The history of the Orscheln Brake Lever.

The creation of the parking brake lever by the Orscheln Brothers and the start of the Orscheln Brake Lever Manufacturing Company is a story that many people haven’t heard. Back in 1939, Al Orscheln created the first “overcenter” park brake lever, which is still a standard in many vehicles today, to meet the complaints of brothers Ed Orscheln and William Orscheln that their old Six Speed had a failing parking brake. This was a common thing back then, and Al Orscheln knew he could create something better. That he did, and the Orscheln Brake Lever Manufacturing Company was founded in 1946 to build and sell the parking brake to others. Half a century later, the “overcenter” parking brake from Orscheln Products, LLC, is still an industry leader. To learn more about Orscheln Products’ history, click here.