The introduction of internal combustion to rollers made it possible to equip them with attachments for road maintenance. This Galion Little Master three-wheel roller is outfitted with a rear scarifier to break up packed surfaces, and an adjustable underframe moldboard to strike the surface off as it compacted. The projections on the large drive drums provide additional traction; these are rather subtle, as various spikes and cleats were also available, all mounting through holes in the drums. Equipped with stout enough traction enhancements, a suitably powerful three-wheel roller could also draw some sizes of pull graders in lieu of, or even in addition to, the underframe blade.
The big industry trade shows are the place for the unveiling of the newest cutting-edge technologies and inventions. Here are two products of the Galion Iron Works & Manufacturing Company that fit that description in the 1920s and 1930s.
Doug Osborne Papers, HCEA Archives
This Swiss army knife on wheels is a Galion No. 15 Mixing and Leveling Drag. The various underframe blades gather surface material and mix it by passing it back and forth as the Drag is pulled forward, finally striking it off at the rear blade. This design is actually fairly simple; other manufacturers built them with scarifiers, wing blades like a snowplow to work the shoulder, and drum rollers. It could be used for less severe road repairs than a three-wheeled roller with blade and scarifier; but it was also handy for roadmixed asphalt paving, blending asphalt with windrowed aggregates.
About the HCEA
The Historical Construction Equipment Association (HCEA) is a 501(c )3 nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the history of the construction, dredging and surface mining equipment industries. With over 3,500 members in a dozen countries, our activities include operation of National Construction Equipment Museum and archives in Bowling Green, Ohio; publication of a quarterly magazine, Equipment Echoes, from which this text is adapted, and hosting an annual working exhibition of restored construction equipment. Individual annual memberships are $45 within the U.S. and Canada, and $65 elsewhere. Our next International Convention and Old Equipment Exposition will be August 7-10, 2024, in Canandaigua, New York. We seek to develop relationships in the equipment manufacturing industry, and we offer a college scholarship for engineering students. Information is available at www.hcea.net, or by calling 419.352.5616 or e-mailing [email protected].
Tom Berry is archivist for the Historical Construction Equipment Association (HCEA). Information is available at www.hcea. net, or by calling 419.352.5616 or e-mailing [email protected].
