Aveling and Porter was a British agricultural engine and steamroller manufacturer. Thomas Aveling and Richard Thomas Porter entered into partnership in 1862, and developed a steam engine three years later in 1865. By the early 1900s, the company had become the largest manufacturer of steamrollers in the world. The company used a rampant horse as its logo derived from the White Horse of Kent.
Aveling and Porter
Traction engine (steam tractor) from Aveling and Porter, around 1865
Steamroller (road roller) "Betsy", manufactured by Aveling & Porter in 1912
Aveling & Porter no. 721 of 1871 – The earliest surviving A&P engine in the UK in The Science Museum
A steamroller is a form of road roller – a type of heavy construction machinery used for leveling surfaces, such as roads or airfields – that is powered by a steam engine. The leveling/flattening action is achieved through a combination of the size and weight of the vehicle and the rolls: the smooth wheels and the large cylinder or drum fitted in place of treaded road wheels.
Ruston Proctor steamroller (road roller)
Steamroller by Aveling and Porter from early 20th century. On display at the Gangaramaya Temple in Colombo.
Front view of Aveling and Porter steamroller at the Gangaramaya Temple in Colombo.
Aveling and Porter manufactured the first successful steamrollers. Pictured is the model "Britannia".