Coventry could not always assimilate. Birmingham produced parts of bicycles but few complete machines. Large firms, notably Perry & Co., Ltd., the pen makers, the Birmingham Small Arms Co., and others, began to supply sets of fittings for small makers, who were thus enabled to make bicycles with the engineering part
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Fig. 13
THE B.S.A. SAFETY BICYCLE
The forerunner of a famous firm’s products
that required first-class machinery largely eliminated. The Eadie Manufacturing Co. was established at Redditch by Albert Eadie, Perry & Co.’s sales manager, and Robert W. Smith, a Coventry engineer from Rudge’s big factory. The B.S.A. Co.’s machinery at Small Heath, Birmingham, was not fully employed on rifle contracts, and the directors looked about for other suitable mechanical work to keep their staff employed. Bicycles were largely demanded. The firm’s engineer
