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 The Stanley Cycle Show or Stanley Show was an exhibition of bicycles and tricycles first mounted by the Stanley Cycling Club in 1878 at The Athenaeum in London's Camden Road. Britain's first series production cars were displayed at this 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 fi ...

, 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 direct ...

engine (with magneto ignition replaced by coil and battery), equipped with rotary valves 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 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 ''Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH'', and ...

), and Ackermann steering, 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 ...

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 ...

'', 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 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.

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

Butler Petrol Cycle

See also

References

Other sources

External links