industrial biography-第68节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



years　since　Mr。　Roberts　added　a　useful　companion　to　the　Jacquard

punching　machine；　in　his　combined　self…acting　machine　for　shearing

iron　and　punching　both　webs　of　angle　or　T　iron　simultaneously　to　any

required　pitch；　though　this　machine；　like　others　which　have　proceeded

from　his　fertile　brain；　is　ahead　even　of　this　fast…manufacturing　age；

and　has　not　yet　come　into　general　use；　but　is　certain　to　do　so　before

many　years　have　elapsed。



These　inventions　were　surely　enough　for　one　man　to　have　accomplished；

but　we　have　not　yet　done。　　The　mere　enumeration　of　his　other

inventions　would　occupy　several　pages。　　We　shall　merely　allude　to　a

few　of　them。　　One　was　his　Turret　Clock；　for　which　he　obtained　the

medal　at　the　Great　Exhibition　of　1851。　　Another　was　his　Prize

Electro…Magnet　of　1845。　　When　this　subject　was　first　mentioned　to　him；

he　said　he　did　not　know　anything　of　the　theory　or　practice　of

electro…magnetism；　but　he　would　try　and　find　out。　　The　result　of　his

trying　was　that　he　won　the　prize　for　the　most　powerful

electro…magnet：　　one　is　placed　in　the　museum　at　Peel　Park；　Manchester；

and　another　with　the　Scottish　Society　of　Arts；　Edinburgh。　　In　1846　he

perfected　an　American　invention　for　making　cigars　by　machinery；

enabling　a　boy；　working　one　of　his　cigar…engines；　to　make　as　many　as

5000　in　a　day。　　In　1852　he　patented　improvements　in　the　construction；

propelling；　and　equipment　of　steamships；　which　have；　we　believe；　been

adopted　to　a　certain　extent　by　the　Admiralty；　and　a　few　years　later；

in　1855；　we　find　him　presenting　the　Secretary　of　War　with　plans　of

elongated　rifle　projectiles　to　be　used　in　smooth…bore　ordnance　with　a

view　to　utilize　the　old…pattern　gun。　　His　head；　like　many　inventors　of

the　time；　being　full　of　the　mechanics　of　war；　he　went　so　far　as　to

wait　upon　Louis　Napoleon；　and　laid　before　him　a　plan　by　which

Sebastopol　was　to　be　blown　down。　　In　short；　upon　whatever　subject　he

turned　his　mind；　he　left　the　impress　of　his　inventive　faculty。　　If　it

was　imperfect；　he　improved　it；　if　incapable　of　improvement；　and

impracticable；　he　invented　something　entirely　new；　superseding　it

altogether。　　But　with　all　his　inventive　genius；　in　the　exercise　of

which　Mr。　Roberts　has　so　largely　added　to　the　productive　power　of　the

country；　we　regret　to　say　that　he　is　not　gifted　with　the　commercial

faculty。　　He　has　helped　others　in　their　difficulties；　but　forgotten

himself。　　Many　have　profited　by　his　inventions；　without　even

acknowledging　the　obligations　which　they　owed　to　him。　　They　have　used

his　brains　and　copied　his　tools；　and　the　〃sucked　orange〃　is　all　but

forgotten。　　There　may　have　been　a　want　of　worldly　wisdom　on　his　part；

but　it　is　lamentable　to　think　that　one　of　the　most　prolific　and

useful　inventors　of　his　time　should　in　his　old　age　be　left　to　fight

with　poverty。



Mr。　Whitworth　is　another　of　the　first…class　tool…makers　of　Manchester

who　has　turned　to　excellent　account　his　training　in　the　workshops　of

Maudslay　and　Clement。　　He　has　carried　fully　out　the　system　of

uniformity　in　Screw　Threads　which　they　initiated；　and　he　has　still

further　improved　the　mechanism　of　the　planing　machine；　enabling　it　to

work　both　backwards　and　forwards　by　means　of　a　screw　and　roller

motion。　　His　〃Jim　Crow　Machine；〃　so　called　from　its　peculiar　motion　in

reversing　itself　and　working　both　ways；　is　an　extremely　beautiful

tool；　adapted　alike　for　horizontal；　vertical；　or　angular　motions。　　The

minute　accuracy　of　Mr。　Whitworth's　machines　is　not　the　least　of　their

merits；　and　nothing　will　satisfy　him　short　of　perfect　truth。　　At　the

meeting　of　the　Institute　of　Mechanical　Engineers　at　Glasgow　in　1856

he　read　a　paper　on　the　essential　importance　of　possessing　a　true

plane　as　a　standard　of　reference　in　mechanical　constructions；　and　he

described　elaborately　the　true　method　of　securing　it；namely；　by

scraping；　instead　of　by　the　ordinary　process　of　grinding。　　At　the　same

meeting　he　exhibited　a　machine　of　his　invention　by　which　he　stated

that　a　difference　of　the　millionth　part　of　an　inch　in　length　could　at

once　be　detected。　　He　also　there　urged　his　favourite　idea　of

uniformity；　and　proper　gradations　of　size　of　parts；　in　all　the

various　branches　of　the　mechanical　arts；　as　a　chief　means　towards

economy　of　productiona　principle；　as　he　showed；　capable　of　very

extensive　application。　　To　show　the　progress　of　tools　and　machinery　in

his　own　time；　Mr。　Whitworth　cited　the　fact　that　thirty　years　since

the　cost　of　labour　for　making　a　surface　of　cast…iron　trueone　of　the

most　important　operations　in　mechanicsby　chipping　and　filing　by　the

hand；　was　12s。　a　square　foot；　whereas　it　is　now　done　by　the　planing

machine　at　a　cost　for　labour　of　less　than　a　penny。　　Then　in　machinery；

pieces　of　74　reed　printing…cotton　cloth　of　29　yards　each　could　not　be

produced　at　less　cost　than　30s。　6d。　per　piece；　whereas　the　same

description　is　now　sold　for　3s。　9d。　　Mr。　Whitworth　has　been　among　the

most　effective　workers　in　this　field　of　improvement；　his　tools　taking

the　first　place　in　point　of　speed；　accuracy；　and　finish　of　work；　in

which　respects　they　challenge　competition　with　the　world。　　Mr。

Whitworth　has　of　late　years　been　applying　himself　with　his　accustomed

ardour　to　the　development　of　the　powers　of　rifled　guns　and

projectiles；a　branch　of　mechanical　science　in　which　he　confessedly

holds　a　foremost　place；　and　in　perfecting　which　he　is　still　occupied。





CHAPTER　XV。



JAMES　NASMYTH。



　　　　　　　　〃By　Hammer　and　Hand

　　　　　　　　　All　Arts　doth　stand。〃

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Hammermen's　Motto。





The　founder　Of　the　Scotch　family　of　Naesmyth　is　said　to　have　derived

his　name　from　the　following　circumstance。　　In　the　course　of　the　feuds

which　raged　for　some　time　between　the　Scotch　kings　and　their　powerful

subjects　the　Earls　of　Douglas；　a　rencontre　took　place　one　day　on　the

outskirts　of　a　Border　village；　when　the　king's　adherents　were

worsted。　　One　of　them　took　refuge　in　the　village　smithy；　where；

hastily　disguising　himself；　and　donning　a　spare　leathern　apron；　he

pretended　to　be　engaged　in　assisting　the　smith　with　his　work；　when　a

party　of　the　Douglas　followers　rushed　in。　　They　glanced　at　the

pretended　workman　at　the　anvil；　and　observed　him　deliver　a　blow　upon

it　so　unskilfully　that　the　hammer…shaft　broke　in　his　hand。　　On　this

one　of　the　Douglas　men　rushed　at　him；　calling　out；　〃Ye're　nae　smyth！〃

The　assailed　man　seized　his　sword；　which　lay　conveniently　at　hand；

and　defended　himself　so　vigorously　that　he　shortly　killed　his

assailant；　while　the　smith　brained　another　with　his　hammer；　and；　a

party　of　the　king's　men　having　come　to　their　help；　the　rest　were

speedily　overpowered。　　The　royal　forces　then　rallied；　and　their

temporary　defeat　was　converted　into　a　victory。　　The　king　bestowed　a

grant　of　land　on　his　follower　〃Nae　Smyth；〃　who　assumed　for　his　arms　a

sword　between　two　hammers　with　broken　shafts；　and　the　motto　〃Non　arte

sed　Marte；〃　as　if　to　disclaim　the　art　of　the　Smith；　in　which　he　had

failed；　and　to　emphasize　the　superiority　of　the　warrior。　　Such　is　said

to　be　the　traditional　origin　of　the　family　of　Naesmyth　of　Posso　in

Peeblesshire；　who　continue　to　bear　the　same　name　and　arms。



It　is　remarkable　that　the　inventor　of　the　steam…hammer　should　have　so

effectually　contradicted　the　name　he　bears　and　reversed　the　motto　of

his　family；　for　so　far　from　being　〃Nae　Smyth；〃　he　may　not

inappropriately　be　designated　the　very　Vulcan　of　the　nineteenth

century。　　His　hammer　is　a　tool　of　immense　power　and　pliancy；　but　for

which　we　must　have　stopped　short　in　many　of　those　gigantic

engineering　works　which　are　among　the　marvels　of　the　age　we　live　in。

It　possesses　so　much　precision　and　delicacy　that　it　will　chip　the　end

of　an　egg　resting　in　a　glass　on　the　anvil　without　breaking　it；　while

it　delivers　a　blow　of　ten　tons　with　such　a　force　as　to　be　felt

shaking　the　parish。　　It　is　therefore　with　a　high　degree　of

appropriateness　that　Mr。　Nasmyth　has　discarded　the　feckless　hammer

with　the　broken　shaft；　and　assumed　for　his　emblem　his　own　magnificent

steam…hammer；　at　the　same　time　reversing　the　family　motto；　which　he

has　converted　into　〃Non　Marte　sed　Arte。〃



James　Nasmyth　belongs　to　a　family　whose　genius　in　art　has　long　been

recognised。　　His　father；　Alexander　Nasmyth　of　Edinburgh；　was　a

landscape…painter　of　great　eminence；　whose　works　are　sometimes

confounded　with　those　of　his　son　Patrick；　called　the　English　Hobbema；

though　his　own　merits　are　peculiar　and　distinctive。　　The　elder　Nasmyth

was　also　an　admirable　portrait　painter；　as　his　head　of　Burnsthe

best　ever　painted　of　the　poetbears　ample　witness。　　His　daughters；

the　Misses　Nasmyth；　were　highly　skilled　painters　of　landscape；　and

their　works　are　well　known　and　much　prized。　　James；　the　youngest　of

the　family；　inherits　the　same　love　of　art；　though　his　name　is　more

extensively　known　as　a　worker　and　inventor　in　iron。　　He　was　born　at

Edinburgh；　on　the　19th　of　August；　1808；　and　his　attention　was　early