Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon, of Oerlikon, Zurich
Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon, of Norfolk Street, Strand, London
Also see Les Atelier de Construction Oerlikon
1853 Franz Saurer established the F. Saurer-Stoffel foundry in St. Gallen
1869 Produced the first Swiss-made embroidery machine
1872 a small works for the manufacture of wood-working machinery was established in Oerlikon,
1876 P. E. Huber and Company was merged into the business as the Werkzeug-und Maschinen-Fabrik Oerlikon
Charles Brown started building electrical equipment at Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon[1].
1885 Brown was Manager, Maschinen-fabrik Oerlikon
1885 Charles Eugene Lancelot Brown joined his father at the factory, making electrical equipment
1887 Brown senior retired, leaving the younger Brown in charge of the whole department.
1891 The younger Brown was responsible for the 175km line demonstratig 3-phase transmission between Lauffen and Frankfurt in Germany
The younger Brown left Oerlikon and, with Walter Boveri, founded Brown, Boveri and Co.
c.1900 Dr Behn Eschenburg developed the single phase series commutator motor with spark suppression at the commutator which became the basis for electrification of Swiss railways[2].
1901 The company proposed to electrify the railway line between Wettingen and Seebach using single phase supply; the first locomotive was put into service in 1904 but the system was then re-engineered for a higher voltage to improve reliability and by 1907 3 locomotives were in trial service with both the Oerlikon and Siemens-Schuckert trolley systems.[3]
1907 Employing 2,200 persons. 'The production of the works is of a varied description. and includes castings, machine tools, machines for making axes and for forming gun stocks, grinding machines, mill machinery, bolting machines, electric generators and motors; of all kinds, electric tramway material, overhead cranes, electric cranes, mining locomotives, steam turbines, &c'
1907 The armaments business was demerged to form Schweizerische Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik Oerlikon, which evolved into the technology company OC Oerlikon and the armaments company Rheinmetall Air Defence (formerly Oerlikon Contraves).
1907 The Oerlikon company gave up making machine tools to concentrate on its electrical business - a new company Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik Oerlikon was set up to handle the machine tools business. An American observer listed a large variety of machine tools in the Oerlikon factory from many different makers. The Oerlikon company was holder of the Rateau turbine patent for many countries.[4]
1925 Moved its office from Norfolk-Street, Strand to Oerlikon House, 28-31 Essex-Street, Strand, London, WC2.[5].
1927 Installed New Switchgear Works.[6]
1967 Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon was taken over by Brown, Boveri et Cie.