industrial biography-第47节

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first…class　inventor；　though　he　was　a　most　prolific　one；　but；　as　the

founder　of　a　school　from　which　proceeded　some　of　the　most

distinguished　mechanics　of　our　time；　he　is　entitled　to　a　prominent

place　in　this　series　of　memoirs。



Joseph　Bramah　was　born　in　1748　at　the　village　of　Stainborough；　near

Barnsley　in　Yorkshire；　where　his　father　rented　a　small　farm　under

Lord　Strafford。　　Joseph　was　the　eldest　of　five　children；　and　was　early

destined　to　follow　the　plough。　　After　receiving　a　small　amount　of

education　at　the　village　school；　he　was　set　to　work　upon　the　farm。

From　an　early　period　he　showed　signs　of　constructive　skill。　　When　a

mere　boy；　he　occupied　his　leisure　hours　in　making　musical

instruments；　and　he　succeeded　in　executing　some　creditable　pieces　of

work　with　very　imperfect　tools。　　A　violin；　which　he　made　out　of　a

solid　block　of　wood；　was　long　preserved　as　a　curiosity。　　He　was　so

fortunate　as　to　make　a　friend　of　the　village　blacksmith；　whose　smithy

he　was　in　the　practice　of　frequenting。　　The　smith　was　an　ingenious

workman；　and；　having　taken　a　liking　for　the　boy；　he　made　sundry　tools

for　him　out　of　old　files　and　razor　blades；　and　with　these　his　fiddle

and　other　pieces　of　work　were　mainly　executed。



Joseph　might　have　remained　a　ploughman　for　life；　but　for　an　accident

which　happened　to　his　right　ankle　at　the　age　of　16；　which　unfitted

him　for　farm…work。　　While　confined　at　home　disabled　he　spent　his　time

in　carving　and　making　things　in　wood；　and　then　it　occurred　to　him

that；　though　he　could　not　now　be　a　ploughman；　he　might　be　a　mechanic。

When　sufficiently　recovered；　he　was　accordingly　put　apprentice　to　one

Allott；　the　village　carpenter；　under　whom　he　soon　became　an　expert

workman。　　He　could　make　ploughs；　window…frames；　or　fiddles；　with　equal

dexterity。　　He　also　made　violoncellos；　and　was　so　fortunate　as　to　sell

one　of　his　making　for　three　guineas；　which　is　still　reckoned　a　good

instrument。　　He　doubtless　felt　within　him　the　promptings　of　ambition；

such　as　every　good　workman　feels；　and　at　all　events　entertained　the

desire　of　rising　in　his　trade。　　When　his　time　was　out；　he　accordingly

resolved　to　seek　work　in　London；　whither　he　made　the　journey　on　foot。

He　soon　found　work　at　a　cabinet…maker's；　and　remained　with　him　for

some　time；　after　which　he　set　up　business　in　a　very　small　way　on　his

own　account。　　An　accident　which　happened　to　him　in　the　course　of　his

daily　work；　again　proved　his　helper；　by　affording　him　a　degree　of

leisure　which　he　at　once　proceeded　to　turn　to　some　useful　account。

Part　of　his　business　consisted　in　putting　up　water…closets；　after　a

method　invented　or　improved　by　a　Mr。　Allen；　but　the　article　was　still

very　imperfect；　and　Bramah　had　long　resolved　that　if　he　could　only

secure　some　leisure　for　the　purpose；　he　would　contrive　something　that

should　supersede　it　altogether。　　A　severe　fall　which　occurred　to　him

in　the　course　of　his　business；　and　laid　him　up；　though　very　much

against　his　will；　now　afforded　him　the　leisure　which　he　desired；　and

he　proceeded　to　make　his　proposed　invention。　　He　took　out　a　patent　for

it　in　1778；　describing　himself　in　the　specification　as　〃of　Cross

Court；　Carnaby　Market　＇Golden　Square＇；　Middlesex；　Cabinet　Maker。〃　　He

afterwards　removed　to　a　shop　in　Denmark　Street；　St。　　Giles's；　and

while　there　he　made　a　further　improvement　in　his　invention　by　the

addition　of　a　water　cock；　which　he　patented　in　1783。　　The　merits　of

the　machine　were　generally　recognised；　and　before　long　it　came　into

extensive　use；　continuing　to　be　employed；　with　but　few　alterations；

until　the　present　day。　　His　circumstances　improving　with　the　increased

use　of　his　invention；　Bramah　proceeded　to　undertake　the　manufacture

of　the　pumps；　pipes；　&c。；　required　for　its　construction；　and；

remembering　his　friend　the　Yorkshire　blacksmith；　who　had　made　his

first　tools　for　him　out　of　the　old　files　and　razor…blades；　he　sent

for　him　to　London　to　take　charge　of　his　blacksmith's　department；　in

which　he　proved　a　most　useful　assistant。　　As　usual；　the　patent　was

attacked　by　pirates　so　soon　as　it　became　productive；　and　Bramah　was

under　the　necessity；　on　more　than　one　occasion；　of　defending　his

property　in　the　invention；　in　which　he　was　completely　successful。



We　next　find　Bramah　turning　his　attention　to　the　invention　of　a　lock

that　should　surpass　all　others　then　known。　　The　locks　then　in　use　were

of　a　very　imperfect　character；　easily　picked　by　dexterous　thieves；

against　whom　they　afforded　little　protection。　　Yet　locks　are　a　very

ancient　invention；　though；　as　in　many　other　cases；　the　art　of　making

them　seems　in　a　great　measure　to　have　become　lost；　and　accordingly

had　to　be　found　out　anew。　　Thus　the　tumbler　lockwhich　consists　in

the　use　of　moveable　impediments　acted　on　by　the　proper　key　only；　as

contradistinguished　from　the　ordinary　ward　locks；　where　the

impediments　are　fixed　appears　to　have　been　well　known　to　the

ancient　Egyptians；　the　representation　of　such　a　lock　being　found

sculptured　among　the　bas…reliefs　which　decorate　the　great　temple　at

Karnak。　　This　kind　of　lock　was　revived；　or　at　least　greatly　improved；

by　a　Mr。　Barron　in　1774；　and　it　was　shortly　after　this　time　that

Bramah　directed　his　attention　to　the　subject。　　After　much　study　and

many　experiments；　he　contrived　a　lock　more　simple；　more　serviceable；

as　well　as　more　secure；　than　Barron's；　as　is　proved　by　the　fact　that

it　has　stood　the　test　of　nearly　eighty　years'　experience；*

　＇footnote。。。

The　lock　invented　by　Bramah　was　patented　in　1784。　　Mr。　Bramah　himself

fully　set　forth　the　specific　merits　of　the　invention　in　his

Dissertation　on　the　Construction　of　Locks。　　In　a　second　patent；　taken

out　by　him　in　1798；　he　amended　his　first　with　the　object　of

preventing　the　counterfeiting　of　keys；　and　suspending　the　office　of

the　lock　until　the　key　was　again　in　the　possession　of　the　owner。　　This

he　effected　by　enabling　the　owner　so　to　alter　the　sliders　as　to

render　the　lock　inaccessible　to　such　key　if　applied　by　any　other

person　but　himself；　or　until　the　sliders　had　been　rearranged　so　as　to

admit　of　its　proper　action。　　We　may　mention　in　passing　that　the

security　of　Bramah's　locks　depends　on　the　doctrine　of　combinations；

or　multiplication　of　numbers　into　each　other；　which　is　known　to

increase　in　the　most　rapid　proportion。　　Thus；　a　lock　of　five　slides

admits　of　3；000　variations；　while　one　of　eight　will　have　no　less　than

1；935；360　changes；　in　other　words；　that　number　of　attempts　at　making

a　key；　or　at　picking　it；　may　be　made　before　it　can　be　opened。

　。。。＇

and　still　holds　its　ground。　　For　a　long　time；　indeed；　Bramah's　lock

was　regarded　as　absolutely　inviolable；　and　it　remained　unpicked　for

sixty…seven　years　until　Hobbs　the　American　mastered　it　in　1851。　　A

notice　had　long　been　exhibited　in　Bramah's　shop…window　in　Piccadilly；

offering　200L。　to　any　one　who　should　succeed　in　picking　the　patent

lock。　　Many　tried；　and　all　failed；　until　Hobbs　succeeded；　after

sixteen　days'　manipulation　of　it　with　various　elaborate　instruments。

But　the　difficulty　with　which　the　lock　was　picked　showed　that；　for

all　ordinary　purposes；　it　might　be　pronounced　impregnable。



The　new　locks　were　machines　of　the　most　delicate　kind；　the　action　of

which　depended　in　a　great　measure　upon　the　precision　with　which　the

springs；　sliders；　levers；　barrels；　and　other　parts　were　finished。　　The

merits　of　the　invention　being　generally　admitted；　there　was　a

considerable　demand　for　the　locks；　and　the　necessity　thus　arose　for

inventing　a　series　of　original　machine…tools　to　enable　them　to　be

manufactured　in　sufficient　quantities　to　meet　the　demand。　　It　is

probable；　indeed；　that；　but　for　the　contrivance　of　such　tools；　the

lock　could　never　have　come　in　to　general　use；　as　the　skill　of

hand…workmen；　no　matter　how　experienced；　could　not　have　been　relied

upon　for　turning　out　the　article　with　that　degree　of　accuracy　and

finish　in　all　the　parts　which　was　indispensable　for　its　proper

action。　　In　conducting　the　manufacture　throughout；　Bramah　was　greatly

assisted　by　Henry　Maudslay；　his　foreman；　to　whom　he　was　in　no　small

degree　indebted　for　the　contrivance　of　those　tool…machines　which

enabled　him　to　carry　on　the　business　of　lock…making　with　advantage

and　profit。



Bramah's　indefatigable　spirit　of　invention　was　only　stimulated　to

fresh　efforts　by　the　success　of　his　lock；　and　in　the　course　of　a　few

years　we　find　him　entering　upon　a　more　important　and　original　line　of

action　than　he　had　yet　ventured　on。　　His　patent　of　1785　shows　the

direction　of　his　studies。　　Watt　had　invented　his　steam…engine；　which

was　coming　into　general　use；　and　the　creation　of　motive…power　in

various　other　forms　became　a　favourite　subject　of　inquiry　with

inventors。　　Bramah's　first　invention　with　this　object　was　his

Hydrostatic　Machine；　founded　on　the　doctrine　of　the　equilibrium　of

pressure　in　fluids；　as　exhibited　in　the　well　known　'hydrostatic

paradox。'　In　his　patent　of　1785；　in　which　he　no　longer　descri