industrial biography-第66节

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reduce　the　cost　of　production；　to　improve　immensely　the　quality　of

the　manufacture；　and　to　establish　the　British　linen　trade　on　a　solid

foundation。　　The　production　of　flax…machinery　became　an　important

branch　of　manufacture　at　Leeds；　large　quantities　being　made　for　use

at　home　as　well　as　for　exportation；　giving　employment　to　an

increasing　number　of　highly　skilled　mechanics。*

　＇footnote。。。

Among　more　recent　improvers　of　flax…machinery；　the　late　Sir　Peter

Fairbairn　is　entitled　to　high　merit：　　the　work　turned　out　by　him　being

of　first…rate　excellence；　embodying　numerous　inventions　and

improvements　of　great　value　and　importance。

　。。。＇

Mr。　Murray's　faculty　for　organising　work；　perfected　by　experience；

enabled　him　also　to　introduce　many　valuable　improvements　in　the

mechanics　of　manufacturing。　　His　pre…eminent　skill　in　mill…gearing

became　generally　acknowledged；　and　the　effects　of　his　labours　are

felt　to　this　day　in　the　extensive　and　still　thriving　branches　of

industry　which　his　ingenuity　and　ability　mainly　contributed　to

establish。　　All　the　machine　tools　used　in　his　establishment　were

designed　by　himself；　and　he　was　most　careful　in　the　personal

superintendence　of　all　the　details　of　their　construction。　　Mr。　Murray

died　at　Leeds　in　1826；　in　his　sixty…third　year。



We　have　not　yet　exhausted　the　list　of　claimants　to　the　invention　of

the　Planing　Machine；　for　we　find　still　another　in　the　person　of

Richard　Roberts　of　Manchester；　one　of　the　most　prolific　of　modem

inventors。　　Mr。　Roberts　has　indeed　achieved　so　many　undisputed

inventions；　that　he　can　readily　afford　to　divide　the　honour　in　this

case　with　others。　　He　has　contrived　things　so　various　as　the

self…acting　mule　and　the　best　electro…magnet；　wet　gas…meters　and　dry

planing　machines；　iron　billard…tables　and　turret…clocks；　the

centrifugal　railway　and　the　drill　slotting…machine；　an　apparatus　for

making　cigars　and　machinery　for　the　propulsion　and　equipment　of

steamships；　so　that　he　may　almost　be　regarded　as　the　Admirable

Crichton　of　modem　mechanics。



Richard　Roberts　was　born　in　1789；　at　Carreghova　in　the　parish　of

Llanymynech。　　His　father　was　by　trade　a　shoemaker；　to　which　he

occasionally　added　the　occupation　of　toll…keeper。　　The　house　in　which

Richard　was　born　stood　upon　the　border　line　which　then　divided　the

counties　of　Salop　and　Montgomery；　the　front　door　opening　in　the　one

county；　and　the　back　door　in　the　other。　　Richard；　when　a　boy；　received

next　to　no　education；　and　as　soon　as　he　was　of　fitting　age　was　put　to

common　labouring　work。　　For　some　time　he　worked　in　a　quarry　near　his

father's　dwelling；　but　being　of　an　ingenious　turn；　he　occupied　his

leisure　in　making　various　articles　of　mechanism；　partly　for　amusement

and　partly　for　profit。　　One　of　his　first　achievements；　while　working

as　a　quarryman；　was　a　spinning…wheel；　of　which　he　was　very　proud；　for

it　was　considered　〃a　good　job。〃　　Thus　he　gradually　acquired　dexterity

in　handling　tools；　and　he　shortly　came　to　entertain　the　ambition　of

becoming　a　mechanic。



There　were　several　ironworks　in　the　neighbour　hood；　and　thither　he

went　in　search　of　employment。　　He　succeeded　in　finding　work　as　a

pattern…maker　at　Bradley；　near　Bilston；　under　John　Wilkinson；　the

famous　ironmastera　man　of　great　enterprise　as　well　as　mechanical

skill；　for　he　was　the　first　man；　as　already　stated；　that　Watt　could

find　capable　of　boring　a　cylinder　with　any　approach　to　truth；　for　the

purposes　of　his　steam…engines。　　After　acquiring　some　practical

knowledge　of　the　art　of　working　in　wood　as　well　as　iron；　Roberts

proceeded　to　Birmingham；　where　he　passed　through　different　shops；

gaining　further　experience　in　mechanical　practice。　　He　tried　his　hand

at　many　kinds　of　work；　and　acquired　considerable　dexterity　in　each。

He　was　regarded　as　a　sort　of　jack…of…all…trades；　for　he　was　a　good

turner；　a　tolerable　wheel…wright；　and　could　repair　mill…work　at　a

pinch。



He　next　moved　northward　to　the　Horsley　ironworks；　Tipton；　where　he

was　working　as　a　pattern…maker　when　he　had　the　misfortune　to　be　drawn

in　his　own　county　for　the　militia。　　He　immediately　left　his　work　and

made　his　way　homeward　to　Llanymynech；　determined　not　to　be　a　soldier

or　even　a　militiaman。　　But　home　was　not　the　place　for　him　to　rest　in；

and　after　bidding　a　hasty　adieu　to　his　father；　he　crossed　the　country

northward　on　foot　and　reached　Liverpool；　in　the　hope　of　finding　work

there。　　Failing　in　that；　he　set　out　for　Manchester　and　reached　it　at

dusk；　very　weary　and　very　miry　in　consequence　of　the　road　being　in

such　a　wretched　state　of　mud　and　ruts。　　He　relates　that；　not　knowing　a

person　in　the　town；　he　went　up　to　an　apple…stall　ostensibly　to　buy　a

pennyworth　of　apples；　but　really　to　ask　the　stall…keeper　if　he　knew

of　any　person　in　want　of　a　hand。　　Was　there　any　turner　in　the

neighbourhood？　Yes；　round　the　corner。　　Thither　he　went　at　once；　found

the　wood…turner　in；　and　was　promised　a　job　on　the　following　morning。

He　remained　with　the　turner　for　only　a　short　time；　after　which　he

found　a　job　in　Salford　at　lathe　and　tool…making。　　But　hearing　that　the

militia　warrant…officers　were　still　searching　for　him；　he　became

uneasy　and　determined　to　take　refuge　in　London。



He　trudged　all　the　way　on　foot　to　that　great　hiding…place；　and　first

tried　Holtzapffel's；　the　famous　tool…maker's；　but　failing　in　his

application　he　next　went　to　Maudslay's　and　succeeded　in　getting

employment。　　He　worked　there　for　some　time；　acquiring　much　valuable

practical　knowledge　in　the　use　of　tools；　cultivating　his　skill　by

contact　with　first…class　workmen；　and　benefiting　by　the　spirit　of

active　contrivance　which　pervaded　the　Maudslay　shops。　　His　manual

dexterity　greatly　increased；　and　his　inventive　ingenuity　fully

stimulated；　he　determined　on　making　his　way　back　to　Manchester；

which；　even　more　than　London　itself；　at　that　time　presented　abundant

openings　for　men　of　mechanical　skill。　　Hence　we　find　so　many　of　the

best　mechanics　trained　at　Maudslay's　and　Clement'sNasmyth；　Lewis；

Muir；　Roberts；　Whitworth；　and　othersshortly　rising　into　distinction

there　as　leading　mechanicians　and　tool…makers。



The　mere　enumeration　of　the　various　results　of　Mr。　Roberts's

inventive　skill　during　the　period　of　his　settlement　at　Manchester　as

a　mechanical　engineer；　would　occupy　more　space　than　we　can　well

spare。　　But　we　may　briefly　mention　a　few　of　the　more　important。　　In

1816；　while　carrying　on　business　on　his　own　account　in　Deansgate；　he

invented　his　improved　sector　for　correctly　sizing　wheels　in　blank

previously　to　their　being　cut；　which　is　still　extensively　used。　　In

the　same　year　he　invented　his　improved　screw…lathe；　and　in　the

following　year；　at　the　request　of　the　boroughreeve　and　constables　of

Manchester；　he　contrived　an　oscillating　and　rotating　wet　gas　meter　of

a　new　kind；　which　enabled　them　to　sell　gas　by　measure。　　This　was　the

first　meter　in　which　a　water　lute　was　applied　to　prevent　the　escape

of　gas　by　the　index　shaft；　the　want　of　which；　as　well　as　its　great

complexity；　had　prevented　the　only　other　gas　meter　then　in　existence

from　working　satisfactorily。　　The　water　lute　was　immediately　adopted

by　the　patentee　of　that　meter。　　The　planing　machine；　though　claimed；

as　we　have　seen；　by　many　inventors；　was　constructed　by　Mr。　Roberts

after　an　original　plan　of　his　own　in　1817；　and　became　the　tool　most

generally　employed　in　mechanical　workshopsacting　by　means　of　a

chain　and　rackthough　it　has　since　been　superseded　to　some　extent　by

the　planing　machine　of　Whitworth；　which　works　both　ways　upon　an

endless　screw。　　Improvements　followed　in　the　slide…lathe　（giving　a

large　range　of　speed　with　increased　diameters　for　the　same　size　of

headstocks；　&c。）；　in　the　wheel…cutting　engine；　in　the　scale…beam　（by

which；　with　a　load　of　2　oz。　　on　each　end；　the　fifteen…hundredth　part

of　a　grain　could　be　indicated）；　in　the　broaching…machine；　the

slotting…machine；　and　other　engines。



But　the　inventions　by　which　his　fame　became　most　extensively　known

arose　out　of　circumstances　connected　with　the　cotton　manufactures　of

Manchester　and　the　neighbourhood。　　The　great　improvements　which　he

introduced　in　the　machine　for　making　weavers'　reeds；　led　to　the

formation　of　the　firm　of　Sharp；　Roberts；　and　Co。；　of　which　Mr。

Roberts　was　the　acting　mechanical　partner　for　many　years。　　Not　less

important　were　his　improvements　in　power…looms　for　weaving　fustians；

which　were　extensively　adopted。　　But　by　far　the　most　famous　of　his

inventions　was　unquestionably　his　Self…acting　Mule；　one　of　the　most

elaborate　and　beautiful　pieces　of　machinery　ever　contrived。　　Before

its　invention；　the　working　of　the　entire　machinery　of　the

cotton…mill；　as　well　as　the　employment　of　the　piecers；　cleaners；　and

other　classes　of　operatives；　depended　upon　the　spinners；　who；　though

receiving　the　highest　rates　of　pay；　were　by　much　the　most　given　to

strikes；　and　they　were　frequently　accustomed　to　turn　out　in　times

when　trade　was　brisk；　thereby　bringi