The famous Gradall excavator traces its roots back to the beginning of the 1940s. During this time, World War II had caused a shortage of laborers because nearly all of the young men went away to fight the war. This decrease in the labor force brought a huge need for the delicate work of grading and finishing highway projects.
A Cleveland, Ohio construction business referred to as Ferwerda-Werba-Ferwerda faced this particular problem first hand. Two brothers, Ray and Koop Ferwerda had relocated to the USA from the Netherlands. They were partners in the firm that had become among the major highway contractors within Ohio. The Ferwerdas' started to build a machine that would save both their business and their livelihoods by inventing a model that will do what had before been physical slope work. This invention was to offset the gap left in the workplace when so many men had joined the army.
The first device these brothers created had 2 beams set on a rotating platform and was connected directly onto the top of a truck. They utilized a telescopic cylinder to move the beams out and in. This enabled the connected blade at the end of the beams to push or pull dirt.
The Ferwerda brothers improved on their first design by creating a triangular boom to produce more power. After that, they added a tilt cylinder that allowed the boom to turn forty-five degrees in either direction. This new model can be outfitted with either a blade or a bucket and the attachment movement was made possible by placing a cylinder at the back of the boom. This design powered a long push rod and allowed a lot of work to be finished.
Numerous digging buckets were introduced to the market not long later. These buckets in sizes ranging from 15 inch, 24 inch, 36 inch and 60 inch buckets. There was additionally a 47 inch heavy-duty pavement removal bucket which was offered too.