Cone Drive Glossary

Please find below a comprehensive guide to terms associated with David Brown.

AEI (Associated Electrics Industries

See GEC Marine & Industrial Gears Limited

Benzlers

1944 The BENZLERS family founded a trading company that during the years of growth has acquired and re-structured the Swedish power transmission industry. During this process many local brands has been acquired: Examples: ModoMekan Gearboxes, ASEA Geared Motors & Worm Gearboxes, SALA Shaft Mount Speed Reducers, EMPRO Worm Gearboxes etc. The trading business of "open transmissions" (V-belt drives, Timing belt drives, Chain & sprocket Drives, Various Couplings etc) was separated from the BENZLERS group just before BENZLERS was acquired by TEXTRON year 2000.

BEW (Benoni Engineering Works)

BEW were a smaller version of DBGI in South Africa, they manufactured gears up to 7 metres in diameter and had a range of worm gears boxes, which in the latter years were targeted towards the low quality end of the market. i.e. they were a manufacturer of ‘B’ grade gears. DBGI bought them in 1998 to take them out of the market place, because they were their main competitor in small through to large gears in sugar, mining and the general industrial area.

Beyer

Family company created in the East of France:

  • Were known for their gearboxes designed in "double continuous helical gear type" also called "chevrons type" with no gap between the 2 helix
  • Supplied for heavy industries like metals, rubber & plastics, cement, mines.
  • Here at Weco we have some original drawings and are sometimes able to supply spare parts and/or complete drop-in units.

BTH (British Thomson Houston)

See GEC Marine & Industrial Gears Limited

Cone Drive

Double-enveloping worm gearing provides several distinct advantages over cylindrical worm gearing, including increased torque throughput, improved accuracy, and extended life.

The concept of worm gearing originated in antiquity. Archimedes is generally acknowledged as the inventor of the worm gear, using a screw to rotate a toothed wheel. Leonardo da Vinci envisioned the double-enveloping worm gear nearly 500 years ago. Although da Vinci came up with the concept for double-enveloping worm gearing, it was Samuel Cone who developed efficient manufacturing techniques in the late 1920's.

There are three different types of worm gearing: non-throated, single- throated, and double-throated.

Double-enveloping worm gearing possesses several key advantages over other types of worm gearing. In a cylindrical worm gear set, only one to two gear teeth are in contact with the worm. In a double-enveloping worm gear set, three to eleven gear teeth are typically in contact with the worm, depending upon the ratio. The increased number of driven gear teeth that are in contact with the worm significantly increases torque capacity, and also raises shock load resistance.

In addition to increasing the number of driven gear teeth in contact with the worm, double-enveloping worm gearing also increases the contact area on each gear tooth. The actual areas of instantaneous contact between the worm threads and the driven gear tooth are lines. These lines of contact move across the face of the gear tooth as it progresses through its total time of mesh with the worm. The lines of contact in double-enveloping worm gearing are configured to increase the power transmission capability and reduce the stress on each gear tooth.

Coventry Gear Company

Acquired in 1944. Specialised in small geared motors available in double or triple reduction. Also produced spur, single helical, spiral gears, straight tooth bevels, worm gears, spur racks and sprockets to order. Transferred from Coventry to the Gear Grinding Company site in Solihull in 1962. Solihull closed down in 1969. Geared motors probably superseded by Helicons and Sadi.

David Brown Hydraulics

David Brown Hydraulics has an extensive range of low noise helical gear, aluminium and cast iron gear pumps, as well as standard spur gear models ranging from displacements of 6 cc/rev up to 236cc/rev and pressure rating of 250 bar continuous duty. Its valve range covers multi-spool sectional and monoblock models with electro-hydraulic, hydraulic and lever control up to 400 l/min and 250 Bar rating.

In November 2001, it was announced that David Brown Hydraulics and Hema Endustri A.S., in Turkey have entered into a long-term product supply and license agreement. Hema will manufacture the David Brown Hydraulics range of pumps and valves for the David Brown Hydraulics organisation.

Dual axis, stackable and single axis hydraulic pilot valves are also available with an extensive range of handle options including ergonomic handles with many switches and button options. The valves are available with spring centred and electric detent options. David Brown Italy produces all pilot valve products for the group.

David Brown also produces and sells its own range of transport hydraulics under the name of David Brown Powauto. The product range covers power take-offs, pumps valves and accessories for on road vehicles. The Powauto range of products is produced by David Brown Australia.

DSN

Created in 1917, focused at that time on energy (water turbines), paper, rail, chemical

Hydreco

Hydreco are a leading manufacturer primarily for the mobile machinery and transport hydraulic markets but also for applications within industrial markets. They have been providing efficient and reliable products as solutions for customer’s application needs since 1935. There product range includes gear pumps and motors, control valves, pilot control valves, joysticks and (PTO) power take off units.

'Jackson Gears' – David Brown Jackson

Never called Jackson Gears. PR Jackson was acquired by DB in 1931. The company goes back to the 1820s in Bolton. Established in Salford in 1840, originally specialists in moulded gears, pioneered the rolling of tyres exactly to dimensions. Still producing them in the 1940s. Started producing machine cut gears, including spiral bevels, in the 1850s. Rivals of DB in the heavy industrial gears for mines, cement making, rolling mills, dredgers, sugar cane crushing, marine and power generating. The 13 metre gear cutter, then the world's largest, was located there in the late 1960s, now superceded by the 14 metre Maag in Benoni, South Africa. The main site was closed down in 1985 apart from the 13 metre machine which ceased production in 1989. The steel foundry was transferred to Penistone in 1959.

Keighley Gear Company

Established by David Browns in Keighley following the acquisition of the Machine Tool business of Sam Sunderland also in Keighley. It was moved to Huddersfield in 1934. Produced a range of stock spur gears and manufactured to order helical, double helical, worm, straight bevels and sprockets. With low overheads competed in an area where price was crucial.

Metropolitan Vickers

See GEC Marine & Industrial Gears Limited

Paramount Gears

Paramount were bought by DBGI in 1998. They were a high quality manufacturer in the smaller end of the market , their main customers being the South African Defence Force and Bell Equipment (manufacturers of off road earth moving equipment) to whom they sold axles, transfer boxes and differentials. DBGI bought them to get into new markets and to expand their range.

Power Plant Gears

PPG hold records for the following companies:

  • Power Plant Gears 1930 – 1983
  • Wyko 1976 (Approx) – 1992
  • Turbine Gears 1912 - 1968

They currently specialise in repairing gearboxes mainly in power generation. But in the past PPG have supplied heavy industrial gearboxes into the following industries: water & waste treatment, sugar, power generation, cement, steel, food, petrochemical, cranes, plastics, marine, rubber, mining; you name an industry and PPG have supplied into it!

Sadi

units were mainly relatively small planetary units, supplied from the 1950s to present. found a lot in mainland europe (supplied via belgium or france) in the following main applications:

  • Capstans in mooring systems in harbours and particularly oil terminals.
  • Mixers and agitators for chemical applications.
  • Mixers an agitators for pulp and paper
  • Water treatment drives

Sala

SALA is the name of well known mining and mineral handling/treatment equipment produced in Sweden since more than 100 years. In the early 1950's that mining company was asked by Bengt Benzler to develop a DODGE shaft mount replica. So they did. Ever since then BENZLERS has been the sole agent for these SALA Shaft Mount Speed Reducers, predominately used in bulk material handling, similar to what you find in mineral & ore handling equipment. Since 1976 the manufacture of these gearboxes have been owned by BENZLERS.

Sonnerdale - Richardson (Australia)

David Brown had a licence agreement with Richardson Gears, Melbourne from 1934 and held shares. Richardson was taken over by Sonnerdale of Sydney in 1964. David Brown acquired Sonnerdale Richardson in 1973. Continued manufacturing in Sydney under the David Brown name. Moved to Bulli NSW in two phases 1988 and 1990. Meets a wide range of demands – rail traction, mining, power generation, general industrial applications, processing etc. Markets include New Zealand and SE Asia.

Sykes

In the early part of the 1900's William (Bill) Sykes was works manager of the Power Plant Company based in West Drayton. During his time at PP he developed a novel gear cutting process for producing double helical gears called the Rapidan Process. Once the process was well established he left the company and formed WE Sykes Limited, a company dedicated to the manufacture of both the machine tools and cutting tools for this new process. The company grew to be one of the largest UK based gear machine tool companies until its significant decline during the late 1960's. It stopped making machine tools and concentrated on the cutting tools only until the mid 1990's when it was aquired by David Brown Gear Tools.

Weco

Created in 1911 and business in textile machines:

  • First gearbox manufactered in 1932.
  • Then a first class name for gear manufacture.
  • Many supplied in OEM in the 70's, like Clecim (Rolling mills for metals), FCB (Cement, mines, minerals), Sahut-Conreur (compacters for fertilizers, salt,...)

Applications : cranes, rolling mills, cement mills and kilns, coilers,... : 70% was export indirect business, so a lot of Weco gearboxes running throughout the world.

  • 700 units supplied to Michelin since 1970 about, installed all around the world.
  • 60 units supplied for skilift application, supplied in planetary version.
  • Capacity custom-built gearboxes up to 40 Tons, also in planetary version

GEC Marine & Industrial Gears Limited – Rugby

This company is the focal point in relation to the companies dealt with below.

Associated Electric Industries Ltd (AEI)

  • The holding company from 1929 of :
  • Metropolitan Vickers Electrical Ltd (MV)
  • British Thompson Houston Ltd (BTH)
  • Until 1960 MV and BTH used their own logo and then the AEI logo used.

English Electric Company Ltd (EE) (Not on List)

  • It is relevant to subsidiaries:
  • Wiseman Gears (EE Diesels) WG) Grantham (Known as Alfred Wiseman Gears)
  • Modern Wheel Drive Ltd (MWD) Subsidiary Hindmarsh Gears (not listed)
  • Until 1960 MV and BTH used their own logo and then the AEI logo used.

General Electric Company Ltd (GEC)

  • Acquired AEI in 1967
  • Merged with English Electric 1968.
  • GEC Marine and Industrial Gears Ltd circa 1968
  • Until 1960 MV and BTH used their own logo and then the AEI logo used.

GEC was bought by Marconi Plc in 1999 and is now owned by Ericsson and renamed Telent Plc in 2005.

Powerful Brands

Engineering Products David Brown Screw Jack Products Benzlers David Brown and Benzlers are sister companies of Cone Drive, also part of the Textron family. Working together enables us to offer a full range of gear products and provide global services and support.