Introduction
Robert E. Twyford had an important role in the development of the automobile. He originally started out as a building contractor in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but later turned to developing automobiles. In 1900, the patent office granted him a patent for a four-wheel driving gear for motor carriages. Robert Twyford developed cars with both four-wheel drive and power-steering, first in Pittsburgh and then in Brookville, Pennsylvania. He later moved to Texas. In 1985, William McCracken began work on a replica of the Twyford automobile and finished it in 1989.
The Twyford Automobile in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Invention Robert Twyford first started to build automobiles, while still living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 1897, he invented a machine which he claimed to have superior performance over any other and planned on exhibiting it to the public soon after. The machine used connecting rods, like locomotives, and had the same design as a Park Trap, which gave it the appearance of a light, horse-drawn carriage. It had two seats, with the engine underneath the rear seat. The machine applied traction to all four wheels, had self-gearing, and allowed steering from both the front and rear axle. Robert Twyford also stated that he would soon have a new engine. He had not yet decided when he would begin manufacturing the carriage.The Pittsburgh Daily Press, “New Horseless Carriage”, November 14, 1897.
On July 7, 1898, he applied for a patent for a “Driving Gear for Motor Carriages”, which the patent office finally granted him on April 3, 1900. Figure 1 shows the patent drawings. They have the automobile powered by an electric motor.
Design
While waiting for the approval of the patent, Robert Twyford and his sponsors organized the Twyford Motor Vehicle Company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in May 1898. The patent drawings show an automobile with a complicated arrangement of gears and shafts that provided a crude form of four-wheel drive and power-steering.
For four-wheel drive, the drawings have a shaft going the complete length of the chassis, which has two sets of friction clutches. One friction clutch works with the lower and second gears, while the second friction clutch works with the high and reverse gears. The drawings also show a second shaft, parallel to the first shaft, which has gears meshing with the gears on the first shaft. The second shaft drives the rear axle with a bevel gear and the front axle with a three-part bevel gear, which acts as a primitive form of universal joint. The driving-gear did not use differential gears.
The power-steering involved the use of a solid shaft, which lacked steering knuckles. A worm-gear connected the shaft to the front axle. A steering lever allowed two bevel gears on the cross-shaft to turn the automobile. The front-axle has an arm, which prevented oversteering, and a lever that disengaged the bevel gears when the wheels locked. This mechanism only provided a slow rate of turning, most likely making sharp turns difficult to navigate.
Although the drawing has an electric motor, most likely Robert Twyford planned on using a gasoline engine, because the three speed gear design would have quickly drained the electric batteries in use at the time.Donald J. Summar, “The Twyford: a Pennsylvania Primitive”, Automotive History Review, fall, 1981.
Early difficulties The literature makes no further mention of the Twyford automobile until the January 1901 issue of Cycle & Automobile Trade Journal. The article lists a variety of models, but most likely the company only manufactured the Stanhope, if even that. The name, Stanhope, refers to an archaic car body style that used a single bench seat, and a folding cloth top. The name comes from the Stanhope. The picture of the 1902 Twyford Stanhope automobile in Figure 2 appears in the April 1902 issue of the Cycle & Automobile Trade Journal. The automobile in the picture has a gasoline engine, and the company had simplified the drivetrain from what appears in the patent drawings. The 17th September issue of Horseless Age has the company located at 5920 Penn Avenue in Pittsburgh and having a new gasoline automobile coming out soon.
It also has the company erecting a large plant. The article mentions R. E. Twyford as the company's engineer and J. F. Trembly as the manager.Horseless Age, September 17, 1902. Apparently, the company failed in Pittsburgh, because the newspapers and trade journals make no further mention of the company until 1904. Robert Twyford then decided to find a location for building automobiles elsewhere. Two investors, E. A. Carmalt and Strong, agreed to help provide financial backing, under the condition that he relocate to Brookville, Pennsylvania.Ryan Rush, “The Twyford Motorcar”, Senior Paper, Westminster College, New Wilmington, PA.
The Twyford Automobile in Brookville, Pennsylvania
Incorporation In May 1904, Robert E. Twyford claimed, that after developing a prototype for five years, he now had an automobile that would run over rough and muddy roads and allow any member of a family to drive it safely. His patents protected the automobile's design, and he would turn them over to the newly organized company. If the people of Brookville would provide a location for the factory, and buy $25,000 worth of stock, he would have the factory built and begin manufacturing automobiles. The decline in the lumber industry, which Brookville had relied on before then, meant that the community needed to find new sources of revenue.Jeffersonian Democrat, “Opportunity for Brookville”, May 5, 1904.
The Brookville Republican May 26, 1904 issue praised Robert Twyford's patent as describing a unique machine with a pronounced advantage over any other automobile manufactured at the time, featuring power to both front and rear axles, and leading in the automobile world. The company planned to manufacture four-wheel drive automobiles, auto-trucks and motor-cars.
Robert E. Twyford succeeded in organizing the Twyford Motor-Car Company in Brookville. The company had raised $25,000 in capital stock and named the following men as directors: R. E. Twyford, A. D. Deemer, H. C. Beach, D. L. Taylor, E. A. Carmalt, C. A. French, W. N. Humphrey, W. N. Vanleer and W. D. Shields, with A. D. Deemer acting as president, W. N. Humphrey as vice president, R. E. Twyford as general manager and D. L. Taylor as secretary and treasurer. The directors decided to locate the new factory near the railroad, the glass plant, and the furniture factory and had begun construction. Carmalt and Strong (attorneys-at-law) donated the land for the factory. Workers had already started the process of cleaning the ground, and digging the foundations for the factory, which would have brick walls, measurements of 50 feet by 200 feet and two stories.Jeffersonian Democrat, “Twyford Motor-Car Company”, May 26, 1904.
The directors organized the company under Delaware Corporate law, and had capital stock of $500,000, with $200,000 of that offered for sale at $50.00 per share. By late September, the workers had finished the building, except for installing machinery. The construction of automobiles began in late 1904.
Construction In 1905, the Twyford Motor-Car Company announced the construction of the models for that year. These included an 18-hp 4-passenger Tonneau (priced at $2,700), an delivery (priced at $1,000), an runabout, a Stanhope, and a roadster. All the cars used two-cylinder two cycle engines.Donald J. Summar, “The Twyford: a Pennsylvania Primitive”, Automotive History Review, fall, 1981.
According to the local press, the Twyford automobile had four-wheel drive, which allowed it to climb steep grades, and travel through mud, snow and unpaved roads. If a car with only two-wheel drive gets stuck in a hole, it only has one wheel to pull it out, while the Twyford automobile could pull it out with three wheels.
The Twyford automobile had power-steering, which allowed the driver to guide it without effort. The Twyford also did not use knuckle joints. Instead, it used a rigid steering mechanism, which prevented pressure on the steering-wheel.
The automobile did not use chains, sprockets, or spur gears, which tend to get full of dirt. Instead the automobile applied power directly to the four wheels. The design for the automobile had self-oiling gears held inside a dust-proof casing. The brakes on the Twyford locked all four wheels. The brakes worked on the transmission box, which carried the braking to the wheels. The Twyford also had a brake for the reverse lever, and the driving lever controlled a third brake.
The front axle oscillated, which allowed the front wheels to raise or lower when passing over unpaved roads. This prevented twisting of the machine's body and allowed the automobile to smoothly travel. The Twyford changed speed with a single lever that controlled a friction clutch. The automobile had two forward speeds and single reverse speed. It also equally applied power between the front and rear axles and distributed the power between the four wheels. This eliminated drag when making a curve, which meant that automobile would not skid. The Twyford's axles consisted of solid steel, with no knuckle joints, which gave the car strength and durability.Jeffersonian Democrat, “The Twyford Automobiles”, February 23, 1905.
Automobile shows
In March 1905, R. E. Twyford, along with C. A. French, attended the Buffalo Automobile Show. No automobile at the show, other than the Twyford, possessed four-wheel drive. The Twyford Company exhibited two complete automobiles, along with a chassis. The Twyford attracted a great deal of attention, because of all the differences it had in comparison to the other automobiles at the exhibit. The attendants at the exhibit especially admired the simplicity of the Twyford because the automobile operated with a single shaft.
The Twyford especially attracted the interest of the medical practitioners because most of them traveled to patients’ homes over often poorly maintained roads. The machines’ four-wheel drive, power, and simplicity especially interested them. Many doctors visited the exhibit every day and eagerly awaited its development.
The machine also attracted the interest of businessmen and technicians. J. M. Yadkin, manager of Adams Express Company, Mr. Henry A. Kamman, a pork and beef packer, and H. C. Gardner, a milk dealer, all admired the machine. They especially liked the Twyford's simplicity compared to other machines. W. A. Liggett, a building contractor, wanted to buy the machine, and sell his horse and buggy. George Willaofer, who had two brothers working as doctors, liked the four-wheel drive, because it would allow the machine to travel through sand, or even off-road. Charles Heidrick, superintendent of the Pittsburgh, Summerville and Clarion railroad, had an engineer look over the machine, and was very impressed with it. Another engineer admired the machines ability to drive, steer and compensate all at once. A draftsman also admired the machine.
After this experience, the board of directors of the Twyford Company wanted to buy more machinery, hire more men, and even build a new factory. They also wanted to sell more stock. Brookville residents visited the factory, to see the new machines built there. They all enjoyed the experience, and what the workers had managed to accomplish.Jeffersonian Democrat, “The Twyford Motor Car at Buffalo”, March 23, 1905.
After the Buffalo Automobile show, R. E. Twyford had the automobiles shipped to a show in Washington D. C. Robert Twyford managed to book several orders for the machine, and had to turn down one hundred orders, because of the limited production capacity of the factory, and especially a lack of capitol to supply the demand.