They then bought the John Abell plant in Toronto, Ontario. They renamed it the American Abell Engine and Thresher Company Limited. Each company has there own style of machinery, this particular piece of machinery has an over hanging cylinder engine. This allowed the engine cylinder to expand and contract without causing over straining. (Norbeck 54) The idea behind this type of an engine was to create a shapely, compact balanced engine with great strength. The parts were distributed so the weight over the wheels would be even. It was also designed so the crankshaft would not tear from the shell and firebox. In twenty-three years they sold over twelve thousand models (Norbeck 54).
In December of 1911 The Advanced Rumley Co. bought out the Advanced Thresher Co. and Gaar-Scott & Co. A little bit later they bought out the Northwest Thresher Co. The Advanced Rumley Co. then sold the other three models as well as there own. The same unimproved models sold up until 1915. In 1924 they bought .
out the Aultman & Taylor Machinery Co. They then discontinued that line of models. In 1931 the Advanced Rumley Co. was bought out by Allis-Chamlers Corporation, which also took most of the assets. (Norbeck 57) .
The Minneapolis Threshing Machine Co. started back in 1887. James F. MacDonald brought his small Fond du Lac business to Hopkins Minnesota. In 1889 they started making steam traction engines. The company quickly grew and over time made up to 7,981 engines. This engine was very simple; it was mounted on a direct flute and a firebox boiler. Other models had a double cylinder engine, the outcome of that gave the engine a lot of power. This and two other firms in the area, such as a steel factory, and the Moline Implement Co. They made a total of thirty-three million dollars by 1929. It was the fifth largest farm machinery manufacturer in the company. (Norbeck 174).
In 1848 a man named John Nichols started a blacksmith shop.