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Mechanization

The Red Wing Project on Utilization of Electricity
Society: ASABEMain Category: Agricultural & BiologicalSub Category: MechanizationEra: 1920sDateCreated: 1923Goodhue County Historical SocietyRed WingState: MNZip: 55066Country: USAWebsite: https://www.asabe.org/awards-landmarks/asabe-historic-landmarks/the-red-wing-project-on-utilization-of-electricity-in-agriculture-53.aspx

The object of the Red Wing project was "To determine the optimum economic uses of electricity in agriculture and to study the value of electricity in improved living conditions on the farm." Although not the first service to farms in the U.S., it was likely the first built as an experiment specifically for collecting and publishing engineering and economic data.

YearAdded:
2009
The Oliver Chilled Cast-Iron Plow
Society: ASABEMain Category: Agricultural & BiologicalSub Category: MechanizationEra: 1850-1859DateCreated: 1857Oliver Plow WorksSouth BendState: INZip: 46601Country: USAWebsite: https://www.asabe.org/awards-landmarks/asabe-historic-landmarks/the-oliver-chilled-cast-iron-plow-51.aspxCreator: Oliver, James

On June 30, 1857, James Oliver filed a patent application for chilling the wear face of cast-iron moldboard plows.  While pouring molten cast iron in sand molds he circulated hot water through chillers to regulate the rate of cooling. Oliver's control of raw material content and cooling produced moldboards with a very hard surface  and a softer, tough inner core for strength.  Their fine textured wearing faces of uniform hardness maintained a mirror polish and resisted rust.

YearAdded:
2008
Skid Steer Loader
Society: ASABEMain Category: Agricultural & BiologicalSub Category: MechanizationEra: 1950-1959DateCreated: 1957Bonanzaville Historic MuseumWest FargoState: NDZip: 58078Country: USAWebsite: https://www.asabe.org/awards-landmarks/asabe-historic-landmarks/skid-steer-loader-43.aspxCreator: Keller, Cyril and Louis

Brothers Cyril and Louis Keller designed and built the first small, lightweight, three-wheel, front-end loader in their machinist-blacksmith shop in Rothsay, Minnesota. A local farmer wanted to mechanize cleaning manure from his obstacle-filled, two-story turkey barn. The machine, first used in 1957, was able to turn completely around within its own length. Melroe Manufacturing Company, Gwinner, ND purchased the rights to the Keller loader and hired the Kellers to continue development of the loader in 1958.

YearAdded:
2004
Image Credit: Courtesy WikiCommons/Tennen-Gas (CC BY-SA 3.0)Image Caption: A modern skid steer loader, Toyota Jobsun 4SDK6 model
Self-Leveling Control for Hillside Combine
Society: ASABEMain Category: Agricultural & BiologicalSub Category: MechanizationEra: 1940sDateCreated: 1945Hanson IndustriesSpokane ValleyState: WAZip: 99216Country: USAWebsite: https://www.asabe.org/awards-landmarks/asabe-historic-landmarks/self-leveling-control-for-hillside-combine-50.aspxCreator: Hanson, Raymond A.

In 1941, near Palouse, Washington, Raymond A. Hanson conceived of a self-leveling mechanism for hillside combines. On the steep hills in the Pacific Northwest, leveling is necessary to save grain because of the gravity grain separation mechanism. Before the Hanson invention, manual leveling required a person to stand on the combine platform and adjust the machine to the lay of the land - a hot, tedious job. The grain-saving attributes of Hanson's invention were probably more important than the labor saving, although both were valuable.

YearAdded:
2008
Image Credit: Courtesy Wikicommons/Scoty6776 (CC BY 3.0)Image Caption: A 2011 AGCO Gleaner S77 Tritura combine demonstrates its hillside self-leveling technology
Once-Over Mechanical Harvesting of Cucumbers
Society: ASABEMain Category: Agricultural & BiologicalSub Category: MechanizationEra: 1960-1969DateCreated: 1963Farrall Agricultural Engineering HallEast LansingState: MIZip: 48824Country: USAWebsite: https://www.asabe.org/awards-landmarks/asabe-historic-landmarks/the-once-over-mechanical-harvesting-of-cucumbers-55.aspxCreator: Bill Stout

The concept of once-over mechanical, as opposed to multiple-pick hand or experimental multiple-pick machine harvesting, represented a major break-through in the practice of producing vine fruit such as pickling cucumbers.  In the 1950s the cost of hand harvesting was as high as 50% of the production cost.  Once-over mechanical harvesting, coupled with increasing plant population, reduced this cost to 25% thereby making production economically viable.

YearAdded:
2011
Image Caption: The concept represented a major break-through in the practice of producing vine fruit such as pickling cucumbers.
New Holland Baler
Society: ASABEMain Category: Agricultural & BiologicalSub Category: MechanizationEra: 1930sDateCreated: 1937508 W Main StNew HollandState: PAZip: 17557Country: USAWebsite: https://www.asabe.org/awards-landmarks/asabe-historic-landmarks/new-holland-baler-11.aspx

This machine is the world's first successful automatic pickup, self-tying hay baler. Its invention was a significant contribution to the development of American Agriculture. The baler was invented and hand-built in 1937 at Farmersville, Pa., a few miles from here. After testing and improvement, some production models were made at Kinzers, Pa. Balers of this type were first mass-produced in 1940 by the New Holland Machine Company. Dedicated by American Society of Agricultural Engineers 1976

YearAdded:
1976
Laser Beam Automatic Grade-Control System
Society: ASABEMain Category: Agricultural & BiologicalSub Category: MechanizationEra: 1960sDateCreated: 1968Agricultural Engineering Building - Ohio State UniversityColumbusState: OHZip: 43210Country: USAWebsite: https://www.asabe.org/awards-landmarks/asabe-historic-landmarks/laser-beam-automatic-grade-control-system-48.aspxCreator: Fouss, James

The first laser grade control was developed by agricultural engineers James Fouss and Norman Fausey of USDA's Agricultural Research Service at The Ohio State University in the mid-1960's. That system controlled the precise depth and grade of subsurface drains by regulating trenching and plow-type drainage machines. Photo cells mounted on the drainage machine automatically raised and lowered the digging device, keeping the cells centered on a laser beam set to the desired elevation and grade.

YearAdded:
2007
Image Caption: Electronic analog computer simulation of the laser‐beam auto‐
matic grade‐control system on the plow.
First Self-Propelled Combine
Society: ASABEMain Category: Agricultural & BiologicalSub Category: MechanizationEra: 1880sDateCreated: 1886Tulare County MuseumVisaliaState: CAZip: 93277Country: USAWebsite: https://www.asabe.org/awards-landmarks/asabe-historic-landmarks/first-self-propelled-combine-49.aspxCreator: Berry, George Stockton

George Stockton Berry (1847-1917) of Lindsay, Tulare County, California designed, built, and in 1886, operated the first self-propelled combine. He was granted a U.S. Patent (# 374,339) in1887. The Berry design embodied the following "firsts":

YearAdded:
2007
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Innovations

First Self-Propelled Combine

George Stockton Berry (1847-1917) of Lindsay, Tulare County, California designed, built, and in 1886, operated the first self-propelled combine. He was granted a U.S. Patent (# 374,339) in1887. The Berry design embodied the following "firsts":

1. Self-propelled combine.
2. Combine…

Read More
Laser Beam Automatic Grade-Control System

The first laser grade control was developed by agricultural engineers James Fouss and Norman Fausey of USDA's Agricultural Research Service at The Ohio State University in the mid-1960's. That system controlled the precise depth and grade of subsurface drains by regulating trenching and…

Read More
New Holland Baler

This machine is the world's first successful automatic pickup, self-tying hay baler. Its invention was a significant contribution to the development of American Agriculture. The baler was invented and hand-built in 1937 at Farmersville, Pa., a few miles from here. After testing and…

Read More
Once-Over Mechanical Harvesting of Cucumbers

The concept of once-over mechanical, as opposed to multiple-pick hand or experimental multiple-pick machine harvesting, represented a major break-through in the practice of producing vine fruit such as pickling cucumbers.  In the 1950s the cost of hand harvesting was as high as 50% of the…

Read More
Self-Leveling Control for Hillside Combine

In 1941, near Palouse, Washington, Raymond A. Hanson conceived of a self-leveling mechanism for hillside combines. On the steep hills in the Pacific Northwest, leveling is necessary to save grain because of the gravity grain separation mechanism. Before the Hanson invention, manual…

Read More
Skid Steer Loader

Brothers Cyril and Louis Keller designed and built the first small, lightweight, three-wheel, front-end loader in their machinist-blacksmith shop in Rothsay, Minnesota. A local farmer wanted to mechanize cleaning manure from his obstacle-filled, two-story turkey barn. The machine, first…

Read More
The Oliver Chilled Cast-Iron Plow

On June 30, 1857, James Oliver filed a patent application for chilling the wear face of cast-iron moldboard plows.  While pouring molten cast iron in sand molds he circulated hot water through chillers to regulate the rate of cooling. Oliver's control of raw material content and…

Read More
The Red Wing Project on Utilization of Electricity

The object of the Red Wing project was "To determine the optimum economic uses of electricity in agriculture and to study the value of electricity in improved living conditions on the farm." Although not the first service to farms in the U.S., it was likely the first built as an…

Read More

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