industrial biography-第52节

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to　meet　any　large　demand。　　It　was　therefore　requisite　to　devise

machine…tools　which　should　not　blunder；　nor　turn　out　imperfect

work；　machines；　in　short；　which　should　be　in　a　great　measure

independent　of　the　want　of　dexterity　of　individual　workmen；　but　which

should　unerringly　labour　in　their　prescribed　track；　and　do　the　work

set　them；　even　in　the　minutest　details；　after　the　methods　designed　by

their　inventor。　　In　this　department　Maudslay　was　eminently　successful；

and　to　his　laborious　ingenuity；　as　first　displayed　in　Bramah's

workshops；　and　afterwards　in　his　own　establishment；　we　unquestionably

owe　much　of　the　power　and　accuracy　of　our　present　self…acting

machines。



Bramah　himself　was　not　backward　in　admitting　that　to　Henry　Maudslay's

practical　skill　in　contriving　the　machines　for　manufacturing　his

locks　on　a　large　scale；　the　success　of　his　invention　was　in　a　great

degree　attributable。　　In　further　proof　of　his　manual　dexterity；　it　may

be　mentioned　that　he　constructed　with　his　own　hands　the　identical

padlock　which　so　severely　tested　the　powers　of　Mr。　Hobbs　in　1851。　　And

when　it　is　considered　that　the　lock　had　been　made　for　more　than　half

a　century；　and　did　not　embody　any　of　the　modern　improvements；　it　will

perhaps　be　regarded　not　only　as　creditable　to　the　principles　on　which

it　was　constructed；　but　to　the　workmanship　of　its　maker；　that　it

should　so　long　have　withstood　the　various　mechanical　dexterity　to

which　it　was　exposed。



Besides　the　invention　of　improved　machine…tools　for　the　manufacture

of　locks；　Maudslay　was　of　further　service　to　Bramah　in　applying　the

expedient　to　his　famous　Hydraulic　Press；　without　which　it　would

probably　have　remained　an　impracticable　though　a　highly　ingenious

machine。　　As　in　other　instances　of　great　inventions；　the　practical

success　of　the　whole　is　often　found　to　depend　upon　the　action　of　some

apparently　trifling　detail。　　This　was　especially　the　case　with　the

hydraulic　press；　to　which　Maudslay　added　the　essential　feature　of　the

self…tightening　collar；　above　described　in　the　memoir　of　Bramah。　　Mr。

James　Nasmyth　is　our　authority　for　ascribing　this　invention　to

Maudslay；　who　was　certainly　quite　competent　to　have　made　it；　and　it

is　a　matter　of　fact　that　Bramah's　specification　of　the　press　says

nothing　of　the　hollow　collar；*

　＇footnote。。。

The　words　Bramah　uses　in　describing　this　part　of　his　patent　of　1795

are　these〃The　piston　must　be　made　perfectly　watertight　by　leather

or　other　materials；　as　used　in　pump…making。〃　　He　elsewhere　speaks　of

the　piston…rod　〃working　through　the　stuffing…box。〃　　But　in　practice；

as　we　have　above　shown；　these　methods　were　found　to　be　altogether

inefficient。

　。。。＇

on　which　its　efficient　action　mainly　depends。　　Mr。　Nasmyth

says〃Maudslay　himself　told　me；　or　led　me　to　believe；　that　it　was　he

who　invented　the　self…tightening　collar　for　the　hydraulic　press；

without　which　it　would　never　have　been　a　serviceable　machine。　　As　the

self…tightening　collar　is　to　the　hydraulic　press；　so　is　the

steamblast　to　the　locomotive。　　It　is　the　one　thing　needful　that　has

made　it　effective　in　practice。　　If　Maudslay　was　the　inventor　of　the

collar；　that　one　contrivance　ought　to　immortalize　him。　　He　used　to

tell　me　of　it　with　great　gusto；　and　I　have　no　reason　to　doubt　the

correctness　of　his　statement。〃　　Whoever　really　struck　out　the　idea　of

the　collar；　displayed　the　instinct　of　the　true　inventor；　who

invariably　seeks　to　accomplish　his　object　by　the　adoption　of　the

simplest　possible　means。



During　the　time　that　Maudslay　held　the　important　office　of　manager　of

Bramah's　works；　his　highest　wages　were　not　more　than　thirty　shillings

a…week。　　He　himself　thought　that　he　was　worth　more　to　his　masteras

indeed　he　was；and　he　felt　somewhat　mortified　that　he　should　have　to

make　an　application　for　an　advance；　but　the　increasing　expenses　of

his　family　compelled　him　in　a　measure　to　do　so。　　His　application　was

refused　in　such　a　manner　as　greatly　to　hurt　his　sensitive　feelings；

and　the　result　was　that　he　threw　up　his　situation；　and　determined　to

begin　working　on　his　own　account。



His　first　start　in　business　was　in　the　year　1797；　in　a　small　workshop

and　smithy　situated　in　Wells　Street；　Oxford　Street。　　It　was　in　an

awful　state　of　dirt　and　dilapidation　when　he　became　its　tenant。　　He

entered　the　place　on　a　Friday；　but　by　the　Saturday　evening；　with　the

help　of　his　excellent　wife；　he　had　the　shop　thoroughly　cleaned；

whitewashed；　and　put　in　readiness　for　beginning　work　on　the　next

Monday　morning。　　He　had　then　the　pleasure　of　hearing　the　roar　of　his

own　forge…fire；　and　the　cheering　ring　of　the　hammer　on　his　own　anvil；

and　great　was　the　pride　he　felt　in　standing　for　the　first　time　within

his　own　smithy　and　executing　orders　for　customers　on　his　own　account。

His　first　customer　was　an　artist；　who　gave　him　an　order　to　execute

the　iron　work　of　a　large　easel；　embodying　some　new　arrangements；　and

the　work　was　punctually　done　to　his　employer's　satisfaction。　　Other

orders　followed；　and　he　soon　became　fully　employed。　　His　fame　as　a

first…rate　workman　was　almost　as　great　as　that　of　his　former　master；

and　many　who　had　been　accustomed　to　do　business　with　him　at　Pimlico

followed　him　to　Wells　Street。　　Long　years　after；　the　thought　of　these

early　days　of　self…dependence　and　hard　work　used　to　set　him　in　a

glow；　and　he　would　dilate　to　his　intimate　friends　up　on　his　early

struggles　and　his　first　successes；　which　were　much　more　highly　prized

by　him　than　those　of　his　maturer　years。



With　a　true　love　of　his　craft；　Maudslay　continued　to　apply　himself；

as　he　had　done　whilst　working　as　Bramah's　foreman；　to　the　best

methods　of　ensuring　accuracy　and　finish　of　work；　so　as　in　a　measure

to　be　independent　of　the　carelessness　or　want　of　dexterity　of　the

workman。　　With　this　object　he　aimed　at　the　contrivance　of　improved

machine…tools；　which　should　be　as　much　self…acting　and

self…regulating　as　possible；　and　it　was　while　pursuing　this　study

that　he　wrought　out　the　important　mechanical　invention　with　which　his

name　is　usually　identifiedthat　of　the　Slide　Rest。　　It　continued　to

be　his　special　delight；　when　engaged　in　the　execution　of　any　piece　of

work　in　which　he　took　a　personal　interest；　to　introduce　a　system　of

identity　of　parts；　and　to　adapt　for　the　purpose　some　one　or　other　of

the　mechanical　contrivances　with　which　his　fertile　brain　was　always

teeming。　　Thus　it　was　from　his　desire　to　leave　nothing　to　the　chance

of　mere　individual　dexterity　of　hand　that　he　introduced　the　slide

rest　in　the　lathe；　and　rendered　it　one　of　the　most　important　of

machine…tools。　　The　first　device　of　this　kind　was　contrived　by　him　for

Bramah；　in　whose　shops　it　continued　in　practical　use　long　after　he

had　begun　business　for　himself。　　〃I　have　seen　the　slide　rest；〃　says

Mr。　James　Nasmyth；　〃the　first　that　Henry　Maudslay　made；　in　use　at

Messrs。　Bramah's　workshops；　and　in　it　were　all　those　arrangements

which　are　to　be　found　in　the　most　modern　slide　rest　of　our　own　day；*

　＇footnote。。。

In　this　lathe　the　slide　rest　and　frame　were　moveable　along　the

traversing…bar；　according　to　the　length　of　the　work；　and　could　be

placed　in　any　position　and　secured　by　a　handle　and　screw　underneath。

The　Rest；　however；　afterwards　underwent　many　important　modifications；

but　the　principle　of　the　whole　machine　was　there。

　。。。＇

all　of　which　are　the　legitimate　offspring　of　Maudslay's　original

rest。　　If　this　tool　be　yet　extant；　it　ought　to　be　preserved　with　the

greatest　care；　for　it　was　the　beginning　of　those　mechanical　triumphs

which　give　to　the　days　in　which　we　live　so　much　of　their

distinguishing　character。〃



A　very　few　words　of　explanation　will　serve　to　illustrate　the

importance　of　Maudslay's　invention。　　Every　person　is　familiar　with　the

uses　of　the　common　turning…lathe。　　It　is　a　favourite　machine　with

amateur　mechanics；　and　its　employment　is　indispensable　for　the

execution　of　all　kinds　of　rounded　work　in　wood　and　metal。　　Perhaps

there　is　no　contrivance　by　which　the　skill　of　the　handicraftsman　has

been　more　effectually　aided　than　by　this　machine。　　Its　origin　is　lost

in　the　shades　of　antiquity。　　Its　most　ancient　form　was　probably　the

potter's　wheel；　from　which　it　advanced；　by　successive　improvements；

to　its　present　highly　improved　form。　　It　was　found　that；　by　whatever

means　a　substance　capable　of　being　cut　could　be　made　to　revolve　with

a　circular　motion　round　a　fixed　right　line　as　a　centre；　a　cutting

tool　applied　to　its　surface　would　remove　the　inequalities　so　that　any

part　of　such　surface　should　be　equidistant　from　that　centre。　　Such　is

the　fundamental　idea　of　the　ordinary　turning…lathe。　　The　ingenuity　and

experience　of　mechanics　working　such　an　instrument　enabled　them　to

add　many　improvements　to　it；　until　the　skilful　artisan　at　length

produced　not　merely　circular　turning　of　the　most　beautiful　and

accurate　description；　but　exquisite　figure…work；　and　complicated

geometrical　designs；　depending　upon　the　cycloida