Parní oračka a lokomobily

The beginnings of steam plowing

In the early 1950s the use of locomobiles in field work was accompanied by difficulties. The design of the steam engine had a number of limitations in practice. Due to the constant need to replenish the coal that served as fuel for the steam boiler, and especially the need for new water instead of the one that had already evaporated, it was not practic to drive the locomobiles around the field. In addition, the farmers of the time did not like the fact that the heavy machine compacted topsoil.

John Fowler innovations

Therefore, in 1856, John Fowler first improved the rope plowing system using a single locomobile. In 1863, the company introduced an improved version of rope plowing, using two locomobiles located on opposite sides of a plowed field and equipped with horizontal winding drums with a steel rope that pulled the plow between them. These innovations opened the way for the spread of steam plows to the world.

The company J. Kemna

Inspired by the success of English producers and especially John Fowler, in 1867 Julius Kemna founded a factory for the production of agricultural machinery in Breslau (now Wroclaw, Poland) in what was then Prussian Silesia. At the beginning of the 20th century, this German company was already one of the most important manufacturers of steam plows on the European continent and were a significant competitor to the English.

ED. KOKORA a SPOL., PŘEROV - a Moravian producer of locomobiles from this exhibition:

The beginning of this company is dated back to 1876 when Josef Doležal, Eduard Kokora and Mořic Waldman bought in execution a fakcory owned by Václav Nohejl . In 1888 Kokora and his family took control over the company. The end of this company was caused by the Great Depression in the 1930s.

F. WICHTERLE - a Moravian producer of locomobiles from this exhibition:

František Wichterle bought gasworks in Prostějov to build there and industrial areal for agricultural machines. At the earliest, it served only for assembling machines - their parts were brought from the USA, but later they started to make them themselves. That is the beginning of the company.

Locomobile with a winch

Sometimes at the beginning of the 20th century, a locomobile with a winch was made in what was then Breslau, which is today the dominant feature of the exhibition of agricultural machinery of the Museum of the Boskovice Region. Like all other rope plows for rope plowing, it was only usable on larger flat plots.