Harvey Brinker
Member
It is fairly well known how Henry Ferguson and Henry Ford shook hands in a Gentleman’s Agreement which gave Henry Ford access to the Ferguson System three-point implement attachment patents.
The part I have never seen spelled out is: Did Henry Ford obtain 100% exclusive rights to the three-point hitch system for a given number of years, thus none of the other tractor companies could use the system. Or could the others have used the system but were just too tight fisted financially to pay royalties?
As I remember both Farmall and Allis Chalmers each developed their own quick hitch system but it was only a stop-gap method until they moved on to adopt Ferguson’s methods, once they could be used free of charge.
I could very well be wrong, but it has been my opinion that if some of the other tractor manufacturing companies had gotten the three-point hitch sooner they might have had a better chance of survival.
Thanks for your opinions, Harvey
The part I have never seen spelled out is: Did Henry Ford obtain 100% exclusive rights to the three-point hitch system for a given number of years, thus none of the other tractor companies could use the system. Or could the others have used the system but were just too tight fisted financially to pay royalties?
As I remember both Farmall and Allis Chalmers each developed their own quick hitch system but it was only a stop-gap method until they moved on to adopt Ferguson’s methods, once they could be used free of charge.
I could very well be wrong, but it has been my opinion that if some of the other tractor manufacturing companies had gotten the three-point hitch sooner they might have had a better chance of survival.
Thanks for your opinions, Harvey