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Edward Butler (1862–1940) was an English inventor who produced an early three-wheeled petrol automobile called the Butler Petrol Cycle, which is accepted by many as the first British car. Butler showed plans for his three-wheeled petrol vehicle at the Stanley Cycle Show in London in 1884, two years earlier than
Karl Benz Carl Friedrich Benz (; 25 November 1844 – 4 April 1929), sometimes also Karl Friedrich Benz, was a German engine designer and automotive engineer. His Benz Patent Motorcar from 1885 is considered the first practical modern automobile and fir ...
, who is generally recognized as the inventor of the modern automobile. Butler's vehicle was also the first design to be shown at the 1885 Inventions Exhibition, also in London.


Butler Petrol Cycle

Built by the Merryweather Fire Engine company in
Greenwich Greenwich ( , ,) is a town in south-east London, England, within the ceremonial county of Greater London. It is situated east-southeast of Charing Cross. Greenwich is notable for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich ...
, in 1888, the Butler Petrol Cycle (first recorded use of the term) G.N. Georgano, p.22. was a three-wheeled petrol vehicle. The rear wheel was directly driven by a 5/8hp (466W) 600 cc (40 in3; 2¼×5-inch ) flat twin
four-stroke A four-stroke (also four-cycle) engine is an internal combustion (IC) engine in which the piston completes four separate strokes while turning the crankshaft. A stroke refers to the full travel of the piston along the cylinder, in either directio ...
engine (with
magneto ignition An ignition magneto, or high-tension magneto, is a magneto that provides current for the ignition system of a spark-ignition engine, such as a petrol engine. It produces pulses of high voltage for the spark plugs. The older term ''tension'' ...
replaced by coil and battery), equipped with
rotary valves A rotary valve (also called rotary-motion valve) is a type of valve in which the rotation of a passage or passages in a transverse plug regulates the flow of liquid or gas through the attached pipes. The common stopcock is the simplest form of rot ...
and a float-fed
carburettor A carburetor (also spelled carburettor) is a device used by an internal combustion engine to control and mix air and fuel entering the engine. The primary method of adding fuel to the intake air is through the venturi tube in the main meterin ...
(five years before
Maybach Maybach (, ) is a Automotive industry in Germany, German luxury car brand that exists today as a part of Mercedes-Benz. The original company was founded in 1909 by Wilhelm Maybach and his son Karl Maybach, originally as a subsidiary of ''Lufts ...
), and
Ackermann steering The Ackermann steering geometry is a geometric arrangement of linkages in the steering of a automobile, car or other vehicle designed to solve the problem of wheels on the inside and outside of a turn needing to trace out circles of different rad ...
, G.N. Georgano, p.20 cap. all of which were state of the art at the time. The engine was liquid-cooled, with a
radiator Radiators are heat exchangers used to transfer thermal energy from one medium to another for the purpose of cooling and heating. The majority of radiators are constructed to function in cars, buildings, and electronics. A radiator is always a ...
over the rear driving wheel. Speed was controlled by means of a
throttle A throttle is the mechanism by which fluid flow is managed by constriction or obstruction. An engine's power can be increased or decreased by the restriction of inlet gases (by the use of a throttle), but usually decreased. The term ''throttle'' ...
valve lever. The driver was seated between the front wheels. The vehicle featured in an article in the 14 February 1891 issue of ''
Scientific American ''Scientific American'', informally abbreviated ''SciAm'' or sometimes ''SA'', is an American popular science magazine. Many famous scientists, including Albert Einstein and Nikola Tesla, have contributed articles to it. In print since 1845, it i ...
'', where it was stated that one gallon of fuel in the form of petroleum or benzolene could propel the vehicle for forty miles (5.9 L/100 km) at a speed of 3–10 mph (5–16 km/h). Butler improved the specifications of his vehicle over the years, but was prevented from adequately testing it due to the 1865
Red Flag Act The Locomotive Acts (or Red Flag Acts) were a series of Acts of Parliament in the United Kingdom regulating the use of mechanically propelled vehicles on British public highways during the latter part of the 19th century. The first three, the Lo ...
, which legislated a maximum speed for self-propelled road vehicles of 2 mph (3 km/h) in built up areas and 4 mph (6.5 km/h) in rural areas. Additionally, the vehicle had to be attended by three people, one of whom had to proceed in front of the vehicle waving a red flag. Butler wrote in the magazine ''
The English Mechanic ''The English Mechanic and World of Science'', commonly referred to as ''English Mechanic'', was a popular-science magazine, published weekly from 1865 to 1926, generally consisting of 24 pages. It was aimed at people interested in inventions and ...
'' in 1890, "The authorities do not countenance its use on the roads, and I have abandoned in consequence any further development of it." Due to general lack of interest, Butler broke up his machine for scrap in 1896, and sold the patent rights to
Harry J. Lawson Henry John Lawson, also known as Harry Lawson, (23 February 1852–12 July 1925) was a British bicycle designer, racing cyclist, motor industry pioneer, and fraudster. As part of his attempt to create and control a British motor industry Lawson ...
who continued manufacture of the engine for use in motorboats. Instead, Butler turned to making stationary and marine engines. His motor tricycle was in advance of its better-known contemporaries on several points.


See also

*
List of car manufacturers of the United Kingdom :''This list is incomplete. You can help by adding correctly sourced information about other manufacturers.'' As of 2018 there are approximately 35 active British car manufacturers and over 500 defunct British car manufacturers. This page lists ...
*
List of motorcycles of the 1890s List of motorcycles of the 1890s aka ''motorrad'' (DE) sometimes ''motor cycle'' or ''moto cycle'' Motorcycle *Hildebrand & Wolfmüller * Geneva steam bicycle *Marks motorcycle (1896-1901) *Millet motorcycle *Pennington motor bicycle *Roper ...


References


Other sources

* * G.N. Georgano ''Cars: Early and Vintage 1886–1930''. London: Grange-Universal, 1990 (reprints AB Nordbok 1985 edition). .


External links


Butler Petrol Cycle at 3wheelers.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Butler, Edward 1862 births 1940 deaths English mechanical engineers People associated with the internal combustion engine British automobile designers