Ninety years of the Ferguson System Day of Patents
Harry Ferguson (1884 - 1960) simply was a genius, a man of great innovatory vision and everything he did was carefully considered. From when he invented the modern tractor with quickly interchangeable implements and automatic depth control in his Ferguson Master Patent of 1925, his objective was to put it into mass production.
The final version of his Ferguson Master Patent would be deliberately filed on the 11th November, 1925, Armistice Day to show to the world that it was his intention that the modern tractor would through prosperity help to end conflicts and wars. The Ferguson Master Patent would be granted on the 14th June, 1926 and so celebrates the centenary of it being granted later this year.
Over the next ten years his invention was developed from the Ferguson Principle to the Ferguson System with ambition reaching the sky and the ultimate goal to better humanity itself.
That long path included not just developing the tractor with Ferguson System but a new range of dedicated implements, allowing the tractor to become a mechanised farming solution and not just replace the horse.
The Ferguson Belfast Black Prototype tractor that was built in Belfast by Harry Ferguson and his engineers from 1931-1933 was used as the test bed to develop the Ferguson System on the lands of friend and business partner Thomas MacGregor Greer at Tullylagan Manor, Cookstown from 1933 – 1935. MacGregor Greer’s role was crucial by providing land on his estate for secret testing and development, but who also was the main financial backer of Harry Ferguson and his system as a Company director. With the Ferguson System finally working as intended it was moved to the factory of David Brown at Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England to be the basis for the world’s first production Ferguson System tractor. David Brown had agreed to build the tractor and dedicated implements for Harry Ferguson who would design, market and sell the tractor to be known as the Ferguson-Brown Type A.
As part of the readiness for production five different Patents would be filed by Harry Ferguson at Belfast to ensure his and the Ferguson Company intellectual property rights were protected. This was a very prudent thing to do as a substantial amount of capital and time had been invested and it was vital to have the inventions protected by letters Patent. These very important Patents all came from improvements made to the Ferguson System as fitted to the Ferguson Belfast Black Prototype tractor during testing and development.
The five Patents of inventions would be together first filed on the 5th February, 1936. They elude to how much Harry Ferguson and his engineers achieved in two and a half years of hard work in County Tyrone from 1933 to 1935 in the perfecting of the Ferguson System.
These Patents would follow on from Patent number 253,566, the Ferguson Master Patent first filed on the 12th February, 1925 and the invention of three point converging linkage Patent number 320,084 first filed on the 3rd July, 1928.
The five Patents are:
Patent number 470,068. This first Patent relates to agricultural implements and the invention of a furrow width wheel on a plough with the idea being to give necessary support laterally from the furrow-wall to prevent it from swinging away from its work, and also to allow the implement to keep a regular depth over uneven ground.
Patent number 470,069.The principle of flow on demand to achieve automatic hydraulic depth control by placing the main control valve on the suction side of the specially designed hydraulic pump. The pump is immersed in the oil to stop the oil heating and to avoid aeration. The heating of the oil, the hydraulic pump air-locking and poor implement depth control had been constant problems from the first testing of the Ferguson Belfast Black Prototype tractor in January, 1933 at County Tyrone.
Patent number 470,087. A development of Patent 253,566, the Ferguson Master Patent and Patent Number 470069 which incorporates automatic release of hydraulic pressure to protect the implement on hitting an obstruction. A very important safety feature that gave the tractor stability when an obstruction was hit making the tractor loose traction and the drive wheels slip. It stopped the front of the tractor rising up and falling back on the operator. This was incorporated into the single top link and is known as upper-link sensing. Initially when the Ferguson Belfast Black Prototype tractor was built it used lower-link sensing and after two years of trying to get it to work Harry Ferguson had to accept defeat and use upper-link instead.
Patent number 471,515. The final part to the Ferguson System with check chains/anti-sway blocks fitted to the lower two links of the three point linkage that limits sway with raised implements but allows a certain amount of lateral movement in working position with different implements. A very important part of controlling implements. A simple idea that once again took much testing to be developed.
Patent number 471,801. Relates to agricultural implements, say a drill plough or cultivator and the invention of a steerage fin or equivalent for automatic self-centring effect on the implement to keep the implement in a straight line.
The path from invention, perfection and finally production would finally make the long held dream of Harry Ferguson a reality and these five different Patents being filed on the 5th of February was a pivotal event in the development of the Ferguson System.
Today on the ninetieth anniversary of these Patents being filed it is another event worthy of celebration as in legal and inventive terms the Ferguson System was finally ready for production.
As I have already said Harry Ferguson was a genius with a mission in his Ferguson System of farm mechanisation and modernisation, having a reason for everything he did. Harry Ferguson carefully selected the date of the 5th of February, 1936 to file his five Ferguson System Patents. It was the 36th day of the 36th year and the number 36 is very special from engineering, innovation, mathematical and religious points due to its unique properties especially enlightenment and innovation. By picking the date 36th day of the 36th year in other words double 36 Harry Ferguson was stating the great significance his inventions in the Ferguson System Day of Patents was going to have. That bright new dawn did indeed do just that as the Ferguson System ninety years later still helps feed the world.
Stevan Patterson, Castlederg County Tyrone.