In the 1980s when the demand for tire chains peaked in the USA, sharp-eyed women performed visual inspection to verify the quality of the twisted cross links (left) while other women rapidly assembled the chain sets (below).


In 1933, 40 chain companies —then producing 90% of the nation’s welded and weldless chain—came together in a series of meetings to form a coalition which would later become the National Association of Chain Manufacturers (NACM).


A GRIPPING PERIOD OF INNOVATION


Perhaps the most signifi cant innovation for chainmakers was the air-fi lled rubber tire for automobiles and trucks. T e new tires softened the ride on bumpy unpaved wagon roads, but they were rendered nearly useless in inclement weather. In 1904, Harry Weed of Canastota, New York, received U.S. Patent No. 768,495 for his “Grip-Tread for Pneumatic Tires.” Weed’s fl exible and collapsible tread provided increased traction on roads slick with mud, snow, or ice. It was fabricated entirely


of chains and was held in place by infl ation of the tires. T e Grip-Tread was an instant success. Weed organized his own business to produce his


treads in sets. Soon, every automobile and truck in America would be carrying a set of tire chains. As demand increased, the inventor expanded his operation and acquired the factory of his chain supplier, the Oneida metalworking company, which later became famous for its tableware. By 1912, there were 32 chainmaking companies in the country—25 of which were located in Ohio and Pennsylvania. During World War I, requirements


WIRE ROPE EXCHANGE


NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2012


25


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