William Dana Ewart invented and patented the linked belt, a square detachable link for chain belts

Chain drive

Chain drive is a way of transmitting mechanical power from one place to another. It is often used to convey power to the wheels of a vehicle, particularly bicycles and motorcycles...

, on September 1, 1874. The metal chain "linked belt" replaced the leather and strap belts used on agricultural equipment at the time.

A resident of Belle Plaine, Iowa

Belle Plaine, Iowa

Belle Plaine is a city in Benton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 2,878 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Cedar Rapids Metropolitan Statistical Area....

, Ewart was a farm-implement dealer when he conceived of the idea. In 1875 Ewart established the Ewart Manufacturing Co. in Belle Plaine, Iowa. In 1880 he founded the Link-Belt Machinery Company

Link-Belt Construction Equipment Company

Link-Belt Construction Equipment Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Heavy Industries based in Lexington, Kentucky, which manufactures telescopic and lattice boom cranes.- History :...

 and in 1888 the Link-Belt Engineering Company. In the early 1890s, Ewart's companies produced the first wide-gauge, steam-powered, coal-handling clamshell crane, the further development of which would eventually lead to the modern Link-Belt construction equipment. Link-Belt chain drives were used in a variety of applications, including auto assembly lines, coal mining, concrete mixers, and agricultural machinery.

Ewart was inducted into the Association of Equipment Manufacturers

Association of Equipment Manufacturers

The Association of Equipment Manufacturers is a trade association for companies that manufacture equipment for industries such as agriculture, construction, mining, and utility. AEM is based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.-Hall of fame:...

Hall of Fame:
in 1996 at CONEXPO-CONAGG.