OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums The History Forum Component Histories VICTA and George Yelverton Julius

Hello ODK history lovers
My best guess that that Julius joined Victa some time in 1956.
I say that for the simple reason that Victa only became a
professional company when Merv could afford to employ specialists.

He could afford to employ a Marketing Manager (John Mason)
and a Design Engineer (George Julius).

It's pretty clear - from evidence - that Julius was involved from the
earliest days on the Model 4 and Model 5 ventures.

In any case, I think that Julius had just a couple of years
to make his mark, and make a mark he did.

Consider this Victa Mowers summary from 1957 and 1958:



That’s a fair summary. Victa’s ‘lawnmowing revolution’
began with the Model 1 and Model 2 designs.

These were the first models to be sold outside of NSW,
through an Australia-wide dealer network.

Note the radical change in production numbers. Victa
claims 100,000 in 1957. By early 1958 factory ads were
claiming 150,000. So, what happened in mid-1958 that
caused the radical sales increase by the years' end?

Victa answers that …Victa’s appraisal of 1958 …
‘The real expansion year’... the cause was ...

The Model 5 Special, the most commercially successful
Australian rotary mower of that decade. The Special was
released unseasonably early in May of 1958.

Who was a key player in that winning design? Why, it
must have been George Yelverton Julius!

TO BE CONTINUED …

PART TWO – Victa Chassis Patent for 1957
Julius is listed as the Actual Inventor for Patent 25390,
lodged in early 1957. A reading of that patent makes it clear
that he was responsible for much of the chassis of the
Model 4 and Model 5 Victas.

I say chassis, because both the alloy base and its rotary-knob
height system worked as one complete package.



For completeness, I should add that the Predicta governing system
that accompanied the Model 4 was also lodged in early 1957.

The Actual Inventor for that was Merv Richardson himself.

However, the engineering drawings I have seen for the
Predicta were drawn by one “G.Y.J.”, I guess in his capacity
as the company's talented design draughtsman.

PART THREE – Victa Engine Patents of 1957
Two other patents by Julius should be remembered.
They were both lodged on the same day, 27 October, 1958,
about 8 months after Julius left the company. I wonder why
Victa lodged these patents ...?

Patent 32608 is titled as “Improvements in or Relating to
Internal Combustion Engines for Rotary Type Lawnmowers.”

Patent 32998, is similarly titled as, “An Improved
Construction for the Internal Combustion Engine of a Rotary
Type Lawnmower.”

We need to have serious discussion about them.
Some might say, a power talk…



About a quarter of a century after these patents were lodged,
Victa summarised their achievements as shown below ...



You get the idea. My contention is that Julius’ patents
contributed substantially to the design philosophy for
what we know to be the Victa Power Torque engine.

Yes, I do not include other changes [like a ‘half-crank’], or
the all-important ancillaries of carburetion [G4/LM], and
electronic ignition. Clearly those ideas are attributable to
other inventors of another era.

Ultimately, you decide whether George Yelverton Julius should
be remembered as a significant contributor to later Victa engine
designs. It's an enticing possibility.

I attach both patents below.

PART FOUR – Concluding Thoughts
This has not been an easy two-part set of articles on
George Yelverton Julius.

I sat on this story for years as I amassed new evidence and
thought about how this man should be remembered.

Clearly, George [or ‘Pat’ as he was known to the family] was
a character that did not fit the regular mould. He was a bright
lad; having been educated at Tudor House, Moss Vale, and
then Sydney Grammar. He studied engineering at Sydney University.

Pat was born 9 December, 1912.

I have told the two sides of a complex character:
his negative side as criminal; and his positive side as a
brilliant engineer.

But I lost the newsprint trail post 1950s. It was only finding
the extensive and research-intensive Kings Candlesticks
Family Trees website that I could give Pat more … detail.

Many thanks to Edward Fenn, the author of that site.
http://www.thekingscandlesticks.com/

Edward has given us much more information, and it has
been most enjoyable communicating with him. He says this:



Entry on George Yelverton Julius: -
http://www.thekingscandlesticks.com/webs/pedigrees/588.html

Edward has filled in important gaps: -



The rest is history ...

Another article on George Yelverton Julius: -
https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/u...yelverton-julius-talent-tragic-flaw.html

The Kings Candle Sticks website: -
http://www.thekingscandlesticks.com/


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