Crossley History
Crossley Brothers was created in 1867 by brothers Francis (1839-97) and William J. (1844-1911). Francis, with help from his uncle bought the engineering firm of John M Dunlop at Great Marlborough Street in downtown Manchester, including manufacturing pumps, presses, steam engines and small. William (Sir William from 1910 - Baronet) joined his brother shortly after the purchase. The company name was initially changed to Crossley Brothers and Dunlop. Each of the two brothers had served engineering apprenticeship: Francis, known as Frank, Robert Stephenson and Company, and William at WG Armstrong, both in Newcastle upon Tyne. William concentrated on the business side, Frank provided the engineering expertise.
Both brothers were committed Christians and strictly teetotal, refusing to deliver their products to companies such as breweries, we do not approve. They adopted the symbol of early Christians of the Coptic Cross (Coptic Christianity) the new emblem to use on their road vehicles.
In 1869, they had the foresight to acquire the United Kingdom and around the world (except German) patent rights of Otto and Langden Cologne for the new gas powered air of internal combustion engines and, 1876, these rights were extended to the famous Otto cycle four-stroke engine. The transition to four-stroke engines was remarkably rapid with the last atmospheric engines made in 1877.
A thriving business. In 1881 Crossley Brothers became a private company with limited liability (ie Crossley Brothers Ltd.), then in 1882 he moved to larger premises in Pottery Lane, Openshaw in east Manchester.
Other technical improvements were also completed, including the introduction of valves and the hot-tube igniter in 1888 and the introduction of the carburetor, which allows volatile liquid fuels to use.
By adopting the operating heavier "oil" engine, the first being demonstrated in 1891, the company's future was assured. Then, in 1896, they obtained the rights to the diesel system, which used the heat of compression alone to ignite the fuel. The diesel was built in 1898.
At the turn of the century, there was also some production of petrol engines, and in 1901 these engines were finding their way into road vehicles, including, in 1905, Leyland buses.
A major contribution to manufacturing was the introduction of the assembly line. The system Crossley even influenced Henry Ford, who visited Pottery Lane at the turn of the century.
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