TRACTOR TRIVIA and other interesting stuff 4/21/2024

[953 nut 55,233]

Heer four-wheel drive tractor

 

During the first decade of the twentieth century the gasoline engine was gaining acceptance on farms across the country. Gasoline powered tractors were in their infancy while steam powered tractors were commonplace at the time.

The Morton-Heer Co. was founded in 1910 by S. S. Morton of Pennsylvania and Chris Heer of the Heer Engine Co. to build tractors to a design by Heer.

Christopher Heer was a true visionary, at a time when most tractors and large trucks utilized a roller chain drive for the final drive Heer developed an articulated four-wheel drive, four wheel-steering, tractor with equal-sized front and rear wheels and worm-drive axles in 1910. This nine-thousand-pound tractor was powered by a horizontally-opposed Heer Engine producing twenty-five horsepower and a three-speed transmission.

The Heer four-wheel-drive tractor was the first of its kind when it came to market in 1912. Heer Engine Company received a patent on his tractor in1915.

The Heer company was reorganized into the Reliable Tractor and Engine Co. in 1915. The new company manufactured the Reliable 10-20 2WD tractor until 1921. The same tractor was sold by Fairbanks, Morse & Co. as the Fair-Mor tractor.

By 1912 the Morton Tractor Co. of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, renamed the Morton Truck & Tractor Co., had developed a Morton 4WD tractor with some design features in common with the Heer tractor. By 1920 the Harrisburg Morton company had been replaced by the Pennsylvania Tractor Co. of Philadelphia, which produced the 4-cylinder engine Morton Four-Wheel Drive 40 and the 6-cylinder engine Morton Four-Wheel Drive 60 rated at 60HP.

In the same time period several other variations of four-wheel drive tractors were being developed, we will see a few more in the coming days.

[Daddy Don 905]

Great information thanks for sharing

[Handy Don 12,232]

One interesting result of the center-pivot, articulated steering with same-size wheels all around is that when turning both outer wheels are following the same arc and can rotate at the same speed; ditto for the inner wheels, Not clear what sort of differential this used so we don’t know if that feature was important.

Very neat to see the creativity over 100 years ago.

Edited April 22 by Handy Don

[953 nut 55,233]

10 hours ago, Handy Don said:

Not clear what sort of differential this used so we don’t know if that feature was important.

Very neat to see the creativity over 100 years ago

Samuel S. Morton was a partner in this venture and had a couple of patents issued to him for transmissions. Don't know for sure but would guess his transmission was used. I plan to post a thread about Morton Tractors in a few weeks. This is his speed reduction/differential gear set from his 1901 patent 706 191.

[Handy Don 12,232]

13 hours ago, 953 nut said:

Samuel S. Morton was a partner in this venture and had a couple of patents issued to him for transmissions. Don't know for sure but would guess his transmission was used. I plan to post a thread about Morton Tractors in a few weeks. This is his speed reduction/differential gear set from his 1901 patent 706 191.

 

23 hours ago, Handy Don said:

One interesting result of the center-pivot, articulated steering with same-size wheels all around is that when turning both outer wheels are following the same arc and can rotate at the same speed; ditto for the inner wheels, Not clear what sort of differential this used so we don’t know if that feature was important.

 

On conventionally-steered vehicles in a turn, all four wheels rotate at different speeds. With center-pivot, articulated steering with same-size wheels there are only two speeds--the inners and the outers. Govern those speeds using the steering angle and In slippery/muddy conditions, you have locked-in 4wd. This could really help with traction and control in muddy fields.