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30-600: Since the commercial success of front wheel drive cars began in the 1960s the industry manufacturing universal joints has grown enormously. The Hardy Spicer and Laycock Engineering group of businesses, later known as Birfield, have been part of the GKN Driveline group since 1966. Ed. J Hardy Limited was founded and later formed into a limited liability company by Birmingham-born cycle-parts manufacturer Edward John Hardy (1874–1950) in 1903 to import components for British motor manufacturers from France. The French industry

60-463: A 4th or 5th gear within their gearboxes. In 1966 Guest Keen & Nettlefold seeing advantage in amalgamating with its local competition and wanting to pre-empt an expected bid from USA's TRW Inc. bought Birfield the sole UK supplier of CVJs. There were also particular significant advantages in the amalgamation such as Hardy Spicer's strength in the EU and USA whereas GKN was weak in both those parts of

90-545: A family business which was his principal occupation until well into the twentieth century. The long-established family business, Samuel Laycock and Sons Limited with branches in Crewkerne and Lavenham , manufactured hair seating and hair fabrics. Horsehair was particularly suited to use in the confined space of railway carriages as it did not retain offensive odours. Blinds made of hair fabric also screened carriage occupants from unwelcome sunshine and attention. W S Laycock

120-435: A large injection of British finance) only in 1906 (and registered in 1907), its origins date from a business founded in 1901 called Automobiles Charron, Girardot et Voigt (C.G.V.). Fernand Charron was born in 1866. Before turning his attention to automobiles, through the 1890s, he was a leading racing cyclist. However, he then became a successful racing driver, with several wins, driving a Panhard , during 1898. Charron

150-414: A large manufacturer of garage and railway equipment. In 1939 Hardy-Spicer joined with Laycock Engineering both becoming subsidiaries of a new holding company named Birfield Industries Limited incorporated by Laycock Engineering's chairman, Herbert Hill (1901–1987) for that purpose. Herbert Hill pushed his team to make continuous improvements to the basic Rzeppa constant velocity joint and was rewarded in

180-510: A member of the board. GKN bought Birfield and its subsidiaries Hardy Spicer and Laycock in 1966. Within GKN Laycock retained an individual identity until the mid-1970s. Charron (automobile) Charron was a French automobile manufacturer, based in the Paris conurbation, and active between 1906 and 1930. Although the company Automobiles Charron Limited was established (with

210-666: The Hardy flexible coupling in USA was granted to the Thermoid Rubber Company. More powerful engines and higher speeds required a mechanical universal joint. In USA, already with a link to Thermoid, Hardy established a contact with Spicer Manufacturing Corporation of Toledo, Ohio. Spicer took a share of Ed. J Hardy Limited in exchange for British patent rights and all engineering data of the Spicer mechanical joint and in 1926

240-646: The army , the Charron company made it through the war. After peace broke out Charron, not without difficulty, divested himself of the Alda business, selling it in 1920 to the Compagnie Générale d'Électricité (CGE) who would continue with the brand, selling cars produced at the Farman automobile factory, for almost another year. Fernand Charron now concentrated on the cars that carried his own name. By 1919

270-755: The 1908 Southern Belle "the most luxurious train in the world" later known as the Brighton Belle were built by W S Laycock's business in Sheffield. By 1964 Laycock's principal products were: Laycock de Normanville overdrives and spring diaphragm clutches for the motor industry and flexible couplings also for industrial use. Dual clutches for tractors, garage equipment, railway air and vacuum brakes, control valves for fluids and gases were also manufactured. William Samuel Laycock (1842-1916) of Upper Hallam, Ecclesall Bierlow , later of Oakbrook, Yorkshire, established this business as his personal sideline to

300-526: The 1960s when much of the world's motor industry switched to front wheel drive using Birfield joints, the CV joints now made by GKN Driveline and currently installed in more than one-third of all new cars worldwide. Notable improvements to the original Rzeppa design have been the elimination of the need for a splined coupling and Birfield's modifications to the ball grooves and their track-steered ball cage introduced with BMC 's Minis in 1959. Salisbury Axle in USA

330-453: The automotive industry. In 1966 Birfield, with Laycock and Hardy Spicer, were bought by the GKN group which was entering the automotive components field following government's announcement of the intended nationalisation of its GKN Steel. Laycock's initial business was the manufacture of railway carriage and steamship fittings and underframe gear for railway coaches and locomotives. The range

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360-448: The business passed into the hands of Charron , a French automobile manufacturer, then later into receivership from where it was bought by Sheffield engineer and shipbreaker Thos. W. Ward in 1934. Two years later Laycock was bought from Ward by a group of investors and put into the ownership of a new holding company, Birfield Limited, along with Hardy Spicer . Both Laycock and Hardy Spicer made transmission or driveline components for

390-468: The company was offering seven models, though it is not clear if these were all production ready, and a year later the range was down to a more sustainable three models. Through the 1920s Charron was one of the many automakers operating in the Paris area. A certain restlessness seems to have been an enduring feature of Fernand Charron's business strategy, and by the time of the 19th Paris Motor Show , at which

420-449: The country's smaller auto-makers. Towards the end of the decade, however, the economics of auto-production were changing, and by the late 1920s production was running down as the larger French auto-makers were able to out compete the many second tier manufacturers: 1930 was the final year of production. In 1908 Charron introduced their own types but some of the Charron, Girardot et Voigt models were still listed up to 1912. The largest now

450-487: The end of 1938 Laycock chairman Herbert Hill (1901-1987) then arranged that Laycock should be sold to a new owner named Birfield Engineering which would also buy Hardy Spicer . Herbert Hill led Birfield to develop the constant-velocity joint breakthrough which permitted reliable front-wheel drive and led to the development of the Mini and the subsequent popularity of front wheel drive cars. He retired in 1961 but remained

480-574: The help of a major cash contribution from investors in England he was able to found Charron Limited , the factory and administrative offices at the same location in Puteaux as before. The suffix at the end of the manufacturer's new name nevertheless reflected its legal status as a London-based company with a head office at 32 Old Jewry , in London . Charron's commitment to the cars that bore his name

510-707: The manufacture of aero-engines under contract to the British government. Charron-Laycock cars were sold between 1920 and 1926. A Receiver was appointed in 1924. Sheffield engineering business Thos. W. Ward bought Laycock in November 1930 from the Receiver. At that time its products were of a specialised nature, mostly highly skilled precision machinery. More specifically: general engineering supplies and machinery, motor components, railway, tram, omnibus and motor coach equipment. Garage equipment. Aircraft supplies. Some of

540-405: The manufacturer displayed a somewhat lacklustre trio of cars, Charron's own energies were focused on a Citroën dealership which he had recently acquired. It was also reported that he had recently acquired a significant chunk of the share capital in this rapidly expanding "quai de Javel" auto-maker, whose pioneering role in introducing mass production to France was now placing increasing pressure on

570-421: The most important customers were: Citroen , Daimler , Humber , Jowett , Morris , Riley , Rolls-Royce , Standard , Vauxhall and in commercial vehicles: AEC , Commer , Dennis , Guy Motors , Karrier , Leyland , Metro-Cammell and Morris Commercial . In 1936, when Laycock had 700 employees, an agreement was reached between Thos. W. Ward and an investment trust led by Herbert Hill to buy Laycock. At

600-446: The name of Ed. J Hardy & Co was changed to Hardy, Spicer and Co Limited. The Phosphor Bronze Company was bought in 1937 for its manufacture of high grade non-ferrous castings and the following year Hardy, Spicer elected to make their own forgings in their own forging plant. The plant's name was Forgings and Presswork (Birmingham) Limited. Sheffield's Laycock Engineering also made a flexible coupling known as Layrub as well as being

630-517: The number of different models listed, at the 15th Paris Motor Show in October 1919 Charron exhibited on their stand just two cars: Not on display at the show, but nevertheless announced for 1920, was a new "Charron Type A" with a 4-cylinder 2,995 cc engine and a 3,360 mm (132.3 in) wheelbase. Five years later the manufacturer was still taking a stand at the motor show, but by now only smaller "light cars" were on offer. Still present

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660-488: The world. As GKN Driveline its constant velocity joints take near 50 per cent of the world market and Driveline employs about 22,000 people at 46 locations across 23 countries. Laycock Engineering The Laycock Engineering Company Limited of Archer Road, Millhouses , Sheffield , Yorkshire , England was an engineering business established in 1884 by W S Laycock which made small and major components for railway rolling stock. Laycock died in 1916, and in 1917

690-405: Was a 6782 cc 30 hp and the smallest an 8 hp 1205 cc twin cylinder. All the cars were available with shaft drive and the small 8 hp had a dashboard radiator of the type made familiar by Renault. This was to feature across the range in 1909. A six-cylinder 3617 cc 30 hp joined the range in 1910 and a new small 845 cc Charronette appeared in 1914. Regardless of

720-623: Was also part of the Spicer Group and in 1939 the Salisbury Transmission Company was formed in Britain to manufacture hypoid rear axles and, in the late 1950s, Powr-Lok limited-slip differentials . Laycock's principal product became spring diaphragm clutches. From the late 1940s into the 1970s it made under de Normanville patents an add-on epicyclic overdrive unit which saved manufacturers from incorporating

750-498: Was born in October 1842 and died 2 March 1916. In the 1911 census he described himself as a Government and Railway contractor of Oakbrook, Fulwood, Sheffield. At the time of his death he was also head, chairman of directors, of Cravens Limited . Laycock and his wife born Catherine Kirkby left no surviving children. Charron of Puteaux near Paris, a manufacturer of motorcars, bought a controlling interest in Laycock in 1917 and began

780-529: Was extended to include axles, gearboxes, and motor chassis components, motorcar propeller shafts and the Layrub rubber bushed propeller shaft. After 25 years of importing goods from USA following annual visits W S Laycock introduced for the first time in UK a method of steam heating carriages in a Great Northern train in 1893 following a few years of experience with a similar system in USA. The carriage interiors of

810-468: Was less than whole-hearted at this time. In 1908 Charron himself joined Clément-Bayard , where he both married and divorced the boss's youngest daughter, Jeanne Clément-Bayard , and worked as manager of the factory at Levallois-Perret. Shortly before the outbreak of the war , he seriously contemplated selling the Puteaux factory, but instead he used it to build cars for Alda , another automobile company, which he had set up in 1912. Thanks to purchases by

840-475: Was swept up by the automobile craze, and in 1901, in partnership with Léonce Girardot and Emile Voigt, he established a company called Automobiles Charron, Girardot et Voigt (CGV) , at 7 rue Ampère in Puteaux , approximately 8.7 kilometres (5.4 mi) from the central Paris . In 1905 the company had capital of 2 franc million. Girardot resigned in 1906 and Charron left the company in the same year; but with

870-487: Was the 1057 cc (6/8 HP) "Charronette". (still essentially of pre-war design). It was joined by the 1502 cc (10 HP) "Charron Type CV2" and the 1843 cc (12/14 HP) "Charron Type CV1". Most of the prices were listed as available "on application" but the little "Type TD / Charonnette" was listed at 16,000 francs for a "Torpedo" bodied car and 18,000 francs for a "Conduite interieure" (two-box sedan/saloon/berline) version. The prices were not particularly high, but

900-547: Was then dominant. Bound Brook Bearings of Bound Brook, New Jersey sold to Ed J Hardy and Company in 1922 the rights to manufacture their oil-less bearings and oil retaining bearings and sell them in Europe and the British Empire. Just before the first World War Hardy designed, patented and made a flexible laminated fabric and rubber coupling which soon became standard on British cars and trucks. A licence to manufacture

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