Johan Petter "JP" Johansson (1853 - 1943)
Did you know ...
The family from Herrljunga, consisting of tenant farmer Johannes Jonsson (1826–1904) and his wife Christina Bryngelsdotter (1830–1922), emigrated to the United States on April 11, 1883, accompanied by their six children. They settled in St Hilaire Pennington, Minnesota. However, one of their children, Johan Petter "JP" Johansson (1853-1943), aged 20 at the time, chose to remain in Sweden, which ultimately proved fortuitous.
During his formative years, JP held various manual labor positions, including shepherd boy, laborer at a steam engine in a peat factory, railway construction worker (rallare), and stoker. Early on, he displayed a remarkable aptitude for mechanics and technology. At the age of thirteen, he ingeniously modified his father's manual threshing machine by introducing a mechanism that facilitated the separation of grain from straw. The device was then capable of being pulled by the family horse.
Following the completion of his military service, JP embarked on a career at Munktells Mekaniska Verkstad in Eskilstuna. In short order, he devised a "grease cup" that supplied lubricant to machine components, reducing friction and minimizing stress. Munktell promptly patented JP's invention. Against the backdrop of the booming industrialism of the era, the ambitious and gifted twenty-year-old found himself presented with remarkable opportunities to explore his technological interests.
In 1886, at the age of 23, JP relocated to Enköping and invested in a waterfall, likely leveraging the proceeds from Munktells for his grease cup invention. This acquisition would serve as the energy source for his nascent enterprise, Enköpings Mekaniska Verkstad. Within a mere year, the company expanded to employ fourteen individuals, experiencing considerable prosperity.
JP earned considerable acclaim in Enköping for his proactive and empathetic approach as an employer, prioritizing the well-being of his workforce. He demonstrated this commitment by constructing housing and schools in the local area, exemplifying his concern for his employees.
Initially, the workshop possessed only a set of fixed pipe wrenches, utilized by workers on field assignments. Realizing the dearth of tools, JP embarked on designing an adjustable implement. In 1888, he secured a patent for the adjustable pipe wrench. A similar approach was applied to the creation of tools for manipulating nuts of various shapes. JP resolved this challenge by developing the "adjustable spanner," building upon the earlier work of Joseph Stubs from England, conducted half a century earlier. JP further refined the tool, securing a patent for a version featuring two movable jaws in 1891. Notably, in 1892, through further refinements, he achieved a groundbreaking innovation by enabling only one of the jaws to move. The resulting adjustable spanner, with its enduring functionality and familiar appearance, remains widely utilized across the globe.
Over the course of his lifetime, JP registered an impressive total of 110 patents for diverse inventions, including the sugar tongs, clover-shelling machine, Triplex pendulum (an oscillating lighting apparatus mounted on a movable arm), pipe cleaner, and cabinet door latch, among others.
In 1916, JP Johansson transferred ownership of the company to his son Julius Johannes "Hannes" (1888-1972) and Finnish-Swedish entrepreneur Berndt August Hjort (1862-1937). This transition afforded JP the opportunity to focus exclusively on his inventive pursuits. Consequently, Enköpings Mekaniska Verkstad served as the foundation for the Swedish multinational corporation, Bahco Group AB (Berndt August Hjort & Co).
Throughout his lifetime, Johan Petter Johansson left an indelible mark on the world of innovation and engineering. His decision to remain in Sweden allowed him to make significant contributions in various fields, ranging from mechanics to tool development. On August 25, 1943, at the age of 89, Johan Petter Johansson passed away in Enköping, leaving behind a lasting legacy of ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit.
We express our gratitude to JP for his unwavering dedication to Sweden and for the countless innovations he bestowed upon the world.
