Show FIFTIETH anniversary OF LINK BELT CO fifty years have passed since the incorporation of the ewart manufacturing company the forerunner of the present link belt company in 1875 in commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary the link belt company has published an attractive book entitled link belt 1875 1925 in this book it is mentioned that the patent of william dana ewart a young implement dealer from belle plaine iowa for the detachable link chain was dated september 1 1874 late in 1874 when mr ewart went to chicago with a view to arousing some interest in his detachable link chain he succeeded in interesting john C coonley a lawyer who was then president of the chicago malleable iron company As a result a company was duly incorporated in 1875 under the name of the ewart manufacturing company for manufacturing detachable link chain in 1876 the ewart chains were exhibited at the philadelphia centennial new uses for the invention developed rapidly and in 1880 the link belt machinery company was incorporated to design build and supply accessory parts and install elevating and conveying machinery employing ewart chains the plant for this company was built in chicago A alfred president link belt COMP RIly challem plez of directors in 1888 the link belt engineering company was formed with a plant in philadelphia these two plants found increasing numbers of new uses for the chain with the result that all three plants continued to grow in in size size until in 1906 a consoli consolidation dation of the three interests took place and charles was elected pr president resident es ident it will be remembered that mr was director general of the emergency fleet corporation during the world war mr is now chairman of the board of directors and alfred kauffmann formerly vice president in charge of the two link belt plants in indianapolis is now president of the company from the humble beginning begin ning in 1875 this company now operates and owns ten large m manufacturing plants with seven sh shops aps ops and warehouses and twenty seven branch offices and its products now no w include elevating and conveying equipment for all kinds of materials complete equipment for the handling and cleaning of coal on the ground coal tipples and coal washing and in the boiler house complete plants sand and gravel gr avel washing 6 and preparing plants for the modern machinery sand preparing and conveying foundry cocom locomotive etive and crawler type cranes silent chain and for the front end of the drives for industrial plants plant s automobile in fact link be belt it today builds complete equipment for conveying handling and power transmission |