Bobcat Front Loader History
Bobcat front loader’s are mechanized vehicles equipped with large steel buckets at the front of the vehicle. Bobcat brand front loaders feature both track wheel and four wheel bases. Bobcat front loader’s are versatile and can reach small work sites and confined spaces that large heavy equipment cannot. They are primarily used as construction tools but are also applicable to landscaping and farming.
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About Bobcat
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Bobcat brand machinery is headquartered in West Fargo, North Dakota. The company is a subsidiary of the heavy equipment conglomerate Doosan Group, headquartered in Seoul, South Korea.
Origins
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The first Bobcat front loader was developed in 1958 by Cyril and Louis Keller of Rothsay, Minnesota. The initial design featured a six horsepower engine ignited by a rope starter. The vehicle was controlled by independent right and left control levers.
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Patent
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In 1959, the concept for the invention was patented and large scale manufacturing of the machines began at the Melroe farm equipment company of Elbow Lake, Minnesota.
Design Upgrade
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A new design was unveiled in 1959. The new machine featured a three-wheeled loader with a twelve horsepower gasoline engine. The device was named “bobcat” in homage to the agile prairie animal.
European Migration
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In 1965 Melroe made an agreement with the Luff & Smith Company of Southampton, England to commence the manufacture the Bobcat loader in Europe. The company was sold to the Ingersoll-Rand corporation in 1995.
Bobcat Today
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Ingersoll-Rand completed the sale of Bobcat of Doosan Infracore of South Korea in 2007. The company continues to manufacture four Bobcat front loader models: the S630, T630, S650 and T650.
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References
- Photo Credit Tim Boyle/Getty Images News/Getty Images
