The Universal Joint A universal joint connects two shafts on the same plane or even different planes, for the purpose of transmitting power. Anywhere that two shafts need to be connected and to turn through fixed or variable angle(s) there is a need for universal joints. A product has never been made that is more interestingly unique, more widely used, more simple in nature, thus more misunderstood, more abused, and at the same time more trouble free, than the universal joint.

Gerome Cardan (1501-1560) A famous physician and mathematician of Milan, Italy, is given credit by historians for formulas and principles pertinent to the development of the universal joint. The"four point" u-joint is referred to as the Cardan type and particularly by engineering circles of continental Europe.

Robert Hooke (1635-1703) Known by the English speaking world as the original developer of the u-joint He was an English scientist, philosopher, mathematician and astronomer who worked closely with Sir Isaac Newton. Robert Hooke made his u-joint (then called Hooke's coupling) to adapt to the driving mechanism of a powerful new telescope.

Clarence W. Spicer

For the next 240 years the idea was waiting for the likes of the young Cornell University engineering graduate, Clarence W. Spicer, to find a use. In 1903 he did -- and the automotive and industrial world became immediately better. The troublesome chain and sprockets or chain and geared adaptations then began their demise in vehicle drive systems. Mr. Spicer is recognized as a mechanical genius... but we also should give him credit as being a top notch salesman. A salesman whom most of us would do well to use as an example. He had an idea and was so convinced of its potential, that he proceeded to sell it to the then doubting giants of the automobile industry.

He built his own automobile ... the Spicer car... to demonstrate the operation of his universal joint. The determination to carry through his idea led to his success as a manufacturer. His plant in New Jersey worked 16 weeks - night and day; 6 days a week to produce 96 universal joints and drive shafts. (This is compared to current weekly production of over 1,400,000 in ten plants worldwide.) Even at first he was in backorder too far for the demands of the time. Mr. Spicer could have coasted along on the success of his prior salesmanship but that wasn't his nature. It was time to expand...maybe sell his idea to financial people for their support.. the result was the forming of the team of C.W. Spicer and Charles A. Dana. Mr. Dana, then a young New York attorney, utilized his abilities to expand the organization steadily. Mr. Dana died in 1975 at the age of 91 after becoming not only a successful lawyer, financier and industrialist but also an admired philanthropist.

It is interesting to note that early customers have been mostly forgotten and many new names have taken their place except for Mack, Buick, and Oldsmobile yet the Dana-Spicer organization has grown to the formidable leader in the creative design and manufacture of universal joints and many other power transmission products now used the world over. Dana is a supplier to nearly every manufacturer of mobile equipment in the United States. The world demand has lead to the establishment of plants in Europe, Latin America, and the Near and Far East.

The universal joint ideas of Mr. Spicer have, of course, been utilized by others who continue to follow the lead and though classed as competitors, their contributions should be acknowledged for their worth in that old stimulus "competition" for an even better effort toward sales and creativity.

Spicer's ingenuity to apply the universal joint was the seed that grew to bear a billion dollar a year corporation--Dana--and it's still growing 90 years later.