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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

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