 In
1950, only six years after the founding of the company, possibly the
company's greatest achievement occurred when it designed and introduced
the first practical submersible electric motor using water as a
lubricant. While considerable engineering and development work had been
done prior to this, the first production motors were not built until
1950. Designed to operate while fully submerged, the submersible was an
immediate success. Franklin had made motors for shallow well and jet
pump water systems for some time, but the submersible water systems
offered many advantages – quietness, freedom from freezing, less space
required, easy installation and much greater pumping capacity and
pressure. As an example, a 1/2HP submersible pump and motor installed in
a well at a depth of 100 feet or more pumped as much water as a 1 or 2
HP jet pump. |
T his
water-lubricated submersible, designed especially for home water
systems, has been Franklin's most successful product. This also led to
the eventual development of the larger six-inch and eight-inch
submersible motors for irrigation, commercial and municipal use, and
mine de-watering applications. Other variations included motors for
gasoline pumps, large sealless motors developed for commercial air
conditioning, the oil field submersible motors, and the Sea-Mersible
motors with its many applications for deep submergence in the world's
oceans.
In 1951, Franklin Electric introduced a line of
specialized electric “Submatic” sump pump motors with a sealed
stainless steel outer case, which served as an automatic switch
actuator. The actuator is triggered by the water level in the sump and
replaces the external float used in normal sump pump motors. Franklin
had made motors for upright, column-type sump pumps for some time, but
the Submatic opened up new market possibilities. Advantages of a
submersible sump pump are that it can be mounted out of sight below
floor level and it will continue operating even while submerged.
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 One
of the ingenious features of the Franklin Submatic was that the can
enclosing the motor was mounted on diaphragms, also allowing it to act
as a float to operate the on-off switch. While the Submatic motor has
been changed somewhat from 1951, it is still a major Franklin product.
In addition to its basic use for domestic sump pumps, modifications have
been utilized for hydrotherapy, sewage, and contractor pumps.
By the end of 1952, production had reached 1,000
motors per day and the payroll included about 500 names.
The year 1955 saw the completion of ten full years for
Franklin.
January 17, 1956 was the 250th anniversary
of the birth of Benjamin Franklin. Since Franklin Electric was named for
him, we probably most often think of Ben for his kite and electrical
experiments, but often forget his many accomplishments as a statesman,
inventor, journalist, salesman and humorist. This remarkable man founded
the first college in Pennsylvania, invented such diverse items as the
Franklin stove and bifocal glasses, greatly improved the Postal System,
established the first fire fighting company, and of course, was one of
the founding fathers of our country.
By the end of 1959, Franklin saw record sales of $12
million to customers nationwide. As though to announce to the world that
it had come of age, Franklin became a publicly-held company with shares
traded for the first time over-the-counter at $18 a share.
1940s
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