chalmers marketed and sold a full line of Industrial and Power House equipment including turbo generators and medium voltage switchgear. In the 1920s through the 1960s AC Power House and Industrial equipment was very much competitive with industry giants like General Electric and Westinghouse. As early as the 1920s AC was manufacturing multi MVA hyrdo-electric generators and turbines may of which are still in service today (Louisville Gas & Electric Ohio Falls units 1-8, 8MW low head turbines and Kentucky Utilities Dix Dam units 1-3, 11MVA 300 RPM generators).
Allis Chalmers manufactured several lines of medium voltage switchgear such as the HF and MA lines. The HF line was a direct competitor with the General Electric “AM” Magneblast line of vertical lift medium voltage switchgear. The MA line was a direct competitor of the ITE “HK” line of horizontal racking medium voltage switchgear.
Also, Allis-Chalmers produced a line of substation transformers, voltage regulators, and distribution transformers.
Allis Chalmers, during the period 1930-1965 and beyond, manufactured and marketed an extensive line of ore crushing equipment for the worldwide mining industry.
Lawn and outdoor machinery
In the late 1960s and early 1970s AC expanded into the lawn and out-door products equipment market.
All Terrain Vehicles
AC made a line of 6-wheeled Amphibious ATV’s called the “Terra Tiger”.
Fuel cell golf carts
In 1965, Allis-Chalmers built hydrogen fueled fuel cell golf carts.
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.
Allis-Chalmers Energy
Allis-Chalmers Energy is a Houston-based multi-faceted oilfield services company. Allis-Chalmers provides services and equipment to oil and natural gas exploration and production companies, both domestically and internationally.
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