INDUSTRIES 



firm, and of a demonstrator engaged for the 

 purpose, who also lectures to the pupils in a 

 specially fitted-up lecture room. Quite recently 

 a handsome ' Allen Institute ' has been erected 

 and is maintained by the firm, containing dining- 

 hall, reading-room, library, smoking-room, 

 billiard and bagatelle room, and games-room. 

 The institute occupies a part of the area facing 

 Hurst Grove, is fully at the service of all the 

 employes, and is managed by a committee most 

 of wrhom are selected from the employes. 



Among other engineering works which have 

 found a convenient locality in Bedford should be 

 mentioned The Vulcan Works ( Grafton & Co.), 

 established in 1886 by the late Mr. Alexander 

 Grafton, A.M.Inst.C.E., M.I.Mech.E., to whose 

 skill as an engineer the prosperity of the works 

 is mainly due. The specialty of the output is 

 lifting machinery, and allied accessories such as 

 skips, grabs, dredgers, &c. The principal product 

 consists of locomotive steam and electric cranes, 

 weighing from 10 to 40 tons each (exclusive 

 of load lifted) and of lifting capacities of from 

 2 to 10 tons power. During the twenty years 

 the works have existed, about 1,000 cranes of 

 standard type have been turned out, in addition 

 to dredging and other apparatus. The cranes 

 are largely used by the Admiralty and War 

 Office, and many are exported to the Continent 

 and to other parts of the world. They are used 

 at Dover, Folkestone, and Boulogne, in con- 

 nexion with the Steam Packet service ; and a 

 number have recently been supplied to the 

 contractors of the Admiralty Harbour Works at 

 Dover. 



The buildings comprise pattern, carpenters', 

 smiths', machine, fitting, and erecting shops, 

 with the necessary commercial and drawing 

 offices. The large main bay is lofty and spacious, 

 and served by an overhead travelling crane. 

 About 120 men are employed. 



The automobile industry has also been recently 

 established in Bedford and a few other locali- 

 ties in the county. The principal local firm of 

 this character is that of the Adams Manufacturing 

 Company, Limited, Automobile and Electrical 

 Engineers, who in 1 90 5 set up some large works 

 near the London and North- Western Railway 

 Station, Bedford, at which they employ about 

 500 men. Their specialties are the 'Adams- 

 Hewitt ' cars, and the ' Igranic ' rheostats. The 

 motive power employed at these works is gas 

 generated on the premises by the Dowson gas 

 plant. The 'Adams-Hewitt' cars are made 

 in a number of sizes and forms, among them 

 being the ' Light Car,' suitable for professional 

 men ; the ' Mail Phaeton,' for park driving, &c. ; 



the ' Dog Cart ' or ' Light Shooting Brake ' ; 

 the 'Side Entrance Tonneau,' or touring-car, 

 one or two cylinders ; the ' Landaulette,' also 

 the 2-cylinder 1 2-1 4 h.p. 'Landaulette'; the 

 ' Delivery Van ' ; the ' Traveller's Sample ' or 

 ' Light Delivery Car,' &c. Many features in 

 the construction of these cars are peculiar to this 

 firm's work, among them being the control of 

 brakes and speed change by means of pedals. 

 In the specifications this is briefly expressed by the 

 phrase ' Pedals to Push — That's all 1' The firm 

 also adapts the 8-cylinder ' Antoinette ' engine 

 to 35-40 h.p, motor cars ; and they produce 

 2-cylinder marine motors. In the electrical depart- 

 ment the firm produces a great variety of the 

 ' Igranic ' electric motor and dynamo controlling 

 apparatus, for direct and alternating currents. 

 The firm claim to be the pioneers in Great 

 Britain in specializing motor controlling ap- 

 paratus. 



Their productions are all ' British made, by 

 British labour, from British material,' Their 

 ' Igranic ' rheostats are made for use with all kinds 

 of electrically-driven machinery. 



Also not far from the London and North- 

 western Station at Bedford some considerable 

 artificial stone works were started about two 

 years ago by * B. Ward & Co., Limited, Concrete, 

 Mosaic, and Wood-Block Flooring Specialists.' 



A similar development of new mechanical 

 industries has taken place at Luton. Messrs. 

 Hayward, Tyler & Co. began their manu- 

 facture of hydraulic and pumping machinery some 

 thirty-five years ago, and now employ about 600 

 men. Messrs. Bamforth & Co., Limited, have 

 some large boiler works. A few years ago a 

 New Industries Committee was formed at Luton, 

 including members of the Corporation and of the 

 Chamber of Commerce, with the result that 

 many new firms have been introduced, including 

 the Vauxhall Motor and West Hydraulic Co., 

 Limited ; the Davis Gas Stove Co., whose works 

 cover 6 acres ; and the Commercial Cars Co., 

 Limited, Motor Works. 



At Biggleswade the late Mr, Dan Albone 

 some years ago founded cycle works, to which 

 he afterwards added the manufacture of automo- 

 biles. The firm is the sole maker and patentee 

 of the ' Ivel ' ball-bearing carriage axles and boxes ; 

 and Mr, Albone was the inventor and manufac- 

 turer of the ' Ivel ' agricultural motor. 



At Kempston the firm of H. P. Saunderson 

 & Co., Limited, some years ago introduced a 

 form of small windmill, for use in farm-yards 

 and elsewhere, which has been largely adopted 

 both in the immediate district and in more dis- 

 tant parts of the country. 



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