The ubiquitous micro tractor is an engineering milestone when it invented and launched a whole class of compact construction equipment.
The brother who invented the world's first compact loader (later known as the Bobcat Skid Loader in North America) has been selected as the 2023 finalists of the National Inventor Hall of Fame (NIHF).
In the 1950s, Cyril and Louis Keller brothers operated a small machine and manufacturing workshop to manufacture and repair machines for local farmers in Minnesota. A local farmer came to them with a problem - he needed a portable self-propelled loader to lift it to the second floor of the turkey barn, and it was small enough to clean around the upright pole of the barn. In 1957, Kellers manufactured a three-wheel loader with two drive wheels at the front wheel and one caster at the rear wheel. This is the predecessor of modern skid loader.
Melroe Manufacturing Co. (now Bobcat Co.) in Gwinner, North Dakota, USA, noted this development and invited the Kellers brothers to display their invention on their booth at the 1958 Minnesota Exposition. The brothers later granted Melroe the exclusive manufacturing right of the machine on the basis of royalties. The company hired Keller Brothers to improve their design and put the machine into production.
The second generation loader, named M400 and developed in 1960, has added a second set of drive wheels at the rear of the machine, making it a true four-wheel drive and the first skid loader in the world. Slip steering describes the steering system that enables the machine to turn within its own length. Later, it was renamed SM because of its tenacity, agility and agility.
"We are proud of the innovative spirit of our inventors. While we maintain the foundation of humility, we continue to break through boundaries and provide customers with more choices, improved performance and advanced technology to work more intelligently." Mike Ballweber, president of Bobcat North America,.
In 2023, the 50th anniversary of the founding of NIHF, Thomas Edison was the only candidate.
Joe Keller expressed his gratitude for the award on behalf of his father Louis and uncle Cyril. "This recognition is a great honor for his father and Cyril's family, but it is not only for us. It is an recognition for all early and current Bobcat employees, who helped our little" Keller loader "become today's Bobcat machine. It's a great honor to sit in the front row and watch this invention completely change the way people work around the world. "
Bobcat Co., now headquartered in West Fargo, North Dakota, has developed into manufacturing many compact equipment, including loaders, excavators, compact tractors, utility 名媛直播, telehandler, lawn mowers, accessories, tools, parts and services.
The National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF) was established in 1973 in cooperation with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. It is a non-profit organization in the United States. It aims to commend inventors and inventions, and provide national practical education programs and university competitions focused on exploration in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
