1928 Pak-Tyer Found a Place in History at the Western Illinois Museum
Western Illinois Museum located in the charming town of Macomb, Illinois chose a Felins® vegetable tyer from 1928 as their artifact of the month in November 2013. The tying machine, invented in the early 1920’s originally to tie sausage links for the Lin’s Quality Sausage Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin quickly found other uses.
The bundle tying machine established a place in tying vegetable bundles on farms and was popular throughout the Midwest. Although the machine was advertised in farmers’ publications of the day, word of mouth sold it best.
The original owners of the machine, who used it on their farm and then donated it to the museum in 1984, heard about it from a railroad employee who happened to be in the area in 1928. The machine sold for $70.00 in 1928 and was a significant investment. To put it into perspective, a Model-T car cost $300 during the same time period. The owners, Harold and Hazel Gosnell, said the tying machine was the “best investment we ever made.”
According to Sue Scott, Director of the Museum, they chose the tying machine for display as part of their “Farm to Table” themed exhibits because it was an item people used and was a part of their everyday lives.
Andrew Barrieau, President and CEO of Felins, Inc. visited the museum and showed how the machine could still be threaded and actually worked to tie a secure knot. Felins Inc. continues to manufacture and sell a version of the bundle Tyer which evolved into a sophisticated machine that can be used alone or placed in automated systems with feeders, conveyors, traffic controllers, and operator interfaces. “It was such a good idea, that today’s machine is still used to tie bundles in many industries, including the agriculture, floral, food and laundry sectors,” said Mr. Barrieau.
For more information visit these places:
1. Western Illinois Museum – November - 2013 Artifact of the Month
2. Western Illinois Museum – Facebook Page
3. Felins Inc. Website - Agriculture and Floral Industries
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