William Crosland

1895.

of Bank Foundry, Bredbury, near Stockport, Cheshire. Telephone: Woodley 2621-2. Cables: "Guillotine, 'Phone, Woodley". Telephone: London, Clerkenwell 1665. (1947)

1872 The company was founded by William Crosland, with a view to building packaging machinery. Crosland’s innovative approach was instrumental in the design and development of the Hand-Fed-Platen.

1892 'Few names are better known among the machinists and patentees of Manchester than that of Mr. William Crosland, of New Street, Miles Platting, the inventor of the “Advance” self-clamp silent guillotine, and numerous other notable and useful machines. This gentleman commenced business as far back as 1854 in a very small way. Employment is now found for more than thirty skilled hands, and special works have been erected, consisting of an extensive three-storey building, one hundred feet by sixty feet, and equipped with plant and machinery of the most modern and improved kind. The works embody the proprietor’s long experience in this department of industry, and they are kept in an admirable state of efficiency. A large and valuable business is done in the manufacture of the patent guillotine. This machine now occupies an unrivalled position in the trade. The “Advance” possesses many special advantages, and the continually increasing demand for it shows unmistakably how it is growing in popularity and appreciation with users. It is noiseless in its action, cuts perfectly true top and bottom alike, and is so simple in construction that the knife, or the cutting stick, can be changed in one minute. It causes no vibration, and can be stopped in any part of the cut.

'Mr. Crosland, who is assisted in his business by his four sons, makes a large number of superior machines for different purposes, especially those used for making paper boxes, all of which are well known and largely in demand. Among these are hand guillotine paper-cutting machines, rotary scoring machines, punching machines for cutting oval, round, or other fancy shapes, lever screw presses, lithographic stone grinding and polishing machines, and last, but by no means least, Crosland’s new patent automatic pressing machine. This machine is intended to take the place of hydraulic or screw presses. The machine is started with an ordinary strap-fork, and brings down the platen until sufficient pressure is obtained. A number of strong springs are then brought into action. When these springs have stretched a certain amount, they liberate a weight which at once moves the strap on to the loose pulley, and brings into operation a break which holds the machine in its position. The pressure can be left on as long as required, when, by lifting a lever, the platen rises to its original position. Its advantages are — the machine is automatic: when the strap is put on, it can be left to put the required pressure without further attention, and will stop without fear of any breakage. By the use of springs each lot will get a uniform amount of pressure, yet this pressure can be varied for different classes of work. No water, no valves or packing-leathers to get out of order. Any amount of pressure can be obtained. .....'

1897 Private company.

1902 The first Hand-Fed-Platen with a cutting size of 15” x 24” was introduced. Specifically designed for Die Cutting, these machines had a mechanical clutch and a leather brake. Over the years Croslands were constantly improving their design and introduced many sizes of machine as the demand for bigger boxes came.

1922 Listed Exhibitor - British Industries Fair. Manufacturers of Cutting Machinery of every description, and all Machines for Cardboard and Fancy Box Makers, Paper Makers, Printers, Stationers, and Bookbinders. (Stand No. L.50)

1947 Listed Exhibitor - British Industries Fair. Manufacturers of Cutting Machines for paper and cardboard. Cardboard Boxmaking Machines, "Advance" Self-Clamp Guillotines, Cutting Creasing and Embossing Machines. One-piece Formes for Cartons, Showcards, Jig-Saws, Dies for cutting gaskets. Packings, etc. (Olympia, Ground Floor, Stand No. B.1481)

1952 The first electro-magnet clutch and brake was introduced.

1961 Printers' engineers and iron founders, manufacturing printers' cutting machines, advance guillotine "Crosland" one-piece forms (i.e. die cutters), "Crosland" blanking and piecing tools. 300 employees.

1963 The first Automatic Die Cutter the Crosland APD was developed.

1964 Patent - Improvements in or relating to the stacking of sheet material.

1966 Patent - Improvements in or relating to jig saws.

1972 Due to the poor economic climate, William Crosland was forced to sell the core business to the Simon Group, becoming Simon Crosland who carried on manufacturing the Hand-Fed and Automatic Platens.

1968 At the beginning of the year, Avocet Engineering reached an agreement with Simon Crosland for the purchase of the hand fed platen business, becoming Avocet Crosland. The other machinery building activities of William Crosland Limited, not owned by Simon, were also purchased. Therefore Avocet Crosland owned all the relevant trademarks, the registered name and constituent parts of the original company.

2001 In August, Vee Kay Industries and Avocet Crosland merged to become Crosland VK Ltd the largest independent manufacturer and supplier of Die Cutting Machinery In the United Kingdom.

See Also

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Sources of Information

• [4] CroslandVK Website