Anton Kulmus
| Anton Kulmus
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| legal form | Sole proprietorship |
| founding | 1926 |
| Seat | Iron resin |
| management | Anton Kulmus |
| Number of employees | 6th |
| Branch | Tractor construction |
Anton Kulmus Tractors Eisenharz was a developer and manufacturer of agricultural vehicles before the Second World War .
history
Anton Kulmus was a pioneer in tractor construction. In 1926 he switched what was then a wagon factory to the production of conversion tractors.
Conversion tractor
Kulmus bought out of disused cars. He left the front of the car up to the windshield. From the side doors he sawed the entire structure of the rear part down to the frame. The way was now free for the conversion to a tractor.
Each converted tractor kept its original engine. It was mostly a gasoline engine and had 30 to 40 horsepower. Every tractor got a mower.
Since Anton Kulmus always worked according to the law of nature , he thought spoked wheels were very practical. If the tractor had sunk in winter or in a soft meadow, the farmer could push a fence post or an iron bar through the pair of tires in question. When he put the forward gear in, the tug pulled itself out again. The spokes were either made of wood or metal.
Repairs were seldom done on these conversion tractors. But they were expensive to maintain. From 1930 to 1935, Kulmus built engines from the Hatz engine factory into his tractors . The tractors were now cheaper to maintain. Those interested could choose between 7 HP and 14 HP.
Excursion car
A conversion of a special kind was a delivery truck. Kulmus converted it into a 10-seater excursion vehicle with an open top.
The KD20 tractor
There was a large dairy in his home town of Eisenharz . Every day you had to collect milk from Lindau, which is 30 km away. There were steep inclines to be overcome on the way. From 1935 to 1937 Anton Kulmus designed a tractor with 20 hp. The speed was 20 kilometers per hour. It had the type designation KD20. This was revolutionary for the time. In his former wagon workshop he made a model of the gearbox out of wood. The gear factory in Friedrichshafen made this model in cast. Kulmus had to press the necessary ball bearings into this raw gear unit under difficult conditions.
For him, the top priority was his motto: No construction is stronger than its weakest part.
In 1937 the first KD20 was ready. It was a complete success. The tractors were suitable for heavy milk and cattle transports because they were fast and strong for the time. Some owners also took on contract work in addition to working in their own business. They drove for neighbors or communities. In winter, snow clearing work was carried out with this powerful tractor. In 1937, the KD20 was the most modern tractor in southern Germany. If desired, it was made with a hood.
The KDE22 tractor
Many farmers had to give up their horses during the war. So they needed a tractor to manage their meadows that could take over the work of the horses. This had to be light and agile. A tractor with a power take-off shaft and pulley became very important so that they could attach their agricultural equipment. Kulmus designed the KDE22 to be shorter with a strong impact when turning. This model was immediately well received. It was sold in the Lake Constance area, in the whole of the Westallgäu and in the Bregenz Forest. One of the KDE22 is still running today (2008) in the Allgäu.
Self-propelled swath rake
In 1936 Kulmus designed and built swath rakes with motor and brakes for haymaking. They could work in the meadows without a tractor.
Meadow rollers
There were 3 rollers each. They could be arranged differently as required: in front of one another, next to one another or one behind the other.
Tractor trailer
Between 1930 and 1937 Anton Kulmus and his father Michael built trailers in various designs: They were bridge wagons with 4 pneumatic wheels (they were used for heavy milk and cattle transports and for all agricultural work), wooden hay wagons with 4 pneumatic wheels or 2 - Wheel semitrailers for tractors (agricultural all-purpose trailers). It was important for Kulmus that every trailer had well-functioning braking systems.
In the Second World War, Anton Kulmus had to join the Wehrmacht . His workers also became soldiers. The company stopped. In 1945 Anton Kulmus could no longer continue with the serial production of tractors. He lacked the necessary material. He was able to collect all the individual parts that were needed for the construction of another single tractor through barter deals and in kind.
Company changeover 1945
After the war, Anton Kulmus did not consider it sensible to start again with serial tractor production for various reasons. He has therefore decided to switch his business to an agricultural machinery repair shop with a sales agency for the Fendt , Deutz ( see also: Deutz-Fahr and Magirus-Deutz ) and Primus brands , which he successfully managed until the business was handed over to his son in 1965.
To person
- Anton Kulmus, b. March 25, 1900 in Eisenharz, Allgäu
- 1913: Wagner apprenticeship in his father's company until 1916.
- 1922: Registration of motor vehicle operation with the Ulm Chamber of Crafts.
- 1925: master craftsman examination
- 1926: Manufacture of construction tractors.
- 1930: Registration as a car mechanic business.
- 1935: Approval as a wholesaler for tire trade and for agricultural machinery, production of the Kulmus diesel tractor KD20 according to his own idea and development in his workshop.
- 1939: Follow-up model KDE22. Appointment as an advisory member of the then Reich Board of Trustees for Technology in Agriculture in Berlin under the direction of Prof. Dr. Denker (head of the then Kaiser Wilhelm Institute in Berlin).
- 1945: One-off production of tractors with existing material. Business changeover to agricultural machinery repair shop with sales representatives for various tractor brands.
- 1965: Handover of the company to his son.
- 1989: year of death of Anton Kulmus
literature
- History of German tractor construction, Volume 2, Weltbild Verlag (1988), ISBN 3-89350-813-9 .
- German tractors since 1907, Motorbuch Verlag (2006), ISBN 978-3-613-02620-9 .