Cape Engineering Co
of Warwick
1952 After he retired from Alvis, George Thomas Smith-Clarke was co-opted onto a Birmingham hospital region subcommittee "to investigate the efficacy of mechanical ventilators". Upset at the distress caused to a patient taken out of an iron lung for nursing care, he redesigned all aspects of the existing Nuffield/Both iron lung or cabinet breathing machine, widely used to treat patients with respiratory paralysis caused by poliomyelitis.
Kits of parts to modify 500 Nuffield/Both machines were manufactured by a new company, Cape Engineering Co, set up with Smith-Clarke's support by several ex-Alvis employees.
The Smith-Clarke Junior Cabinet Respirator was designed by George Thomas Smith-Clarke and made by Cape Engineering.
1962 E. and H. P. Smith acquired Cape Engineering Co Ltd[1]
1970 E. and H. P. Smith sold Cape Engineering Co and another business as these were substantially different businesses from the rest of the group[2].
1976 Thomas Tilling acquired Cape (Warwick) Holdings Ltd, maker of medical equipment and clean air filtration engineers[3].
1977 Exhibited ventilators at Dubai medical equipment exhibition[4]
2006 Won 10-year contract industrial cleaning and asbestos management for Scottish Power[5]