Arthur William Wall (born 21 October 1874) was an engineer in the field of motorised transport and inventor of the self-powered wheel in England in the early 20th century. He is best known for his creation of the self-powered wheel, the Wall Autowheel, which could be used to power a bicycle, but he was also the man behind Roc motorcycles and a tricar and four-wheel cyclecar. His main company was A. W. Wall Ltd, but he created several other companies (or subsidiaries) to compartmentalise his different activities, such as the Roc Gear Co, who supplied epicyclic gears to a significant number of manufacturers before WW1.
ROC Motorcycles
By the early 1900s, Wall noticed the rise in bicycles in the United Kingdom which was a market he wanted to tap into. One of the earliest products of A. W. Wall Ltd launched at the Stanley Show in 1903, this unusually long and low motorcycle with a 3 hp engine had initially been used a Kelecom engine, but also was used to promote the ROC epicyclic hub gearboxes and clutches produced by ROC Gear Co. (another A. W. Wall firm). Kelecom merged with Ormonde in 1904, but the combined company failed later that year and the remaining assets was taken over by Taylor Gue, so the engine supplier must have changed. Most likely candidates were J.A.P. and F. E. Baker Ltd (maker of "Precision" engines), and the latter had certainly been adopted by 1913 and were used exclusively in the motor tricycle.
The ROC Motorcycle had a celebrity backer in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and in 1905 it was announced he had entered a motorcycle in the International Cup race and would nominate a rider to ride it for him.
In mid-1907 A.W.Wall Ltd revealed details of the patent Roc free engine clutch and hub gear, an epicyclic gear constantly in-mesh. Later that year, at the 1907 Crystal Palace show, Roc exhibited two models, a 4 hp single and a 5 hp twin, both fitted with Roc patent clutch. There was also a military version of the ROC motorcycle mentioned in 1907 and available as a 4HP single or a 5-6HP twin in 1909. This had the characteristic long low frame, with large ROC hub gear, and also the new ROC patent duplex sprung front forks. In 1907, he created a V-twin engined machine for Muriel Hind, to her specifications of a dropped (lady's) frame.
At the 1908 Stanley show two motorcycles were shown, the 4 hp single (83mm bore by 90mm stroke) and a new 5-6HP V-twin (75mm bore, 80mm stroke), both of these models now had mechanically operated inlet valves. Also shown as available for 1909 was the Roc 2-speed hub gear conversion "to fit practically every motorcycle". At the 1909 show they continued with their single and twin, but added a 6HP four cylinder motorcycle with pressed steel frame, with prop shaft drive.
At the 1913 Olympia Show 3 models were shown, the 6HP twin with Precision engine, and 4.5HP single, and a lightweight 2.75HP with a lightweight ROC gearbox. The 4.5HP model had a new four-speed gear with internal expanding clutch.
Other motorcycles licensed Roc equipment, for example in 1911 the Humber 3.5HP 2-speed motorcycle was listed as having "Roc Patents". The Rex and the A.C. Sociable tricar also used the Roc patent gear.
Wall Autowheel
Horris patented the autowheel concept in 1908 (GB190823080), and in November 1909 it was launched at the annual Stanley Show, and caused quite a sensation. Weighing 25 lbs the price was £15 5s. This first model was a 2-stroke of about 90cc. While it gathered a great deal of publicity, unfortunately it didn't appear on the market. In July 1910 it was explained that this was due to it not yet being perfected and that while many orders were received "deliveries were being kept back until the invention could be further experimented with" with the result that "very few have been put on the road".
By the time of the November Motor Cycle show in 1910 (this time held at Olympia) the design was said to have been perfected (with assistance from Messrs Humber Limited), and a show review reported that it is "now made by the Humber Company". However this too seemed to be premature, and it was still being perfected and improved in March 1912. The latest version was shown at the November 1912 show at Olympia, and by early 1913 it was in production under a new company, the International Auto-Wheel Company Ltd of Russell Road, London.