![]() Licensing agreement (October) with Raleigh but project abandoned (January 1962) Launch of the Mini (October) at British International Motor Show in London, featuring Moulton rubber cone spring suspensionįirst bicycle patent (applied 16th November 1959, granted 27th October 1960) Working on the analysis and redesign of bicycles, leading to the creation of the Moulton Bicycle Spencer Moulton in financial difficulty and sold (1st January) to Avon India Rubber Co Ltd for 6s 6d (32.5p) per share, Moulton appointed technical consultant to Avon Issigonis returns to BMC as chief engineer and explores using Moulton's rubber suspension on Austin/Morris cars including the Mini (1959) Working with William John 'Jack' Daniels (1912-2004) in research department of BMC at Cowley, fits a Morris Minor with rubber suspension (front: Flexitor, rear: Rotashear) and removes the torsion bars, tests car on cobblestone track at Motor Industries Research Association in Nuneaton for 1,600km without failure (compare coil spring suspension: ave 800km) Working with Issigonis on TA350 car suspension at Alvis in Coventry, devising independent suspension with fluid interconnection Two papers with Turner - Influence of Design on Rubber Springs (1950), Development and Testing of a Series of Rubber Suspension Units (1951)Įxperiments (early 1950s) with fitting Flexitor to a Leyland Olympic Bus, converts a Thorneycroft craft lorry to use Flexitor Recruits Philip Wilson Turner (1921-2001, physicist) from University of Cambridge to work on fatigue and creep tests, sets up subsidiary Spencer Moulton Flexitor Ltd, fits rubber rear suspension to motorbikes (Vincent HRD Comet, and Enfield) Meets Alexander Arnold 'Alec' Issigonis (1906-88, knighted 1969) who is unconvinced about rubber suspension for vehicles ("Rubber is not an engineering material") Invents Flexitor suspension spring (sleeve of rubber twisted in torsion) for caravan and boat trailers and the Austin Gipsy, installs rubber suspension on aeronautical engineer Ian Duncan's Dragonfly car, British Motor Corporation (BMC) shows interest in Flexitor Returns to Spencer Moulton, continues investigating rubber-to-metal bonding, pioneers rubber suspension ideas Resumes studies at King's College, graduates after four terms Sets up research department studying rubber technology and rubber-to-metal bonding Joins George Spencer Moulton & Co (Moultons owned the factory), assists works manager James 'Jimmy' Chrystal and rubber chemist Dr Samuel Shrowder Pickles (1878-1962) Promoted (September) to personal assistant to chief engineer Sir Roy Fedden (1885-1973), working in reserved occupation on RAF engines including the 18 cylinder Centaurus Working (from September) in engine research department at Bristol Aeroplane Company (Filton), initially testing superchargers and carburettors Reads mechanical engineering at King's College in Cambridge, studies interrupted by World War II, volunteers for service Raised by mother and grandmother (father died 1926) at The Hall, Bradford-on-Avon (in Moulton family since 1848), first bike: a HerculesĪttends Arden House prep school, Henley-in-Ardenīoards at Marlborough College, builds a steam car (GN chassis and chain drive, powered by a two cylinder Locomobile engine, boiler heated by a Calor-gas Simpson burner) using own lathe, and is pupil apprentice at Sentinel Waggon Works, Shrewsbury (under Abner Doble ) Born 9th April in Stratford-upon-Avon at his maternal grandmother's house, third child of Major John Coney Moulton OBE (1886-1926, army officer and naturalist/zoologist, curator of Sarawak Museum c1905-15) and Beryl Latimer Greene (1886-1972) with siblings - John G.
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