Morton Tractor Co., Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
The Morton Traction Co. was founded in 1904 by SS Morton of Pennsylvania, USA.
History
Businessman S S. Morton and his associates formed several companies and built several tractors with Morton in the name. Morton built his first "Traction Engine" in 1899. He received a patent for it in 1903 and incorporated the Morton Traction Co. in 1904 in York, Pennsylvania to manufacture the "Morton Traction Truck". It was a tractor chassis (called a truck) on which any of several Stationary type single-cylinder gasoline engines from 6-50 hp could be mounted. In 1904-05 Morton sold the patent to the Ohio Manufacturing Co. of Upper Sandusky, Ohio. Ohio Manufacturing supplied Morton trucks to several tractor 'manufacturers' and built the first IHC Type A tractors for International Harvester, putting International's "Famous" engines on a Morton chassis. Ohio Manufacturing continued to make the Morton trucks until 1913 and built the 2WD Whitney 9-18 tractor from 1916-21. The company changed its name to Whitney Tractor Co. in 1921 and went out of business shortly afterwards.
Meanwhile, Morton interests set up the Morton Tractor Co. of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and experimented with tractor designs. Chris Heer of the Heer Engine Co. in Portsmouth, Ohio joined with Morton in 1910 to form the Morton-Heer Co. in Portsmouth to build a 4WD tractor designed by Heer. The 4WD, 4-wheel-steering, tractor with equal-sized front and rear wheels, center-pivot steering, worm-drive axles, and a Heer horizontally-opposed 2-cylinder engine was the first 4WD tractor on the market when it was introduced in 1912 (Heer received a patent on it in 1915). The Heer Engine Co. soon absorbed Morton-Heer and the Morton-Heer tractor became the Heer. The Heer company was reorganised into the Reliable Tractor and Engine Co. in 1915 or 1916. The new company manufactured the Reliable 10-20 2WD tractor until 1921. The same tractor was sold by Fairbanks, Morse & Co. as the Fair-Mor tractor.
The Morton interests formed the Morton Tractor Co. of Fremont, Ohio and about 1912 began building a copy of the Heer 4WD tractor under the Morton name. Morton and associates also began experimenting with a small 2WD tractor called the Morton Motor Plow and formed the Morton Motor Plow Co. in Columbus, Indiana where production began in 1914.
By 1912 the Morton Tractor Co. of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, renamed the Morton Truck & Tractor Co., had developed a Morton 4WD tractor with some design features in common with the Heer tractor. By 1920 the Harrisburg Morton company had been replaced by the Pennsylvania Tractor Co. of Philadelphia, which produced the 4-cylinder engined Morton Four-Wheel Drive 40 and the 6-cylinder engined Morton Four-Wheel Drive 60 rated at 60HP.
Morton-Heer Co.
Main article: Heer
Chris Heer of the Heer Engine Co. in Portsmouth, Ohio joined with Morton in 1910 to form the Morton-Heer Co. in Portsmouth to build a 4WD tractor designed by Heer. The 4WD, 4-wheel-steering, tractor with equal-sized front and rear wheels, center-pivot steering, worm-drive axles, and a Heer horizontally-opposed 2-cylinder engine was the first 4WD tractor on the market when it was introduced in 1912 (Heer received a patent on it in 1915). The Heer Engine Co. soon absorbed Morton-Heer and the Morton-Heer tractor became the Heer. The Heer company was reorganised into the Reliable Tractor and Engine Co. in 1915 or 1916. The new company manufactured the Reliable 10-20 2WD tractor until 1921. The same tractor was sold by Fairbanks, Morse & Co. as the Fair-Mor tractor.
Successor company
By 1920 the Harrisburg Morton company had been replaced by the Pennsylvania Tractor Co. of Philadelphia, which produced the 4-cylinder engined Morton Four-Wheel Drive 40 and the 6-cylinder engined Morton Four-Wheel Drive 60 rated at 60HP.
Morton
HistoryFor other uses, see Four wheeldrive (disambiguation).
Morton
Model history
Model introduced 1920
Model discontinued 1920
Model status Discontinued Discontinued
Engine Specification
Engine make Stearns
Fuel type gasoline
Power hp 32 belt (at 1000 rpm), 25 drawbar
Governed rpm {{{governedrpm}}}
Displacement cu in /(litre) 461 ci
No. of Cylinders 4
Bore in (mm) 4.75"
Stroke in (mm) 6.5"
Cooling system water
Naturally aspirated, Turbo or Supercharged NA
Transmission Details
Transmission type sliding gear
Forward 2
Reverse 1
Drive 4WD
Linkage Category Unknown
Tyre Sizes (std/options)
Front 54"x10" steel
Rear 54"x10" steel
Tractor Dimensions
Wheelbase 168"
Plow rating Unknown
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The 4-Wheel-Drive tractor was introduced in 1920 by the Pennsylvania Tractor Co., of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the USA. (This tractor is not related to other similar named products or the company Four Wheel Traction Ltd).
It was rated at 3-plow and 25-32 hp, that is, 32 belt horsepower and 25 drawbar horsepower. A Stearns 461ci ohv 4-cylinder engine powered it, driving through a 2-speed transmission.
