industrial biography-第54节

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In　turning　a　piece　of　work　on　the　old…fashioned　lathe；　the　workman

applied　and　guided　his　tool　by　means　of　muscular　strength。　　The　work

was　made　to　revolve；　and　the　turner；　holding　the　cutting　tool　firmly

upon　the　long；　straight；　guiding　edge　of　the　rest；　along　which　he

carried　it；　and　pressing　its　point　firmly　against　the　article　to　be

turned；　was　thus　enabled　to　reduce　its　surface　to　the　required　size

and　shape。　　Some　dexterous　turners　were　able；　with　practice　and

carefulness；　to　execute　very　clever　pieces　of　work　by　this　simple

means。　　But　when　the　article　to　be　turned　was　of　considerable　size；

and　especially　when　it　was　of　metal；　the　expenditure　of　muscular

strength　was　so　great　that　the　workman　soon　became　exhausted。　　The

slightest　variation　in　the　pressure　of　the　tool　led　to　an

irregularity　of　surface；　and　with　the　utmost　care　on　the　workman's

part；　he　could　not　avoid　occasionally　cutting　a　little　too　deep；　in

consequence　of　which　he　must　necessarily　go　over　the　surface　again；

to　reduce　the　whole　to　the　level　of　that　accidentally　cut　too　deep；

and　thus　possibly　the　job　would　be　altogether　spoiled　by　the　diameter

of　the　article　under　operation　being　made　too　small　for　its　intended

purpose。



The　introduction　of　the　slide　rest　furnished　a　complete　remedy　for

this　source　of　imperfection。　　The　principle　of　the　invention　consists

in　constructing　and　fitting　the　rest　so　that；　instead　of　being

screwed　down　to　one　place；　and　the　tool　in　the　hands　of　the　workman

travelling　over　it；　the　rest　shall　itself　hold　the　cutting　tool

firmly　fixed　in　it；　and　slide　along　the　surface　of　the　bench　in　a

direction　exactly　parallel　with　the　axis　of　the　work。　　Before　its

invention　various　methods　had　been　tried　with　the　object　of　enabling

the　work　to　be　turned　true　independent　of　the　dexterity　of　the

workman。　　Thus；　a　square　steel　cutter　used　to　be　firmly　fixed　in　a

bed；　along　which　it　was　wedged　from　point　to　point　of　the　work；　and

tolerable　accuracy　was　in　this　way　secured。　　But　the　slide　rest　was

much　more　easily　managed；　and　the　result　was　much　more　satisfactory。

All　that　the　workman　had　to　do；　after　the　tool　was　firmly　fitted　into

the　rest；　was　merely　to　turn　a　screw…handle；　and　thus　advance　the

cutter　along　the　face　of　the　work　as　required；　with　an　expenditure　of

strength　so　slight　as　scarcely　to　be　appreciable。　　And　even　this

labour　has　now　been　got　rid　of；　for；　by　an　arrangement　of　the

gearing；　the　slide　itself　has　been　made　self…acting；　and　advances

with　the　revolution　of　the　work　in　the　lathe；　which　thus　supplies　the

place　of　the　workman's　hand。　　The　accuracy　of　the　turning　done　by　this

beautiful　yet　simple　arrangement　is　as　mechanically　perfect　as　work

can　be。　　The　pair　of　steel　fingers　which　hold　the　cutting　tool　firmly

in　their　grasp　never　tire；　and　it　moves　along　the　metal　to　be　cut

with　an　accuracy　and　precision　which　the　human　hand；　however　skilled；

could　never　equal。



The　effects　of　the　introduction　of　the　slide　rest　were　very　shortly

felt　in　all　departments　of　mechanism。　　Though　it　had　to　encounter　some

of　the　ridicule　with　which　new　methods　of　working　are　usually

received；　and　for　a　time　was　spoken　of　in　derision　as　〃Maudslay's

Go…cart；〃its　practical　advantages　were　so　decided　that　it　gradually

made　its　way；　and　became　an　established　tool　in　all　the　best

mechanical　workshops。　　It　was　found　alike　capable　of　executing　the

most　delicate　and　the　most　ponderous　pieces　of　machinery；　and　as

slide…lathes　could　be　manufactured　to　any　extent；　machinery；

steam…engines；　and　all　kinds　of　metal　work　could　now　be　turned　out　in

a　quantity　and　at　a　price　that；　but　for　its　use；　could　never　have

been　practicable。　　In　course　of　time　various　modifications　of　the

machine　were　introducedsuch　as　the　planing　machine；　the

wheel…cutting　machine；　and　other　beautiful　tools　on　the　slide…rest

principle；the　result　of　which　has　been　that　extraordinary

development　of　mechanical　production　and　power　which　is　so

characteristic　a　feature　of　the　age　we　live　in。



〃It　is　not；　indeed；　saying　at　all　too　much　to　state；〃　says　Mr。

Nasmyth；*

　＇footnote。。。

Remarks　on　the　Introduction　of　the　Slide　Principle　in　Tools　and

Machines　employed　in　the　Production　of　Machinery；　in　Buchanan's

Practical　Essays　on　Mill　Work　and　other　Machinery。　　3rd　ed。　p。　397。

　。。。＇

a　most　competent　judge　in　such　a　matter；　〃that　its　influence　in

improving　and　extending　the　use　of　machinery　has　been　as　great　as

that　produced　by　the　improvement　of　the　steam…engine　in　respect　to

perfecting　manufactures　and　extending　commerce；　inasmuch　as　without

the　aid　of　the　vast　accession　to　our　power　of　producing　perfect

mechanism　which　it　at　once　supplied；　we　could　never　have　worked　out

into　practical　and　profitable　forms　the　conceptions　of　those　master

minds　who；　during　the　last　half　century；　have　so　successfully

pioneered　the　way　for　mankind。　　The　steam…engine　itself；　which

supplies　us　with　such　unbounded　power；　owes　its　present　perfection　to

this　most　admirable　means　of　giving　to　metallic　objects　the　most

precise　and　perfect　geometrical　forms。　　How　could　we；　for　instance；

have　good　steam…engines　if　we　had　not　the　means　of　boring　out　a　true

cylinder；　or　turning　a　true　piston…rod；　or　planing　a　valve　face？　It

is　this　alone　which　has　furnished　us　with　the　means　of　carrying　into

practice　the　accumulated　result's　of　scientific　investigation　on

mechanical　subjects。　　It　would　be　blamable　indeed；〃　continues　Mr。

Nasmyth；　〃after　having　endeavoured　to　set　forth　the　vast　advantages

which　have　been　conferred　on　the　mechanical　world；　and　therefore　on

mankind　generally；　by　the　invention　and　introduction　of　the　Slide

Rest；　were　I　to　suppress　the　name　of　that　admirable　individual　to

whom　we　are　indebted　for　this　powerful　agent　towards　the　attainment

of　mechanical　perfection。　　I　allude　to　Henry　Maudslay；　whose　useful

life　was　enthusiastically　devoted　to　the　grand　object　of　improving

our　means　of　producing　perfect　workmanship　and　machinery：　　to　him　we

are　certainly　indebted　for　the　slide　rest；　and；　consequently；　to　say

the　least；　we　are　indirectly　so　for　the　vast　benefits　which　have

resulted　from　the　introduction　of　so　powerful　an　agent　in　perfecting

our　machinery　and　mechanism　generally。　　The　indefatigable　care　which

he　took　in　inculcating　and　diffusing　among　his　workmen；　and

mechanical　men　generally；　sound　ideas　of　practical　knowledge　and

refined　views　of　construction；　have　rendered　and　ever　will　continue

to　render　his　name　identified　with　all　that　is　noble　in　the　ambition

of　a　lover　of　mechanical　perfection。〃



One　of　the　first　uses　to　which　Mr。　Maudslay　applied　the　improved

slide　rest；　which　he　perfected　shortly　after　beginning　business　in

Margaret　Street；　Cavendish　Square；　was　in　executing　the　requisite

tools　and　machinery　required　by　Mr。　（afterwards　Sir　Marc　Isambard）

Brunel　for　manufacturing　ships'　blocks。　　The　career　of　Brunel　was　of　a

more　romantic　character　than　falls　to　the　ordinary　lot　of　mechanical

engineers。　　His　father　was　a　small　farmer　and　postmaster；　at　the

village　of　Hacqueville；　in　Normandy；　where　Marc　Isambard　was　born　in

1769。　　He　was　early　intended　for　a　priest；　and　educated　accordingly。

But　he　was　much　fonder　of　the　carpenter's　shop　than　of　the　school；

and　coaxing；　entreaty；　and　punishment　alike　failed　in　making　a

hopeful　scholar　of　him。　　He　drew　faces　and　plans　until　his　father　was

almost　in　despair。　　Sent　to　school　at　Rouen；　his　chief　pleasure　was　in

watching　the　ships　along　the　quays；　and　one　day　his　curiosity　was

excited　by　the　sight　of　some　large　iron　castings　just　landed。　　What

were　they？　How　had　they　been　made？　Where　did　they　come　from？　His

eager　inquiries　were　soon　answered。　　They　were　parts　of　an　engine

intended　for　the　great　Paris　water…works；　the　engine　was　to　pump

water　by　the　power　of　steam；　and　the　castings　had　been　made　in

England；　and　had　just　been　landed　from　an　English　ship。　　〃England！〃

exclaimed　the　boy；　〃ah！　when　I　am　a　man　I　will　go　see　the　country

where　such　grand　machines　are　made！〃　On　one　occasion；　seeing　a　new

tool　in　a　cutler's　window；　he　coveted　it　so　much　that　he　pawned　his

hat　to　possess　it。　　This　was　not　the　right　road　to　the　priesthood；　and

his　father　soon　saw　that　it　was　of　no　use　urging　him　further：　　but　the

boy's　instinct　proved　truer　than　the　father's　judgment。



It　was　eventually　determined　that　he　should　qualify　himself　to　enter

the　royal　navy；　and　at　seventeen　he　was　nominated　to　serve　in　a

corvette　as　〃volontaire　d'honneur。〃　　His　ship　was　paid　off　in　1792；

and　he　was　at　Paris　during　the　trial　of　the　King。　　With　the

incautiousness　of　youth　he　openly　avowed　his　royalist　opinions　in　the

cafe　which　he　frequented。　　On　the　very　day　that　Louis　was　condemned

to　death；　Brunel　had　an　angry　altercation　with　some

ultra…republicans；　after　which　he　called　to　his　dog；　〃Viens；

citoyen！〃　　Scowling　looks　were　turned　upon　him；　and　he　deemed　it

expedient　to　take　the　first　opportu