Abner Doble
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Abner Doble (March 26, 1890 – July 16, 1961) was an American
mechanical engineer Mechanical may refer to: Machine * Machine (mechanical), a system of mechanisms that shape the actuator input to achieve a specific application of output forces and movement * Mechanical calculator, a device used to perform the basic operations of ...
who built and sold steam-powered automobiles as
Doble Steam Car The Doble steam car was an American steam car maker from 1909 to 1931. Its latter models of steam car, with fast-firing boiler and electric start, were considered the pinnacle of steam car development. The term "Doble steam car" comprises any o ...
s. His steam engine design was used in various automobiles from the early 1900s, including a 1969 General Motors prototype and the first successful steam-powered aeroplane.


Family history

Doble was born on March 26, 1890, in
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
, one of four brothers. His father was William Ashton Doble, son of the inventor of the Doble water wheel. Doble's forebears had migrated from England to the US in the mid-1700s. William's father Abner was born in
Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
. He had been a sailor, a smith, and a lumberman, who became a journeyman blacksmith and subsequently became partner in Nelson and Doble. The company became one of the biggest manufacturers of miner's and blacksmith's tools on the US Pacific coast during the California Gold Rush. The company became famous manufacturing Abner Doble's water wheel
turbine A turbine ( or ) (from the Greek , ''tyrbē'', or Latin ''turbo'', meaning vortex) is a rotary mechanical device that extracts energy from a fluid flow and converts it into useful work. The work produced by a turbine can be used for generating ...
s for mining applications. The company expanded to make drays and
street cars A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...
for San Francisco, as well as being involved in operating a local railroad company. In about 1892, Doble's grandfather formed the Abner Doble Company, assigning his interests to his sons Robert and William (Abner's father) and the company merged with arch-competitor and William stayed on.


Early years

Doble apprenticed at his family's factory at the age of eight. Between 1906 and 1909, while attending high school, Ab and brothers John, Warren, and Bill built their first steam car in their parents' basement. It was composed of parts taken from a wrecked White steamer but reconfigured to be driven by an engine of their own design. Though it did not run well, the Doble brothers went on to build a second and third prototype in the following years. In 1909 Abner graduated from high school and attended the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...
. He dropped out after less than a year of studies, and with his brother, began to design his own steam car. By 1912 they had built their first car in
Waltham, Massachusetts Waltham ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, and was an early center for the labor movement as well as a major contributor to the American Industrial Revolution. The original home of the Boston Manufacturing Company, ...
. The car was based on an American Underslung chassis, their own engine and a
Stanley Steamer The Stanley Motor Carriage Company was an American manufacturer of steam cars; it operated from 1902 to 1924. The cars made by the company were colloquially called Stanley Steamers, although several different models were produced. Early history ...
boiler. Waltham was near to the Stanley works and its factory at
Watertown Watertown may refer to: Places in China In China, a water town is a type of ancient scenic town known for its waterways. Places in the United States *Watertown, Connecticut, a New England town **Watertown (CDP), Connecticut, the central village ...
nearby. Abner attempted to interest the Stanley twins in his condensing boiler. However, Francis would not hire Doble because he didn't trust him. Although recognized as a steam genius, Abner was considered by some as arrogant and conceited and often told people he was a genius and therefore privileged to act so.


Abner Doble Motor Vehicle Company, General Engineering, and Doble Steam Motors

Abner and his brother John formed their own company, the Abner Doble Motor Vehicle Company, in 1914. Their father provided financial support for the venture. The first car was the Model A. Up to five cars were thought to be made. Four were sold and one was kept for development. The cars were of good quality and appeared to have a good market. In 1915, Doble drove his Model B, a revamped version of the Model A from Massachusetts to
Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
to seek investors. He managed to obtain $200,000, which he used to open the General Engineering Company with C L Lewis. In January 1917, Doble's new car, the ''Doble-Detroit'', caused a sensation at the National Automobile Show in New York. Over 5,000 deposits were received for the car, with deliveries scheduled to begin in early 1918. The Dobles had not entirely worked out various design and manufacturing issues, and although the car received good notices and over 10,000 orders, about 11 were built. Doble blamed his company's production failure on the steel shortages caused by World War I, but the Doble Detroit was mechanically unsatisfactory. Doble also announced at the New York show that he was working on a steam engine for
aeroplanes An airplane or aeroplane (informally plane) is a fixed-wing aircraft that is propelled forward by thrust from a jet engine, propeller, or rocket engine. Airplanes come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and wing configurations. The broad spe ...
. The Doble brothers were divided by Doble's insistence on taking credit for the company's technical achievements, and John Doble ended up suing Doble for patent infringement, whereupon Doble left Detroit for California and the General Engineering Company folded. When John Doble died of
lymphatic cancer Lymphoma is a group of blood and lymph tumors that develop from lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell). In current usage the name usually refers to just the cancerous versions rather than all such tumours. Signs and symptoms may include enlar ...
in 1921 the surviving brothers reunited in
Emeryville, California Emeryville is a city located in northwest Alameda County, California, in the United States. It lies in a corridor between the cities of Berkeley and Oakland, with a border on the shore of San Francisco Bay. The resident population was 12,905 ...
. They set up a company under the name of Doble Steam Motors. In 1924 the State of California learned that Doble had helped to sell stock illegally in a desperate bid to raise money for the company, and though Doble was eventually acquitted in April 1928, the company failed during the ensuing legal struggle. Fewer than thirty of the Model E steam cars were produced before the company went out of business in April 1931, the F cars coming under Besler ownership. The total being reported variously as 24, 42, and 43. Doble himself owned E-24 from 1925 to 1936 as his own experimental car. He took it with him when on consulting work in
New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
and England. He sold it in England to Mortimer Harman Lewis (editor of ''The Engineering and Boiler House Review'') of
Hyde Park, London Hyde Park is a Listed building#Heritage protection, Grade I-listed major park in Westminster, Greater London, the largest of the four Royal Parks of London, Royal Parks that form a chain from the entrance to Kensington Palace through Kensingt ...
, just before he departed for the US.


Consultancy and later life

With the demise of their company Abner and Warren went on to work as consultants for other engineering companies globally. During the 1920s and 1930s engines were developed for steam buses. The first were tested in 1926 by
International Harvester The International Harvester Company (often abbreviated by IHC, IH, or simply International ( colloq.)) was an American manufacturer of agricultural and construction equipment, automobiles, commercial trucks, lawn and garden products, household e ...
, using a Doble Model G engine, and the Detroit Motorbus Co, in a double decker, with a Doble Model H engine. A second Detroit bus had a Doble steam engine added in 1927 and at least one of them covered some . In 1929 a Doble Model H was installed in a
Yellow Coach The Yellow Coach Manufacturing Company (informally Yellow Coach) was an early manufacturer of passenger buses in the United States. Between 1923 and 1943, Yellow Coach built transit buses, electric-powered trolley buses, and parlor coaches. Fou ...
for General Motors. This was followed by another Model F in a
Fageol Fageol Motors was a United States manufacturer of buses, trucks and farm tractors. History The company was founded in 1916, in Oakland, California, by Rollie, William, Frank and Claude Fageol, to manufacture motor trucks, farm tractors and au ...
bus. He went to
New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
in March 1930 where he worked under a 3-year contract for A. & G. Price Limited at
Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...
on the development of a steam engine for buses. One was installed on an AEC chassis for the Auckland Transport Board to trial. The intention was that should the trial be successful more would be constructed. By 1932 the first had covered more than and a second was ordered by a private company, White and Sons, for their Auckland to Thames Service. In January 1932 Doble left New Zealand and went via San Francisco to England. There he was loaned by Prices as a consultant to the
Sentinel Waggon Works Sentinel Waggon Works Ltd was a British company based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire that made steam-powered lorries ( steam wagons), railway locomotives, and later, diesel engined lorries, buses and locomotives. History Alley & MacLellan, Se ...
of Shrewsbury, working on steam lorries and locomotives. Several shunting locomotives (switchers) and an undetermined number of railcars were fitted with Doble/Sentinel machinery for sale to customers in Britain, France,
Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...
, and
Paraguay Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...
. In Germany, during the 1930s
Henschel & Sohn Henschel & Son (german: Henschel und Sohn) was a German company, located in Kassel, best known during the 20th century as a maker of transportation equipment, including locomotives, trucks, buses and trolleybuses, and armoured fighting vehicle ...
buses and trucks, powered by Doble designed steam engines, were operated. Abner Doble left England in 1936. Also during this time he acted as a consultant to Borsig Lokomotiv-Werke of Berlin. Doble was hired as the chief engineer for a new bus powerplant for a revived Stanley Steam Motors Corporation in
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
. In the middle of the project after the powerplant was actually built, Doble left to some annoyance. Doble then did engine designs for Cleaver-Brooks, Nordberg (1946-1948), and
Greyhound The English Greyhound, or simply the Greyhound, is a breed of dog, a sighthound which has been bred for coursing, greyhound racing and hunting. Since the rise in large-scale adoption of retired racing Greyhounds, the breed has seen a resurgenc ...
. After this he retired to
Santa Rosa, California Santa Rosa ( Spanish for " Saint Rose") is a city and the county seat of Sonoma County, in the North Bay region of the Bay Area in California. Its estimated 2019 population was 178,127. It is the largest city in California's Wine Country and ...
, where he sold Electrolux vacuum cleaners to pay his living expenses. Doble's consultancy also included in the development of the Paxton Phoenix car, for the Paxton Engineering Division of McCulloch Motors Corporation, Los Angeles. The project was for a low-weight car built around a unique "torque box" chassis similar to an aeronautical wing section. The project was eventually dropped in 1954. He did work on a design for a steam car for
Alex Moulton Alexander Eric Moulton (9 April 1920 – 9 December 2012) was an English engineer and inventor, specialising in suspension design. Early life and education Moulton's father, John Coney Moulton, was a naturalist working in the Far East. Alex ...
of England, but it was never built. He was a consultant on the Keen steam car in 1957 and a monotube boiler for Charles W Tadlock of St Louis in 1957. For the remainder of his life, he maintained that steam-powered automobiles were at least equal to gasoline cars, if not superior. He was inducted into the
Automotive Hall of Fame The Automotive Hall of Fame is an American museum. It was founded in 1939 and has over 800 worldwide honorees. It is part of the MotorCities National Heritage Area. the Automotive Hall of Fame includes persons who have contributed greatly to a ...
in 1972.


Personal life

Doble married Helen A. Davis on February 28, 1910. They had three children, Lee, Dorothy and Abner Jr. They divorced in 1926. He married Alene. Doble moved to
Santa Rosa, California Santa Rosa ( Spanish for " Saint Rose") is a city and the county seat of Sonoma County, in the North Bay region of the Bay Area in California. Its estimated 2019 population was 178,127. It is the largest city in California's Wine Country and ...
, in 1950. He died on July 16, 1961, of a heart attack, in Santa Rosa. He willed his body to the
University of California at Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant uni ...
.


See also

*
Doble steam car The Doble steam car was an American steam car maker from 1909 to 1931. Its latter models of steam car, with fast-firing boiler and electric start, were considered the pinnacle of steam car development. The term "Doble steam car" comprises any o ...


References


External links

*
Doble Steam Cars, 2 volumes
Jim Crank. 2019, at Amazon.
Abner Doble online archive
The Bancroft Library The Bancroft Library in the center of the campus of the University of California, Berkeley, is the university's primary special-collections library. It was acquired from its founder, Hubert Howe Bancroft, in 1905, with the proviso that it retai ...

Doble Steam Motors Corporation photograph collection
The Bancroft Library
Automotive Hall of Fame Inductees

The Strange Triumph of Abner Doble
AmericanHeritage.com

at virtualsteamcarmuseum.org {{DEFAULTSORT:Doble, Abner 1890 births 1961 deaths People from San Francisco American mechanical engineers 20th-century American engineers American founders of automobile manufacturers