Thomson, Sterne and Co
Thomson, Sterne and Co of Crown Iron Works, Glasgow.
1874 The business of Thomson and Co of Victoria St, Westminster (manufacturer of railway springs and buffers at Crown Ironworks, Glasgow) and the business and patents of Mr L. Sterne, carried on under the name of L. Sterne and Co, were amalgamated as a limited company, Thomson, Sterne and Co; the whole of the capital was taken by the partners of the firm[1] Mr. Handyside was the managing director in Glasgow.
This formed the nucleus of several businesses at the Crown Iron Works, Glasgow, including, in addition to the spiral-spring business, the manufacture of emery wheels, emery-grinding machinery, feed-water heaters and filters, and gas engines.
1877 Thomson, Sterne and Co, of 156, North Woodside-road, Glasgow, makers of Emery wheels and rings, tool sharpening machines, spiral springs, &c. were listed as exhibitors at the 1878 Paris Universal Exhibition.[2]
Obtained from America the right to construct refrigerating machinery on the De la Vergne system.
1878 Manufactured a two-cycle engine designed by Dugald Clerk.
Mr. Sterne introduced many important improvements, especially in cold storage engineering and refrigerating plant.
1882 The name of the firm was changed to L. Sterne and Co., Ltd., and, in addition to refrigeration, the company carried on general engineering work, including grinding machinery and wheels and steel springs, at the Crown Ironworks, Glasgow.
1892 Company formally wound up[3]