Barber-Greene
| Company type | Public (from 1959) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Construction equipment manufacturing |
| Founded | 1916 |
| Founder | Harry H. Barber, William B. Greene |
| Defunct | 1986 |
| Fate | Acquired by Astec Industries |
| Headquarters | Aurora, Illinois , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Asphalt pavers, trenching equipment, asphalt batch and drum mixing plants, road recyclers (Dynaplanes) |
Barber-Greene Company was established in 1916 by mechanical engineers Harry H. Barber and William B. Greene with the goal of marketing standardized material-handling equipment designed to mechanize small-scale manual operations cost-effectively. The firm initially offered conveyors and bucket loaders but gained prominence for its groundbreaking contributions to the asphalt sector. It went public in 1959 and was ultimately purchased by Astec Industries in 1986.
Asphalt paver
On November 15, 1930, in Aurora, Illinois, Harry Barber drafted a concept for a machine that would become the prototype of the contemporary asphalt paver. The patent application was submitted in 1932 and granted publication in 1936. This device integrated the processes of mixing and laying asphalt into a single operation and was first presented at the 1931 Road Show held in St. Louis. Subsequently, Barber divided these functions into two separate product categories: Barber Greene asphalt plants dedicated to mixing, and pavers specialized in placing.
The earliest pavers utilized screw conveyors to distribute asphalt mixtures prior to a screed compacting the material. These were primarily effective with coarse-graded mixtures but encountered difficulties when applied to dense-graded urban street surfaces. In 1933, Ashley Barber, Harry’s son, joined the company and contributed to the development of the independent floating screed and tamper bar—critical advancements that ensured consistent density and surface finish. The hopper-fed auger system facilitated even material distribution, while the floating screed rested on runners gliding over the prepared base.
The original patent for this paving machine was issued on April 10, 1936 (No. 2,138,828) and finalized in December 1938. By 1934, production commenced on the Model 79 paver equipped with a feeder conveyor; it was succeeded by the Model 879 in 1936 and later enhanced to the 879-A by 1940. This design dominated asphalt paving worldwide until the mid-1950s and served as a blueprint for many modern pavers still prevalent today.
Company
Barber-Greene introduced numerous industry innovations, including:
- The first synchronized tampers (1945)
- The inaugural paver mounted on rubber crawlers (1958)
- The pioneering hydraulic paver (1959)
- The earliest automatic screed control (1960)
- The first hydrostatic paver (1970)
Its products were distributed internationally through subsidiaries like Barber-Greene Americas, Barber-Greene Canada, Barber-Greene Olding (UK), and Barber-Greene Overseas. Beyond pavers, the company manufactured trenching equipment, asphalt batch and drum mixing plants, as well as road recyclers marketed under the Dynaplanes brand.
Dissolution
In 1985, Barber-Greene ceased operations at its Aurora, Illinois manufacturing facility before being acquired by Astec Industries based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in late 1986. The Aurora headquarters was sold to Transbulk Distribution Centers, Inc. for $2.9 million in 1987.
In 1991, Caterpillar Inc. acquired Barber-Greene’s DeKalb-based division focused on paving machinery for an estimated $25 million.
Models
Barber-Greene Pavers
- Models: 79, 879, 879A
- Series: 873, SB30, SB41, SB50, SB110, SB111, SB121, SB131, SB140, SB170
- SA Series: SA35, SA41, SA145, SA150, SA190
- BG Series: BG210, BG210B, BG270
- BG Series: BG220, BG240, BG260
- BG Series with B suffix: BG220B, BG240B, BG260B
- BG Series: BG225, BG245, BG265
- BG Series with B suffix: BG225B, BG245B, BG265B
- Models: BG610H, BG650
- Models: BG240C, BG260C
- Models: BG225C, BG245C, BG2455C
- Road Wideners: 700 Road Widener, 710 Road Widener
Barber-Greene Profilers
- RX Series: RX20, RX30, RX40B, RX50, RX80, RX80B
References
- Historical information sourced from the 1987 Barber Greene publication titled "edge," issue no. DM187
- Technical details obtained from specific product specification documents