Link-Belt Construction Equipment celebrated the 130th anniversary of its founding and 30 years of building cranes in Lexington, Ky., on Sept. 19. The company held ceremonies throughout the day at its headquarters and recognized 63 employees who began their employment with Link-Belt when the Lexington plant opened in 1975.
William Dana Ewart, a farm implement dealer in Belle Plaine, Iowa, founded Link-Belt. He developed a square, detachable “link” for chain drive belts on harvesters, which previously had chain drive belts that wore unevenly and had to be removed for repairs. Ewart’s chain drive belts could be repaired in the field. He obtained a patent in 1874, and “link-belting” became widespread for all types of power transmission and materials-handling equipment.
