TRACTOR TRIVIA and other interesting stuff 4/6/2024

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Perrin Tractor

 

 

Former North Dekota farm worker Raymond Perrin was transplanted to the state of Washington where he had a five-acre vegetable farm during World War Two. Needing a small tractor to operate the farm more efficiently he used what he had available, parts from a Model A Ford. With the assistance of a machine shop his tractor was a success, in fact so successful it became a business. Through word of mouth the Perrin Tractor Company became a reality. Having produced about one hundred-fifty tractors in Tacoma, WA, in a year the venture was a modest success. Despite difficulty obtaining engines, machined parts and steel Perrin was doing well but the next adventure was just around the corner.

The Mexican government was launching a program whereby peasants would be given five acres of land and a small tractor to make themselves more self-sufficient. The government was seeking bids for small tractors and Perrin was eager to expand his fledgling business. Though he spoke no Spanish and didn’t have a strong business background Perrin loaded his tractor on a railroad car and headed to Mexico. The government was impressed and granted him an entail order for five-hundred tractors with more to be built in the future. While he was elated at the prospect of becoming a manufacturer, he knew that his home shop was inadequate for the new order. Seeking manufacturing facilities with a foundry he located a former WW2 defense plant that was immediately available in western New York State. At the end of World War Two the Reconstruction Finance Corporation was put in charge of converting America’s military-industrial complex into peacetime uses and helped arrange for Perrin to move his operation. Labor problems arose before production ever began and as a result no Perrin tractors were ever built in Arcade, NY. A brief venture in Kansas City, MO, was unproductive so the family moved west to Portland. OR, in 1947 where Perrin obtained some financial backing for his tractor production.

In Portland they began building crawler tractors in addition to the wheeled models.  The PERRIN name on the front rims and the locking cam clutch plate arrangement were two distinct identifying characteristics of the tractor. The Mexican order had evaporated due to Perrin’s inability to fill the order and lacking a distribution network it was imposable to compete effectively against the on slot of riding garden tractors that entered the market at that time.

Perrin moved back to the Seattle area, did carpentry work and ultimately started his own successful construction business with his two sons.

Perrin was an inventive individual who in 1951 pioneered and patented a cabinetry method that is somewhat similar that used by IKEA and virtually all “knock-down” furniture and cabinet manufacturers. I didn’t find any records of Perrin manufacturing these cabinets but hope he found financial success with them. 

Nov. 1, 1955 R. M. PERRIN CABINET CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 2, 1951 RAYMOND M. PERRIN 3 052:. 1i l My 0 attorney Nov. 1, 1955 R. M. PERRIN 2,722,468

CABINET CONSTRUCTION Filed March 2, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 t k 44 52 E 4 h \g 4 I 43 l7 '45 49 '6 g I 48 l2 49 5/ I5 4 r 22 Inventor l7 RAYMOND M. PERRIN 6 11 MM/M (Ittorneg United States Patent )fifice 2,722,468 Patented Nov- 1, 195.5

CABINET CONSTRUCTION Raymond M. Perrin, Portland, Oreg. Application March 2, 1951, Serial No. 213,624

The general object of the invention is to provide an improved form of cabinet construction for knock-down cabinets, whereby all the parts necessary are light in weight and can be shipped to the user in a compact, flat package.

Another object is to provide a cabinet which is constructed of a number of identical parts and which is easy to assemble by the average person with a screw driver.

Another object is to provide a cabinet which is of sturdy construction when assembled and which is economical to manufacture.

Still another object is to provide an improved fastening means and arrangement utilizing a plurality of small corner brackets for drawing the parts together in tight fitting relation when assembled by the user.