The Aeroquip Company is a huge company which has had many acquisitions since 1940. We are only documenting select information; you can find much more information by searching on the internet.

Aeroquip = Aeronautical + Equipment

1939: Peter F. Hurst, a German immigrant comes to America.

1940: Mr. Hurst’s first product was a reusable coupling for aircraft brake hose. He convinces ten men in Jackson, MI to finance his endeavors, an abandoned milk processing plant is purchased, and the company begins.

1941: Mr. Hurst, who is not an American citizen, is not permitted by the government to enter his own factory. He appoints a president in his absence, and he is considered a consultant. He runs the company while he works for the Coca-Cola Company reconditioning used metal bottle caps.

1943: Mr. Hurst is permitted to enter his factory. Aeroquip sells huge amounts of product to the government to support the war effort.

1945: Peter F. Hurst becomes an American citizen.

**** After WWII Aeroquip sales drop 83%. ****

1947: Aero-Coupling Company of Burbank CA receives patent approval on a crimp style hose coupling on Dec. 30 1947, patent #2,433,425.

1948: Aeroquip acquires Aero-Coupling, its first acquisition.

**** Aeroquip keeps Aero-Coupling a separate corporation. It appears that both companies bid on government contracts even though they are the same company.

1950: Company went public.

1953: All production moved to Van Wert, Ohio.

1957: Aero-Coupling dissolved as a company.

1963: Aeroquip purchases Republic Rubber Hose Plant.

1960-70’s: Many acquisitions take place.

1990: 100 Aeroquip plants worldwide.

1995: Aeroquip Express concept implemented.

1999: Sold to Eaton Corporation.

1933: The company began small scale operation in Waukegan, IL.

1938: Anchor Coupling Inc. was formed by Charles L. Conroy and Walter Fritsch. They were former employees of Eastman Manufacturing.

1941: Company moved to Libertyville IL. Anchor receives government contract to make hose assemblies. Building was 50’ x 145’.

1946: Anchor Coupling adjust to post war economy. Advertises Government surplus for sale of 40,000 feet of 3/8 hydraulic hose.

1950’s Anchor Coupling specializes in high pressure OEM hose assemblies. In addition, they develop a network of distributors.

1956: Anchor Coupling and Borg Warner were in negotiations for the sale of the business for just over 4 million dollars. Anchor chose not to sell the business that led to a 5-year legal battle.

1961: Borg Warner trial began. Two days later, Walter Fritsch, major shareholder, died. The trial was halted. A settlement of 1,000,000 was agreed. Charles Conroy, owner, died in 1962.

1962: New president elected. Anchor becomes a publicly traded corporation.

1963: Anchor Coupling acquires the Eastman Atlantic and Eastman Pacific hose assembly plants.

1964: Anchor Coupling Canada created.

1975: Amerace Corporation purchases major share of stock. Anchor Coupling continues

1981: Anchor Coupling and Swan Hose merge.

1983: Amerace decides to discontinue all hydraulic hose coupling facilities. Anchor Coupling is sold to Goodyear. Goodyear purchases two hose coupling plants. Hose assembly locations are not sold to Goodyear.

1984-1987: The Anchor Coupling name was not used by Goodyear. Goodyear exited the hydraulic hose and fittings business in 1987. The hose coupling plants were sold.

1988: Hydraulic Engineering Inc. of Jacksonville, Florida purchased HCMI from Goodyear. HCMI was the hose coupling plant. HCMI was then renamed to Anchor Coupling. HCMI owners eventually became Masthead Industries known today as Hose Power USA.

1992/1993: Hydraulic Engineering sold Anchor Coupling to Caterpillar. Caterpillar still owns the trademark name and operates Anchor Coupling locations for their own use.

Caterpillar played a major role in the improvements of four and six spiral hydraulic hose during the late 1960’s. During the 1970’s and 80’s Caterpillar supplied spiral hose to Gates, Weatherhead, and Parker. Caterpillar now owns Anchor Coupling as well as hose manufacturing plants throughout the world.

The Couplamatic Trademark has been owned by four different companies. The original owner was Marks Morrison. Mr. Morrison was a B29 pilot during WWII who had an engineering degree from Colorado University.

In 1952 Morrison started an International Harvester Dealership with a partner, William Skinner. The Partnership was dissolved on December 31st, 1954.

Mr. Morrison became a very diverse and wealthy businessman in Lyman, NE. He owned the Farmers State Bank as well as many other businesses during the 1960’s and 1970’s.

Listed Below are a few of the highlights regarding Couplamatic’s history.

1958: Morrison first started manufacturing Couplamatic swage fittings and hose machines.

1959: Patent #3048212 was filed for a swage machine.

1963: Morrison created a second company OEM Supplies INC. Aka House of Hose.

Couplamatic became the largest manufacturer of hose swagers in the world during the early 1960’s. The growth of the sales came from promoting hose swagers to farm equipment dealers all over the USA.

1967: The Couplamatic Company was sold to the Samuel Moore Company, the owner of Synflex. Marks Morrison kept the rights to his “House of Hose” company and began business in the old Great Western Sugar Company building.

1972: OEM Suppliers Inc, Aka House of Hose had a name change. Marks Morrison dropped the OEM Suppliers name and just referred to the company as House of Hose.

1978: The Samuel Moore Company sold Couplamatic to the Eaton company.

1984: Eaton Corporation announces closure of the Lyman, NE Couplamatic facility. Kurt Manufacturing purchases the building and assets for $1.5 million but does not receive the rights to the Couplamatic trademark. Kurt eventually creates Ditto Products to market hose and fittings.

“House of Hose” a Marks Morrison original company continues in the hose and fittings business. Family members run the business and eventually become known as Couplamatic Systems after the acquire the trademark rights from Eaton Corporation.

Couplamatic Established in 1959 only belongs to Couplamatic Systems. Not Kurt Hydraulics.

1948: Risse and Miller Company created for the purpose of selling agricultural equipment.

1950’s: Ramco Industries formed by Risse and Miller for the purpose of fabricating hose couplings and hose assemblies.

1965: Ramco purchased additional used equipment to fabricate hose fittings from American Coupling of Warren, MI. Hose coupling design was similar to the Couplamatic swage style.

1969: Dayco purchases Ramco. Swage style fitting is phased out.

1970’s: SB, SC and SA style hose couplings replace Ramco style swage couplings. Dayco purchases Electric Hose & Rubber which owned a hose manufacturing facility in Nebraska, now owned by Parker.

1980’s: BW style coupling designed.

1991: Dayco purchases Anchor Hose and Swan Rubber.

1996: Dayco purchases Imperial-Eastman, products are merged. HU & SB designs became the HY series couplings.

2001: Parker acquires Dayco Products then sells back specific parts of the company to Mark IV Automotive which is now the company that has the rights to the Dayco product name.

Dayco Products now outsources its hydraulic hose and fitting products to both domestic and overseas manufacturers.

1877-1946: Joseph Eastman–Original Owner

1915: while working for the Manitocas Gas & Light Company, Joseph Eastman teamed up with Karl O. Muehlberg to create The M.E. Manufacturing Company. Muehlberg took care of the factory and Eastman was responsible for sales. The first hose connection patented to our knowledge was in 1916, pat# CA168658.

1916-1918: Eastman continued as the manager of Manitocas Gas & Light Company until 1918. It is assumed that Eastman worked part time as salesman for The M.E. Manufacturing Company during this time.

1919: Joseph Eastman records his first patent for a hose coupling.

1919-1921: Karl Muehlberg and Joseph Eastman separated. Both men created their own companies.

1929: Eastman Manufacturing Company had over 200 different hose couplings.

1920’s-1940’s: Produced various couplings for Hydraulic Brake Industry, etc.

1940’s: GB Series Fittings Produced for 1 wire hose. Brass 1 piece fitting. Fabrication took 6 seconds. This fitting is still used today on 3/16 Grease Whip Hoses. Also used on Kubota Tractors.

1940’s-1950’s: Swage Coupling similar to old Couplamatic Samuel Moore Coupling was used.

1961: Eastman Manufacturing merged with Imperial Brass.

1996: Mark IV Automotive (Dayco) buys Imperial Eastman Company

1896: Henry B. Cobb of the Chicago Electric Wire Company created a hose design with longitudinal grooves, patent #587,545A. The company soon after created the Chicago Electric Hose Company in Wilmington, DE.

1900: The name was revised to Electric Hose & Rubber when Adolph Segal of Philadelphia became president. Mr. Segal was a huge businessman that had no hose background. C.D. Garretson managed the company in the early 1900’s and then became president.

1916: The Electric Hose & Rubber Company became known throughout the world and was a huge supplier of garden hose.

1960’s: The company, by many, has been acknowledged as the first company to manufacture four spiral hose hose. Sae 100r9.

1971: Electric Hose built a hose factory in McCook Nebraska which was purchased by Dayco shortly after. The plant is now owned by Parker. Dayco still owns Electric Hose & Rubber which is located in Ocala, Florida.

1911: Charles C. Gates starts business.

1952: Dealers begin to advertise Gates Hydraulic Hose and reusable couplings.

1963: Lok-Pin fittings patented #3,181,900. Power Crimp 500 Crimper introduced, crimper was similar to Gates 601.

1976: Lola, Kansas plant opened.

1978: Thermo Plastic Hose introduced.

1979: 3000 B crimper patented.

1986: Gates purchases Uniroyal.

1988: Omni Crimp patent #4,885,928.

1993: Mega Crimp patent #5,267,758.

1982: Goodyear buys Santo Industries. Changed name to HCMI House Coupling Manufacturing Inc.

1983: Goodyear buys Anchor Coupling from Amerace.

1987: Goodyear sells its hose coupling manufacturing location to Hydraulic Engineering of Jacksonville Florida. The company then changes its name to Anchor Coupling.

2006: Goodyear enters hydraulic market again. Now known as Contitech.

Hosecomatic was started in 1985 by Greg Hoback, a former Imperial Eastman engineer. Patent number 4655064 posted to your right, shows The Roto Crimper Design which represents The Hose Coupling Spinning Method of crimping fittings, which dates back to the 1920’s. Hosecomatic owned by Hoseco Inc. Of Arvada. CO was the company that originally sold The Crimper System and it’s related fittings. Hosecomatic had a very small staff consisting mostly of family members. The Company promoted the product, but apparently they were not able to build the company to a higher level due to limited cash and marketing.

It is unsure how many companies actually participated in manufacturing of the fittings during the 1980’s and early 1990’s. We have obtained sample products with blister packaging that indicate the name Signal Hill Company of Arvada, CO. However no data can confirm the Signal Hill Company at this time. It is believed that Couplamatic machined the individual parts and that Hosecomatic assembled the fittings.

In 1995 Larry Peterson owner of the former Jackson Industries purchased the patent rights of The Hosecomatic System. Hosecomatic reached the market place by attending trade shows in The USA. Their customer base in The USA were not traditional hose distributors but companies such as McMaster Carr, Grainger White Cap and Forney Industrial. Most product was sold overseas. In fact 105 different countries distributed the product.

Around the year 2001 Larry Peterson stopped Marketing the Hosecomatic System and stepped away from the hose business. The largest customer was called Spaldings in the UK. They still support the product in Europe.

1877-1946: Joseph Eastman–Original Owner

1915: while working for the Manitocas Gas & Light Company, Joseph Eastman teamed up with Karl O. Muehlberg to create The M.E. Manufacturing Company. Muehlberg took care of the factory and Eastman was responsible for sales. The first hose connection patented to our knowledge was in

1916, pat# CA168658.

1916-1918: Eastman continued as the manager of Manitocas Gas & Light Company until 1918. It is assumed that Eastman worked part time as salesman for The M.E. Manufacturing Company during this time.

1919: Joseph Eastman records his first patent for a hose coupling.

1919-1921: Karl Muehlberg and Joseph Eastman separated. Both men created their own companies.

1929: Eastman Manufacturing Company had over 200 different hose couplings.

1920’s-1940’s: Produced various couplings for Hydraulic Brake Industry, etc.

1940’s: GB Series Fittings Produced for 1 wire hose. Brass 1 piece fitting. Fabrication took 6 seconds. This fitting is still used today on 3/16 Grease Whip Hoses. Also used on Kubota Tractors.

1940’s-1950’s: Swage Coupling similar to old Couplamatic Samuel Moore Coupling was used.

1961: Eastman Manufacturing merged with Imperial Brass.

1996: Mark IV Automotive (Dayco) buys Imperial Eastman Company

1945: Screw Machine products founded by Keith Jones.

1951: Company begins to produce a two-piece hose coupling for various hose assembly companies as well as one major hose and fitting manufacturer, which many industry professionals believe to be the Gates Rubber Company.

1975: Jones Enterprises advertises two piece skive fittings to distributors.

1976: Non skive R1/R2 ferrules are introduced.

1979: Two piece skive for spiral couplings released.

1985: Jones family and the Cypher Company of Pittsburgh purchases NRP, Nephi Rubber Co.

1987: First crimper promoted.

1991: Jones Enterprises gains 100% control of NRP from Cypher Company, business begins as NRP Jones.

1974: Kurt Manufacturing registers as a Minnesota business in 1974. They have no affiliation with hose and fittings.

1984: Eaton Corporation which owns Couplamatic of Lymans Nebraska announces in January that they plan to close the business. Kurt Manufacturing agrees to purchase the assets of Couplamatic in August. Kurt does not receive the rights to the Couplamatic Trademark.

1992: Kurt Manufacturing registers Ditto Products with the US patent and trademark office.

1993: Ditto Products was a division of Kurt Manufacturing. Ditto begins attending trade shows focusing on the agricultural market. Products promoted are swage machines similar to Couplamatic and House of Hose. Ditto also creates a newspaper style catalog which is mailed to implement dealers, end users and hose distributors across the USA.

1998: Kurt Hydraulics becomes a registered Nebraska business. The Kurt Manufacturing name is no longer used for hose and fittings. Ditto products begin to fade away.

Editor’s Note:

Kurt Hydraulics websites and literature often promotes their connection to Couplamatic established in 1959. This is not a Legitimate claim in our opinion. Couplamatic was started by Marks Morrison in 1959. He continued in business under the name House of Hose during the 1960s 70s and 80s. Morrison family members now operate House of Hose under the name of Couplamatic Systems. Kurt never acquired the Couplamatic name. They only acquired the assets of the company in 1984. Kurt’s hose coupling program begins in 1984, not 1959. They have no connection to Couplamatic, Samuel Moore Company, or Eaton Corporation. All of which are prior owners of the Couplamatic trade name.

MULCONROY

Uni-range Couplings

The company traces its roots back to the 1880’s. Originally called Latta & Mulconroy, they sold rubber goods in Philadelphia. Howard Goodall, founder of Dixon Valve and Coupling, worked for the company in 1887 at the age of 15.

In 1902 the company changed its name to The Mulconroy Company, and was later purchased by Dixon in 1940.

In 1950 Joseph W. Walsh created a hose coupling that resembled a Couplamatic swage fitting, for 100R1 style hose. The fitting had large holes bored into the ferrule. The concept was that the rubber cover could flow into these port holes to help with fitting retention. This style of coupling was used by hose assembly facilities during the 1950’s and 1960’s.

The fitting existed until 1987 as pictured to your right. The coupling lost favor with the hydraulic industry in the mid 1960’s. The coupling then started to be utilized more as an industrial hose swage fitting.

1947-1948: Thermoid opens rubber hose plant in Nephi Utah.

1958: Nephi Rubber sold to HK Porter Company.

1970: Gates purchases Nephi Rubber.

1971: Gates is ordered by Federal Trade Commission to sell plant.

1973: Gates sells Nephi Rubber to Bastian Industries.

1984: Aug 31, Bastian Industries closes NRP Inc. due to financial issues.

1984-1985: The town of Nephi searches for new owners of NRP Inc. After a variety of complex events, NRP Inc. is sold to the Cypher-Jones Group. A 50% ownership is agreed upon by the two companies.

1991: The Jones company acquires 100% of control of NRP Inc.

Acquiring detailed and accurate history of The Parker Appliance Company prior to 1938 has proven difficult. There seems to be conflicting accounts of the first seven years of the company. The information we have provided has come from several sources. Listed below are the sources we used to gather this information.

1. The Ohio Secretary of State Archives.

2. The History of Cleveland website.

3. Funding Universe.

4. IEN.com

5. “The Making of a City”, by William Ganson Rose.

6. Parker.com

7. IP.com

8. Newspaperarchives.com

1917: Five men file papers with The State of Ohio to form The Parker Appliance Company, Entity #46065 dated March 13, 1917. J L Vaughn, Brennan B. West, R H Parker (Robert Parker), W T Mallo, A L Parker.

The registered business address at that time was 1115 Schofield Bldg., Cleveland. The Schofield building was a 14 story business complex. According to the Articles of Incorporation document A130_977, the purpose of the corporation was manufacturing and dealing in both whole sale and retail automobile parts and accessories.

1918: Articles of Incorporation amendments after 1917 show A.L. Parker as President and J.L. Vaughn as secretary.

1918: Arthur L. Parker promotes The Parker Appliance Company, his product is a Pneumatic Brake Booster for trucks & buses.

1919: Arthur L. Parker’s truck, with complete inventory, rolls off a cliff. He loses everything and cannot start his business again until 1924.

Version 1 story - Truck rolls off a cliff due to a blown tire.

Version 2 story - Truck rolls off a cliff after hitting a patch of ice in PA.

Version 3 story - Truck rolls off a cliff when his Pneumatic Brake system fails while on a test drive.

Sources: Parker Hannifin website, Funding Universe website, History of Cleveland website.

During the years of 1920 to 1924 Arthur L Parker was employed as an Engineer by his former employer.

1924: Arthur Parker starts business again. Many patents for tube fittings and related items during the 1930’s. Earliest known patent is #1,619,755A.

1924: The Ohio Secretary of State declares The Parker Appliance Company Entity #46065 as a dead corporation on Feb. 15th, 1924. Arthur Larue Parker starts The Parker Appliance Company the second time on Oct. 31, 1924 at 10320 Berea Rd. in Cleveland. Reference: “The Making of a City”, by William Ganson Rose.

1935: Parker Appliance Company moves to 17325 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, Ohio.

1938: Parker Appliance Company becomes a public company. The Parker Appliance Company incorporates again on Dec. 30, 1938, Entity #175441.

Listed on Articles of Incorporation documents are:

E.P. Stocker

Earl P. Schneider

Walter Gaetjens JR.

1940: Amended Articles of Incorporation show A.L. Parker as president and A.L. Bigelow as secretary. WWII Parker Appliance Company has over 5000 employees, after the war they have 200.

1945: Arthur Parker dies.

1951: Parker Appliance Company purchases Eaton Screw Products. The companies merge in 1956.

1957: Acquisition of Hannifin Company. Products were cylinders and valves.

1970’s: 55 series products (swage couplings).

1980: Introduced first crimp style fittings for 100R1 & R2 hose (43 series).

1935: Samuel Moore was on the board of directors for The Colson Corporation of Elyria, OH.

1938/39: Samuel Moore Company started in Kent, Ohio supplying rubber products to the bus industry.

1939: Patent #2,205,044, rubber mat for bus steps.

1945: It is believed an extruder was purchased to make plastic sleeves for hand rails on buses.

1948: Moved to Mantua, Ohio, built plant at Main St. and Orchard.

1950’s: Started to produce various types of plastic tubing.

1958: Synflex Trademark application.

1959: Nylon hose patent #3,062,241.

1960: Samuel D. Moore dies.

1961: Swage hose coupling patent #3,165,338A.

1960’s: Swage couplings made by Imperial Eastman, reusable couplings made by Parker.

1967: Purchased Couplamatic of Lyman, NE. Couplamatic was a manufacturer of swage couplings for 100R1 and 100r2 hose. Began producing 100R7 style couplings after 1967.

1970’s: Controlled 80% of the market on “Bundled Hose Assemblies” or “BOP Controller Hoses”.

1975: Created the “coil air” red and blue truck coil air brake hose sets.

1978: Sells Synflex/Samuel Moore Company to Eaton, who later sold it to Furon in 1987.

Introduction: Ken Davis SR. was born in 1895. A native of Pittsburgh. He had a sixth-grade education. He was a WWI pilot. Ken moved to Texas to work as a laborer for Mid-Continent supply. A few years later, he purchased the company. He became a very wealthy businessman that owned many companies. Mr. Davis died in 1968.

1948: A unique exclusive franchise entity known as “Aeroquip Sales and Engineering Limited” relocated from Houston to Fort Worth Texas. It is possible that the founder of Stratoflex Ken Davis could have had a role in this Entity.

1951: Ken Davis of Mid-Continent Supply was in dispute with Aeroquip. Ken Davis purchases the Unit-Rig company, an OEM that used Aeroquip.

1952: Directors of “Aeroquip Sales and Engineering” change the name to Stratoflex and relocate business to 220 Roberts Cutoff Road.

1953: Stratoflex Canada was created.

1960’s: Stratoflex became a world leader in the hose and fittings business. They serviced OEM’s and distributors from the aerospace industry to the waste removal industry. Most of their business was with OEM accounts. They were not leaders with placing hose crimpers at distributor locations during this time.

1970’s: Stratoflex continues to improve their business. They acquire more hose distributor business.

1976: Cullen Davis a minor partner in Ken Davis Industries was charged with the murder of his estranged wife’s boyfriend and her daughter. In 1977 a jury found Cullen was found not guilty. He was then charged with a wrongful death and settlement was agreed upon for 250,000. In 1978 Cullen was arrested again for hiring a hitman to kill his wife and the judge in their divorce. Davis was acquitted on what could be considered a technicality. There is a massive amount of information that can be found on this topic.

1981: Total sales reach 99.5 million

1985: The Ken Davis Holding Company file for chapter 11 bankruptcy.

1988: Parker purchases Stratoflex. The Stratoflex Aerospace and Aircraft Division are still in business today. The hydraulic hose division was almost immediately terminated after the sale.

The Tubes & Hoses company began in the mid 1990’s by Carl Owens. Carl was also the inventor of the Crimpmaster Machine in 1981.

The company became dysfunctional just before Carl's death. The Stark MFR. Company purchased the rights to promote Tubes n Hoses but failed to support the program.

The company is now owned by APB Enterprises.

The Weatherhead companies’ historical information has been difficult to acquire during our research. Patent documents are available prior to WWII and after 1969.

Newspaper archives reveal little information in our research. Your input would be appreciated.

1919: Albert J. Weatherhead JR. began his business , primary products were drain cocks.

1930’s: Many patents granted for hydraulic brake fittings.

1933: The company is incorporated and registers the W Trademark.

1940’s: Weatherhead produced many aircraft parts for WWII.

1956: Aluminum aircraft parts produced.

1957: Aeroquip grants rights to Weatherhead to manufacture the “Super Gem” reusable hose coupling for Aeroquip.

1966: Albert J. Weatherhead JR. dies.

1969: Coll O Crimp system begins to take form. See original crimper patent #3,720,088A.

1977: Dana Corporation purchases Weatherhead.

2002: Dana Corporation sold to Eaton.