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THE NORTON
GRINDING COMPANY WAS FOUNDED IN 1900 IN THE CITY OF WORCHESTER,
MASSACHUSETTS BY CHARLES HOTCHKISS NORTON.
CHARLES NORTON WAS BORN ON NOVEMBER 23, 1851 IN PLAINFIELD, CONNECTICUT. IN
1886 HE BECAME ASSISTANT ENGINEER WITH BROWN & SHARP MANUFACTURING COMPANY
IN PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND. BROWN & SHARP WAS WELL KNOWN FOR THEIR
CYLINDRICAL GRINDERS.
THE NORTON CYLINDRICAL GRINDER WAS FIRST BUILT IN ABOUT 1905.
ONE OF THE FIRST NORTON CAM GRINDING MACHINE WAS A NAMED THE NORTON A.
LATER NORTON INTRODUCED A ROCKER TABLE ATTACHMENT FOR THEIR CYLINDRICAL
GRINDERS NAMED THE "CAM-O-UNIT".
MUCH LATER THE NORTON CAM-O-MATIC WAS INTRODUCED AS A AUTOMATIC CAM GRINDER.
THIS MACHINE HAD A "GANG MASTER" AND AFTER LOADING A CAMSHAFT BETWEEN
CENTERS, WAS FULLY AUTOMATIC. THIS MACHINE WAS USED BY ALL OEM ENGINE
MANUFACTURERS TO PRODUCE THEIR PRODUCTION CAMSHAFTS.
CHARLES NORTON DIED ON OCTOBER 27, 1942.
HARVEY J. CRANE, JR. PURCHASED HIS FIRST NORTON CAM-O-MATIC #3 MACHINE IN
1968.
WHEN THE "LIQUIDATION" AUCTION BY HELD BY MIKRONITE/CRANE CAMS ON APRIL 22
OF 2009, THERE WERE MORE THAN 20 NORTON CAM-O-MATIC #3 CAMSHAFT GRINDING
MACHINES IN THE DAYTONA BEACH, FENTRESS BOULEVARD, CRANE CAMS BUILDING.
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ONE OF THE FIRST
NORTON CAM GRINDING MACHINES WAS CALLED NORTON "A". THIS WAS A
MANUALLY OPERATED MACHINE, WITH A 4 INCH MASTER CAM ROLLER FOLLOWER. WHEN
GRINDING LOBES THE ROLL HAD TO BE MOVED MANUALLY FROM MASTER LOBE TO MASTER
LOBE, WHILE THE TABLE HAD TO BE MANUALLY MOVED FROM LOBE TO LOBE.
THE NEXT MAJOR INNOVATION WAS WHAT WAS CALLED A "CAM-O-UNIT". THIS
ATTACHMENT WAS MOUNTED ON WHAT WAS CALLED A NORTON "C" GRINDER. THIS WAS A
MAJOR IMPROVEMENT IN GRINDING CAMS. THE MASTER CAM WAS PLACED IN A SADDLE
WHICH HAD A DOVETAIL AND SET ON THE MACHINE. THE ROLL WAS SET UP WITH A GEAR
ARRANGEMENT TO MOVE THE ROLL FROM MASTER CAM LOBE TO MASTER CAM LOBE WHEN
THE MACHINE OPERATOR MOVED THE TABLE TO PLACE THE LOBE TO BE GROUND IN
POSITION FOR THE CAM GRINDING WHEEL.
THERE WERE THREE GENERATIONS OF NORTON MECHANICAL PRODUCTION AUTOMATIC CAM
GRINDERS SOLD. THE NORTON #1 CAM-O-MATIC MACHINE WAS FIRST SOLD IN 1940, THE
195O'S AND THE 1960'S. THE NORTON #2 WAS SOLD IN 1950 AND 1960'S. THE
NORTON #3 WAS SOLD IN THE 1960'S UNTIL IT WAS REPLACED WITH THE NORTON CNC
NUMERICAL CONTROL CAMSHAFT GRINDER. |
