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284:, where he made several laps, pacing bicyclists there, including professional rider Tom Butler who could not keep up with the steam powered machine. Roper was clocked at 2 minutes 1.4 seconds for the flying mile, for a top speed 40 mph (64 km/h) He was seen to be unstable and then fall on the track, suffering a head wound, and was found dead. After autopsy, the cause of death was found to be heart failure, although it is unknown if the crash was the cause of the stress on his heart, or if his heart failed prior to the crash.
220:
About the same time he came to Boston, Roper invented his
Handstitch Sewing Machine. In 1861 he invented a hot air engine and filed several patents for a hot air engines. He eventually succeeded in building engines ranging from 1 to 4 HP. In 1869 over 200 roper's air engines were in operation. Roper
259:
were granted a joint patent for a repeating shotgun mechanism on April 4, 1882. Later, on April 21, 1885, Roper alone obtained a patent for an improved shotgun loading mechanism. Roper and his son, Charles, designed a factory producing screw making equipment, which
Charles Roper continued to manage
191:
in Boston, then later a jeweler. Sylvester Roper was born on
November 24, 1823. From an early age he displayed mechanical talent. At age 12 he made a stationary steam engine, even though he had never seen one before in person; this invention was kept on display in the laboratory of the Francestown
1034:
187:. Merrick came to Francestown, New Hampshire in 1807 and married Sylvester's mother Susan Fairbanks in 1817. Sylvester had an older brother who was a housepainter, two younger sisters, and a younger brother who became a machinist at the
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726:
717:
634:
S. H. Roper, of
Roxbury, has invented a steam wagon for common roads, which stops, turns corners, backs, 'keeps to the right as the law directs,' and does many other intelligent things under the hands of a skilful
1278:
577:
History of
Francestown, N.H. : from its earliest settlement April, 1758, to January 1, 1891 : with a brief genealogical record of all the Francestown families
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1609:
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200:. He married Almira D. Hill on April 20, 1845, in Providence, Rhode Island. In 1854 he moved to Boston, Massachusetts living in the
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147:(November 24, 1823 – June 1, 1896) was an American inventor and a pioneering builder of early automobiles and motorcycles from
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during the Civil War. Roper's work eventually came to the attention of other inventors and engineers of the area, including
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196:. Roper left Francestown at a young age and worked as a machinist, first in Nashua, then in Manchester, New York, and
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Demonstration of working replica of 1894 Roper velocipede by Pete Gagan of the
Antique Motorcycle Club of America.
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Academy. At age 14, he built a locomotive engine, and only afterward saw such an engine for the first time in
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965:"Sylvester Roper; American inventor and transportation pioneer who built a steam-powered motorcycle in 1869"
1007:
Simpson, Layne (February–March 2005), "All choked up: all you need to know about interchangeable chokes",
251:, short tubes that could be threaded onto, or removed from, the outside of the shotgun barrel to vary the
237:. Roper was observed driving his steam carriage around Boston in 1863. One such 1863 carriage went to the
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1094:"Married; At Providence, 20th inst. Mr. Sylvester H Roper and Miss Almira D. Hill, both of Boston.",
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777:; Guggenheim Museum Staff (1998), "Issues in the Evolution of the Motorcycle", in Krens, Thomas;
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650:"Miscellaneous Items; Mr Sylvester H Roper of Roxbury, Mass has invented a steam carriage…",
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607:"Died; Roper – At Cambridge. 1st inst., Sylvester H. Roper, 72 yrs, 6 monts, 8 dys.",
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926:, vol. 39, no. 8, Irvine, California: Aviation News Corp, pp. 36–37,
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of 1867–1869 may have been the first motorcycle, for which he was inducted into the
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1032: & Sylvester H. Roper, "Magazine Fire-Arm", issued 4 April 1882
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Sylvester H. Roper's father, Merrick, was a cabinetmaker, born 1792 in
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On June 1, 1896, Roper rode one of his later velocipede models, a
1244:
Las Vegas
Premier Motorcycle Auction; 1894 Roper Steam Motorcycle
959:
245:
1132:
Girdler, Allan (February 1998), "First Fired, First
Forgotten",
698:
McCann, Hugh (2 April 1972), "Museum Traces
History of Wheels",
151:, Massachusetts. In 1863 he built a steam carriage, one of the
148:
1174:
The same Tom Butler was overtaken 10 feet from the finish by
1098:, no. 1, Boston, Massachusetts, p. 4, 30 April 1845
613:, no. 132, Boston, Massachusetts, p. 8, 3 June 1896
920:
Kerr, Glynn (August 2008), "Design; The
Conspiracy Theory",
773:
602:
600:
1187:
African-American sports greats: a biographical dictionary
732:, new series, vol. 9, no 22, p. 341 (November 28, 1863).
597:
179:
Roper and his steam carriage, made sometime before 1870.
1138:, vol. 37, no. 2, Newport Beach, California:
723:, new series, vol. 8, no. 11, p. 165 (March 14, 1863).
654:, no. 52, New Haven, Connecticut, 3 March 1863
645:
643:
272:Columbia bicycle with a steam engine added, to the
1267:Pete Gagan – 1896 Sylvester Roper Steam Motorcycle
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826:The Guinness Book of Motorcycling Facts and Feats
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367:Improvements In Detachable Muzzle For Shot-Guns
255:to suit different targets and ranges. Roper and
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796:Michaux-Perreaux year 1868. Roper year 1869.
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1150:Michaux-Perreaux year 1868. Roper year 1868
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785:, Harry N. Abrams, pp. 24–31, 98–101,
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589:: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (
579:, Francestown, N.H., pp. 317, 903–904
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1069:The history is unclear if this refers to
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16:American inventor and builder of vehicles
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163:in 2002. He is also the inventor of the
1610:Inventors killed by their own invention
1532:Outline of motorcycles and motorcycling
1178:in the 1899 world 1 mile (1.6 km)
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953:
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216:Handbill for Roper steam demonstration.
1585:People from Francestown, New Hampshire
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697:
1554:Timeline of motorized bicycle history
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1289:National Rifle Association of America
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263:
919:
350:Improvement In Revolving Fire-Arms
204:neighborhood at 299 Eustis Street.
13:
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167:and a revolver repeating shotgun.
111:, repeating shotgun, shotgun choke
14:
1631:
1346:Michaux-Perreaux steam velocipede
1224:d'Orléans, Paul (21 April 2011),
1217:
961:American Motorcyclist Association
675:Daytona Beach Sunday News-Journal
670:"Ford Museum Houses U.S. History"
401:Improvement In Knitting-Machines
189:Singer Sewing Machine Manufactory
1384:
1110:"Roper's Hot Air Engine patents"
1096:Emancipator and Weekly Chronicle
384:Improvement In Knitting-Machine
1595:19th-century American inventors
1063:
333:Improvement in Hot-Air Engines
92:Heart failure, motorcycle crash
1140:Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S.
1075:Manchester (village), New York
708:
668:Pearson, Drew (May 16, 1965),
1:
1371:De Dion-Bouton steam tricycle
718:"An improved steam carriage,"
626:Lowell Daily Citizen and News
534:
170:
1620:American automotive pioneers
624:"S. H. Roper, of Roxbury ",
7:
1433:Hildebrand & WolfmĂĽller
1071:Manchester (town), New York
970:AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame
207:
10:
1636:
1600:Steam motorcycle designers
1160:: CS1 maint: postscript (
989:: CS1 maint: postscript (
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843:Michaux-Perreaux year 1867
806:: CS1 maint: postscript (
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270:Pope Manufacturing Company
260:after his father's death.
61:Francestown, New Hampshire
1527:
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1336:
1279:"Roper Repeating Shotgun"
1226:"Roper Steam Velocipedes"
1184:Porter, David L. (1995),
1079:Manchester, New Hampshire
1030:Christopher Miner Spencer
783:The Art of the Motorcycle
652:New Haven Daily Palladium
257:Christopher Miner Spencer
244:Roper invented the first
235:Christopher Miner Spencer
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88:
69:
45:
28:
21:
1469:Louis-Guillaume Perreaux
1423:Clarke gasoline tricycle
1284:National Firearms Museum
923:Motorcycle Consumer News
870:Motorcycling for Dummies
763:, p. 1, 2 June 1896
575:Cochrane, W. R. (1895),
282:Cambridge, Massachusetts
81:Cambridge, Massachusetts
1428:De Dion-Bouton tricycle
610:Boston Daily Advertiser
424:Christopher M. Spencer
185:Sterling, Massachusetts
161:Motorcycle Hall of Fame
136:Motorcycle Hall of Fame
1361:Copeland steam bicycle
1351:Roper steam velocipede
1251:, 2011, archived from
1247:, Auctions America by
868:Kresnak, Bill (2008),
757:"Died in the Saddle",
217:
180:
157:Roper steam velocipede
145:Sylvester Howard Roper
109:Roper steam velocipede
1605:Machine tool builders
830:Guinness Superlatives
727:"New steam carriage,"
630:Lowell, Massachusetts
215:
178:
1489:Jules-Albert de Dion
1438:Holden motor bicycle
1376:Thomas steam bicycle
1366:Geneva steam bicycle
454:Metal-Screw Machine
436:Metal-Screw Machine
276:bicycle track, near
153:earliest automobiles
1499:Louis Semple Clarke
1418:Butler Petrol-Cycle
1395:Internal combustion
1356:Long steam tricycle
874:Hoboken, New Jersey
730:Scientific American
721:Scientific American
518:U.S. patent 516,117
501:U.S. patent 514,094
484:U.S. patent 413,734
467:U.S. patent 409,429
449:U.S. patent 300,736
431:U.S. patent 262,321
413:U.S. patent 255,894
396:U.S. patent 117,931
100:Machinist, inventor
89:Cause of death
1590:People from Boston
1539:Motorcycle history
1474:Sylvester H. Roper
1182:championship. See
1142:, pp. 62–70,
822:Setright, L. J. K.
760:Boston Daily Globe
701:The New York Times
632:, 6 January 1863,
489:Magazine Fire-Arm
418:Magazine Fire-Arm
379:U.S. patent 94,135
362:U.S. patent 79,861
345:U.S. patent 53,881
328:U.S. patent 34,723
264:Death while riding
223:Springfield Armory
218:
181:
37:Boston Daily Globe
23:Sylvester H. Roper
1562:
1561:
1544:Motorized bicycle
1331:Early motorcycles
1114:hotairengines.org
891:978-0-470-24587-3
832:. pp. 8–18.
775:Falco, Charles M.
628:, no. 2050,
532:
531:
509:February 6, 1894
492:October 29, 1889
460:Charles F. Roper
442:Charles F. Roper
319:November 9, 1842
311:U.S. patent 2,848
239:Henry Ford Museum
142:
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56:November 24, 1823
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1519:Gottlieb Daimler
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882:Wiley Publishing
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404:August 8, 1871
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353:April 10, 1866
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336:March 18, 1862
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288:List of patents
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664:
662:
653:
646:
644:
636:
631:
627:
620:
612:
611:
603:
601:
592:
586:
578:
571:
569:
567:
565:
563:
561:
559:
557:
555:
553:
551:
549:
547:
545:
540:
528:
525:
522:
519:
515:
514:
511:
508:
505:
502:
498:
497:
494:
491:
488:
485:
481:
480:
477:
474:
472:Magazine-Gun
471:
468:
464:
463:
459:
456:
453:
450:
446:
445:
441:
438:
435:
432:
428:
427:
423:
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389:
386:
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369:
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318:
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312:
308:
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293:
285:
283:
279:
275:
274:Charles River
271:
261:
258:
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250:
247:
242:
240:
236:
232:
228:
224:
214:
205:
203:
199:
195:
190:
186:
177:
168:
166:
165:shotgun choke
162:
158:
154:
150:
146:
137:
134:
130:
127:Charles Roper
126:
122:
118:
114:
110:
107:
103:
99:
97:Occupation(s)
95:
91:
87:
82:
72:
68:
62:
48:
44:
39:
38:
32:
27:
20:
1530:
1473:
1411:
1402:
1292:, retrieved
1282:
1257:, retrieved
1253:the original
1243:
1233:, retrieved
1229:
1205:, retrieved
1186:
1176:Major Taylor
1170:
1133:
1113:
1104:
1095:
1089:
1065:
1008:
974:, retrieved
968:
955:
921:
915:
869:
863:
825:
816:
782:
769:
758:
729:
720:
710:
699:
680:, retrieved
673:
651:
633:
625:
619:
608:
576:
523:Fire Escape
506:Fire-Escape
304:Co-inventor
267:
243:
219:
182:
144:
143:
75:(1896-06-01)
73:June 1, 1896
35:
1580:1896 deaths
1575:1823 births
1404:Motrice Pia
1249:RM Auctions
1135:Cycle World
878:For Dummies
678:, p. 8
301:Issue date
253:shot spread
231:Alvan Clark
1569:Categories
1294:2011-11-15
1259:2011-11-14
1235:2011-11-15
1207:2011-02-09
976:2011-01-27
714:See also:
682:2011-02-06
535:References
227:Elias Howe
171:Early life
52:1823-11-24
1412:Reitwagen
1148:0011-4286
1052:US 316401
1026:US 255894
932:1073-9408
849:cite book
198:Worcester
1457:Pioneers
1410:Daimler
1192:ABC-CLIO
1156:citation
985:citation
963:(2002),
941:citation
901:citation
824:(1979).
802:citation
781:(eds.),
585:citation
316:Padlock
208:Inventor
124:Children
40:obituary
1272:YouTube
1009:Hunting
635:driver.
295:Number
246:shotgun
202:Roxbury
1443:Millet
1198:
1146:
1081:, and
1058:
1036:
1028:,
930:
888:
836:
789:
298:Title
194:Nashua
155:. The
149:Boston
138:(2002)
132:Awards
116:Spouse
83:, U.S.
63:, U.S.
1338:Steam
1077:, or
249:choke
1196:ISBN
1162:link
1144:ISSN
991:link
947:link
928:ISSN
907:link
886:ISBN
855:link
834:ISBN
808:link
787:ISBN
591:link
70:Died
46:Born
1270:on
1571::
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1116:.
993:)
949:)
909:)
857:)
810:)
593:)
54:)
50:(
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