Some More Chicago Innovations-- Part 10: Automated Conveyor (Dis)Assembly Lines

1. AUTOMATED CONVEYOR (DIS)ASSEMBLY LINES-- Chicago's Union Stockyards became huge because of the development of refrigerated train cars that enabled meat processed here to be transported elsewhere quickly with minimum spoilage. //// Another major factor was that owners figured out how to maximaize output to those train cars by speeding up the processing of cattle and hogs through automated conveyors. //// This process was reduced to 13 steps with workers doing the same action, such as hanging the carcasses on hooks. //// Among those impressed with this process at the Union Stockyards was a Henry Ford and we know what he did with it. //// Definitely a Lot of Innovations Out of Chicago. --Cooter