Brons
Encyclopedia
Brons, named after Jan Brons, was a Dutch
motor company in Appingedam
that existed from 1907-2004 and made over 4000 motors for large machines such as ships, tractors, and busses. It is notable for its early stationary industrial motors and ship engines, but also for an early 1899 prototype
light omnibus
called "The Brons".
Jan Brons (January 20, 1865 - February 9, 1954) first developed an autobus with a motor that ran on petroleum
in 1890, but because he wanted it to run on gasoline
he then created the omnibus in 1899. It was for this omnibus that he later bought a patent (in Germany, because it was not possible to get a patent for it in the Netherlands). The bus was in service for some years until it broke a wheel. It was never in production. When Rudolf Diesel
developed the diesel motor in the 1890's, Brons found it to be too complicated and invented a type of "spray cup" he called the "verstuiverbak" or "bakjesknapper" to simplify the fuel injection process. This method was later bought by HVID, that later patented their method.
In the 1930s the company tried to make a comeback with truck
engines, full trucks have never been made, though a couple of Brons-tractors were built and sold.
The company that made the car was known as the Appingedammer Bronsmotorenfabriek continued to manufacture heavy Diesel engine
s for ships, electrical generator
s and pump
s, later being taken over by US company Waukesha Engines
. The archives of the company remain with a society devoted to preserving this industrial heritage.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
motor company in Appingedam
Appingedam
- Population centres :Appingedam, Garreweer, Jukwerd, Laskwerd, Marsum, Oling, Opwierde, Solwerd, Tjamsweer.- Appingedam :Little is known about the exact age and origin of the name of Appingedam. It came into existence on the banks of the Delf, the present Damsterdiep, around 1200...
that existed from 1907-2004 and made over 4000 motors for large machines such as ships, tractors, and busses. It is notable for its early stationary industrial motors and ship engines, but also for an early 1899 prototype
Prototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
light omnibus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
called "The Brons".
History
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
in 1890, but because he wanted it to run on gasoline
Gasoline
Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
he then created the omnibus in 1899. It was for this omnibus that he later bought a patent (in Germany, because it was not possible to get a patent for it in the Netherlands). The bus was in service for some years until it broke a wheel. It was never in production. When Rudolf Diesel
Rudolf Diesel
Rudolf Christian Karl Diesel was a German inventor and mechanical engineer, famous for the invention of the diesel engine.-Early life:Diesel was born in Paris, France in 1858 the second of three children of Theodor and Elise Diesel. His parents were Bavarian immigrants living in Paris. Theodor...
developed the diesel motor in the 1890's, Brons found it to be too complicated and invented a type of "spray cup" he called the "verstuiverbak" or "bakjesknapper" to simplify the fuel injection process. This method was later bought by HVID, that later patented their method.
In the 1930s the company tried to make a comeback with truck
Truck
A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, with the smallest being mechanically similar to an automobile...
engines, full trucks have never been made, though a couple of Brons-tractors were built and sold.
The company that made the car was known as the Appingedammer Bronsmotorenfabriek continued to manufacture heavy Diesel engine
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
s for ships, electrical generator
Electrical generator
In electricity generation, an electric generator is a device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy. A generator forces electric charge to flow through an external electrical circuit. It is analogous to a water pump, which causes water to flow...
s and pump
Pump
A pump is a device used to move fluids, such as liquids, gases or slurries.A pump displaces a volume by physical or mechanical action. Pumps fall into three major groups: direct lift, displacement, and gravity pumps...
s, later being taken over by US company Waukesha Engines
Waukesha Engines
Waukesha Engines was founded in Waukesha, Wisconsin in 1906, and is now a manufacturer of large stationary reciprocating engines although it once built smaller engines as well, including automotive engines.-External links:*...
. The archives of the company remain with a society devoted to preserving this industrial heritage.
Patents
- US Patent 644814 Rotary Engine, Jan Brons, dated July 31, 1899
- US Patent 868839 Hydrocarbon Engine, Jan Brons & Nanno Timmer, dated October 7, 1907
- US Patent 1759776 Multicylinder Combustion Motor, Jan Brons & Naamloze Vennoot (nameless partner), dated January 7, 1927