Tuesday 1st May 1883
Count Albert de Dion received a patent for a steam generator, the first of 394 patents issued to him or to his company. The de Dion name is best remembered for a sophisticated form of non-independent suspension that is a considerable improvement over the swing axle, Hotchkiss drive, or live axle. The de Dion suspension uses universal joints at both the wheel hubs and differential, and uses a solid tubular beam to hold the opposite wheels in parallel. Although the tube took the name of the French automobile manufacturer De Dion-Bouton, it was invented around 1894 by company co-founder Charles Trépardoux for use on the company’s steam tricycles.
