Joe Howard
Technical Education Committee Member
Good Fruit Electric

What is a LeTourneau? It is a brand of heavy equipment named after the inventor R.G. LeTourneau. Many consider R.G. LeTourneau to be one of the most prolific inventors of earthmoving and materials-handling equipment in history. For those involved in the paper industry, you may already be familiar with LeTourneau's contributions, such as the JC40 cranes or the log stackers commonly found in wood yards. Notably, the log stackers (Figure 1) were among the first electric drive vehicles, featuring a diesel-electric generator and AC/DC generator system. The wheels were powered by DC motors connected to a planetary gearbox, while lift, tilt and steering were operated by unique AC motors integrated into a gearbox with variations in size depending on the model.

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