Dan Albone
Encyclopedia
Daniel Albone was an English
inventor, manufacturer and cyclist. He invented the world's first successful light farm tractor, and the Ivel Safety bicycle
.
, Bedfordshire
to Edward and Edith Albone. The youngest of eight children, they lived at the Ongley Arms inn, between the Great North Road and the River Ivel
. For his ninth birthday he received a Boneshaker
bicycle
, and so began his long association with cycling. By the age of 13, he had designed and built his own bicycle, complete with suspension, and was winning local races. On leaving school, he undertook an apprenticeship with a Biggleswade
firm of millwrights and engineers, Thomas Course & Son of Hitchin Street.
In 1885 he was a founder member of the North Road Cycling Club, dedicated to cycle racing. It attracted other national cycling champions, such as George Pilkington Mills
and Monty Holbein.
In 1885 John Kemp Starley
exhibited his Rover Safety bicycle
at the Stanley show. Albone copied this idea, and combined it with the Hillman, Herbert and Cooper cross frame design to produce the Ivel Safety cycle, in April 1886. This became very popular with sports cyclists. On 5 October 1886 George Pilkington Mills
, on an Ivel Safety, achieved a world record 24 hour distance of 294.5 miles (474 km).
Albone went on to invent a tandem safety bicycle with Arthur James Wilson
, cycle pump clamps with Richard Tingey, and a child carrier accessory for his cycles. By 1893 a general downturn in the economy had put many cycle manufacturers out of business, and Albone put the Ivel Cycle Works into voluntary liquidation.
and Armand Peugeot
). Albone also developed a motor car, based on a 2.2 kW (3 hp) single cylinder Benz engine. He was driving a prototype around Bedfordshire
in 1898, and exhibited it in London in 1900. A five seat version was developed, called the Ivel Landaulette, with a 6 kW (8 hp) twin cylinder engine.
A natural progression was the Ivel motor bicycle, in 1901. This was a strengthened bicycle, with a 1.1 kW (1.5 hp) engine driving the rear wheel.
During the late 19th century, power on farms was provided mainly by horses. Steam-powered portable engine
s and self-propelled traction engine
s had been introduced for agricultural work from about 1850, but the traction engines were too heavy for direct ploughing of the heavy soil found in Britain. In the 1890s, internal combustion engines started to become more common, but these were stationary engine
s for belt-driven
agricultural machinery. An oil-powered traction engine had been developed, by Hornsby-Ackroyd
in 1897, but like the steam-powered traction engines, this was very heavy at 8600 kg (8.5 tons).
Albone conceived a light-weight petrol-powered general purpose agricultural vehicle. By November 1901 he had completed his tractor
design, and filed for a patent on 15 February 1902. On 12 December 1902 he formed Ivel Agricultural Motors Limited. The other directors were Selwyn Edge
, Charles Jarrott
, John Hewitt and Lord Willoughby
. He called his machine the Ivel Agricultural Motor, the word 'tractor' did not come into common use until later.
Dan's "tractor" won silver medal at the Royal Agricultural Show, in 1903 and 1904. About 500 were built, and many were exported all over the world. The original engine was made by Payne & Co. of Coventry
. After 1906, French
Aster
engines were used. Over time it became heavier and more powerful, but it failed to keep pace with its rivals. The company declined after 1910, and in 1920 it went into receivership. The assets were bought by United Motor Industries Limited.
The Ivel Agricultural Motor was light, powerful and compact. It had one front wheel, with solid rubber tyre, and two large rear wheels like a modern tractor. The engine used water cooling, by evaporation. It had one forward and one reverse gear. A pulley wheel on the left hand side allowed it to be used as a stationary engine
, driving a wide range of agricultural machinery. The 1903 sale price was £300.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
inventor, manufacturer and cyclist. He invented the world's first successful light farm tractor, and the Ivel Safety bicycle
Safety bicycle
A safety bicycle is a type of bicycle that became very popular beginning in the late 1880s as an alternative to the penny-farthing or ordinary and is now the most common type of bicycle. Early bicycles of this style were known as safety bicycles because they were noted for, and marketed as, being...
.
Childhood
Born 12 September 1860 at BiggleswadeBiggleswade
Biggleswade is a market town and civil parish located on the River Ivel in Bedfordshire, England. It is well served by transport routes, being close to the A1 road between London and the North, as well as having a railway station on the main rail link North from London .-Geography:Located about 40...
, Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
to Edward and Edith Albone. The youngest of eight children, they lived at the Ongley Arms inn, between the Great North Road and the River Ivel
River Ivel
The River Ivel is a river in the east of England. It is a tributary of the River Great Ouse.-Course of the Ivel:The river Ivel rises just north of Baldock in Hertfordshire, but most of its course lies within Bedfordshire. It flows through Stotfold, Arlesey, Henlow, Langford, Biggleswade, Sandy and...
. For his ninth birthday he received a Boneshaker
Boneshaker
Boneshaker can refer to:* Boneshaker * Boneshaker , by Cherie Priest...
bicycle
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
, and so began his long association with cycling. By the age of 13, he had designed and built his own bicycle, complete with suspension, and was winning local races. On leaving school, he undertook an apprenticeship with a Biggleswade
Biggleswade
Biggleswade is a market town and civil parish located on the River Ivel in Bedfordshire, England. It is well served by transport routes, being close to the A1 road between London and the North, as well as having a railway station on the main rail link North from London .-Geography:Located about 40...
firm of millwrights and engineers, Thomas Course & Son of Hitchin Street.
Cyclist
Albone won over 180 cycling prizes, including winner of the:- 1885 two mile open at OundleOundleOundle is an ancient market town on the River Nene in Northamptonshire, England, with a population of 5,345 or 5,674 . It lies some north of London and south-west of Peterborough...
, NorthamptonshireNorthamptonshireNorthamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
. - 1885 one mile open handicap at Crystal PalaceThe Crystal PalaceThe Crystal Palace was a cast-iron and glass building originally erected in Hyde Park, London, England, to house the Great Exhibition of 1851. More than 14,000 exhibitors from around the world gathered in the Palace's of exhibition space to display examples of the latest technology developed in...
, LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. - 1887 one mile open and two mile open at OundleOundleOundle is an ancient market town on the River Nene in Northamptonshire, England, with a population of 5,345 or 5,674 . It lies some north of London and south-west of Peterborough...
, NorthamptonshireNorthamptonshireNorthamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
. - 1888 International Tricycle scratch race, Scheveningen, NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
In 1885 he was a founder member of the North Road Cycling Club, dedicated to cycle racing. It attracted other national cycling champions, such as George Pilkington Mills
George Pilkington Mills
George Pilkington Mills was the dominant English racing cyclist of his generation, and winner of the inaugural Bordeaux–Paris cycle race. He frequently cycled from Land's End to John o' Groats, holding the world record time on six occasions between 1886 and 1895. He was a member of the Anfield and...
and Monty Holbein.
Cycle manufacturer
At the age of 20 he founded the Ivel Cycle Works in the yard of the Ongley Arms, making bicycles for himself and his fellow sports cyclists. His first products were the Ivel Light Roadster and the Ivel Racer. In 1882 he introduced the Ivel Tricycle, and in 1884, in collaboration with Laurence Huber the Ivel Automatic Steerer tricycle.In 1885 John Kemp Starley
John Kemp Starley
John Kemp Starley was an English inventor and industrialist who is widely considered the inventor of the modern bicycle, and also originator of the name Rover....
exhibited his Rover Safety bicycle
Safety bicycle
A safety bicycle is a type of bicycle that became very popular beginning in the late 1880s as an alternative to the penny-farthing or ordinary and is now the most common type of bicycle. Early bicycles of this style were known as safety bicycles because they were noted for, and marketed as, being...
at the Stanley show. Albone copied this idea, and combined it with the Hillman, Herbert and Cooper cross frame design to produce the Ivel Safety cycle, in April 1886. This became very popular with sports cyclists. On 5 October 1886 George Pilkington Mills
George Pilkington Mills
George Pilkington Mills was the dominant English racing cyclist of his generation, and winner of the inaugural Bordeaux–Paris cycle race. He frequently cycled from Land's End to John o' Groats, holding the world record time on six occasions between 1886 and 1895. He was a member of the Anfield and...
, on an Ivel Safety, achieved a world record 24 hour distance of 294.5 miles (474 km).
Albone went on to invent a tandem safety bicycle with Arthur James Wilson
Arthur James Wilson
Arthur James Wilson was an English cyclist, cycling administrator, activist and journalist. He became deaf at age 12 after contracting scarlet fever and Faed was a self-applied anagram of 'deaf'. He was a member of the National Cyclists' Union executive committee and joint editor of the Bicycling...
, cycle pump clamps with Richard Tingey, and a child carrier accessory for his cycles. By 1893 a general downturn in the economy had put many cycle manufacturers out of business, and Albone put the Ivel Cycle Works into voluntary liquidation.
Ball bearing wheels
In 1886 Albone applied his knowledge of low friction wheels to produce a strong, light weight pony trap. This had a steel axle with ball bearings, and bicycle type steel and rubber wheels. The result was smooth and fast, and the pony trap was popular. The axles were also sold separately, to the Great Northern railway company.Motor manufacturer
In the 1890s many cycle manufacturers moved into motor manufacture (for example William MorrisWilliam Morris, 1st Viscount Nuffield
William Richard Morris, 1st Viscount Nuffield GBE, CH , known as Sir William Morris, Bt, between 1929 and 1934 and as The Lord Nuffield between 1934 and 1938, was a British motor manufacturer and philanthropist...
and Armand Peugeot
Armand Peugeot
Armand Peugeot was a French industrialist, pioneer of the automobile industry and the founder of the French firm Peugeot.-Family:...
). Albone also developed a motor car, based on a 2.2 kW (3 hp) single cylinder Benz engine. He was driving a prototype around Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
in 1898, and exhibited it in London in 1900. A five seat version was developed, called the Ivel Landaulette, with a 6 kW (8 hp) twin cylinder engine.
A natural progression was the Ivel motor bicycle, in 1901. This was a strengthened bicycle, with a 1.1 kW (1.5 hp) engine driving the rear wheel.
Tractor manufacturer
| Ivel Agricultural Motor 1902 | |
|---|---|
| Power | 6 kW (8 hp) |
| Weight | 403 kg |
| Maximum load | 2540 kg (2.5 tons) |
| Maximum speed | 5 mph (8 km/h) |
| Engine size | 2900 cc (177 cubic inches) |
| Cylinders | 2 |
| Stroke | 4 |
During the late 19th century, power on farms was provided mainly by horses. Steam-powered portable engine
Portable engine
A portable engine is a small steam engine, mounted on wheels or skids, which is used for driving machinery using a belt from its flywheel. It is not self-propelled and is towed to the work site by horses or bullocks, or even a traction engine. Portable engines were used mainly for driving...
s and self-propelled traction engine
Traction engine
A traction engine is a self-propelled steam engine used to move heavy loads on roads, plough ground or to provide power at a chosen location. The name derives from the Latin tractus, meaning 'drawn', since the prime function of any traction engine is to draw a load behind it...
s had been introduced for agricultural work from about 1850, but the traction engines were too heavy for direct ploughing of the heavy soil found in Britain. In the 1890s, internal combustion engines started to become more common, but these were stationary engine
Stationary engine
A stationary engine is an engine whose framework does not move. It is normally used not to propel a vehicle but to drive a piece of immobile equipment such as a pump or power tool. They may be powered by steam; or oil-burning or internal combustion engines....
s for belt-driven
Line shaft
A line shaft is a power transmission system used extensively during the Industrial Revolution. Prior to the widespread use of electric motors small enough to be connected directly to each piece of machinery, line shafting was used to distribute power from a large central power source to machinery...
agricultural machinery. An oil-powered traction engine had been developed, by Hornsby-Ackroyd
Herbert Akroyd Stuart
Herbert Akroyd-Stuart was an English inventor who is noted for his invention of the hot bulb engine, or heavy oil engine.-Life:...
in 1897, but like the steam-powered traction engines, this was very heavy at 8600 kg (8.5 tons).
Albone conceived a light-weight petrol-powered general purpose agricultural vehicle. By November 1901 he had completed his tractor
Tractor
A tractor is a vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high tractive effort at slow speeds, for the purposes of hauling a trailer or machinery used in agriculture or construction...
design, and filed for a patent on 15 February 1902. On 12 December 1902 he formed Ivel Agricultural Motors Limited. The other directors were Selwyn Edge
Selwyn Edge
Selwyn Francis Edge was an Australian businessman, racing driver, and record-breaker. He is principally associated with selling and racing De Dion-Bouton, Gladiator; Clemént-Panhard, Napier and AC cars.-Personal life:...
, Charles Jarrott
Charles Jarrott
Charles Jarrott was a British film and television director. He was best known for costume dramas he directed for producer Hal B...
, John Hewitt and Lord Willoughby
Gilbert Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 2nd Earl of Ancaster
Sir Gilbert Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 7th Baronet, 2nd Earl of Ancaster, 3rd Baron Aveland, 26th Baron Willoughby de Eresby , known as Lord Willoughby de Eresby from 1892 to 1910, was a British Conservative politician....
. He called his machine the Ivel Agricultural Motor, the word 'tractor' did not come into common use until later.
Dan's "tractor" won silver medal at the Royal Agricultural Show, in 1903 and 1904. About 500 were built, and many were exported all over the world. The original engine was made by Payne & Co. of Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
. After 1906, French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Aster
Aster (auto parts company)
Aster was a French manufacturer of automobile parts; from 1900 to 1910 the company produced chassis, though it is not known if they built complete cars.The firm whose full name was Ateliers de Construction Mecanique l'Aster from St...
engines were used. Over time it became heavier and more powerful, but it failed to keep pace with its rivals. The company declined after 1910, and in 1920 it went into receivership. The assets were bought by United Motor Industries Limited.
The Ivel Agricultural Motor was light, powerful and compact. It had one front wheel, with solid rubber tyre, and two large rear wheels like a modern tractor. The engine used water cooling, by evaporation. It had one forward and one reverse gear. A pulley wheel on the left hand side allowed it to be used as a stationary engine
Stationary engine
A stationary engine is an engine whose framework does not move. It is normally used not to propel a vehicle but to drive a piece of immobile equipment such as a pump or power tool. They may be powered by steam; or oil-burning or internal combustion engines....
, driving a wide range of agricultural machinery. The 1903 sale price was £300.
Family and sudden death
Dan Albone married Elizabeth Martha Moulden (1860–1936) in August 1887. They had two children, Stanley Dan (1889–1913) and Alwyne Patricia Edwards (1900–1954). On 30 October 1906, while at work, Albone suffered a stroke and died. He was buried in Biggleswade Cemetery on 2 November.Memorials
- Albone Way, Biggleswade SG188BN.
- Dan Albone Memorial Picnic area, Biggleswade. Designated in 1980.
- Albone Glacier, Antarctic PeninsulaAntarctic PeninsulaThe Antarctic Peninsula is the northernmost part of the mainland of Antarctica. It extends from a line between Cape Adams and a point on the mainland south of Eklund Islands....
(64°12′S 59°45′W). Designated in 1964 for pioneers of overland mechanical transport.
Miscellaneous
- In 1890 Albone was penalised 46 m (50 yards) for using a cycle with pneumatic tyres in a half mile open race.
- In 1903 Dan's tractor, fitted with bulletproof steel, was demonstrated to the War Office. Visiting dignitaries included William TrittonWilliam TrittonSir William Ashbee Tritton, M.I.Mech.E., J.P. was an expert in agricultural machinery, and was directly involved, together with Major Walter Gordon Wilson, in the development of the tank...
and Prince Christian X of DenmarkChristian X of DenmarkChristian X was King of Denmark from 1912 to 1947 and the only King of Iceland between 1918 and 1944....
. - Seven Ivel Agricultural Motors still exist, including one at the Science Museum, London.