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第71节

industrial biography-第71节

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occasion; where the forging required the most powerful blow; it

received next to no blow at all;the clear space for fall being

almost entirely occupied by the work on the anvil。



The obvious remedy was to invent some method; by which a block of

iron should be lifted to a sufficient height above the object on

which it was desired to strike a blow; and let the block fall down

upon the work;guiding it in its descent by such simple means as

should give the required precision in the percussive action of the

falling mass。  Following out this idea; Mr。 Nasmyth at once sketched

on paper his steam…hammer; having it clearly before him in his mind's

eye a few minutes after receiving Mr。 Humphries' letter narrating his

unlooked…for difficulty。  The hammer; as thus sketched; consisted of;

first an anvil on which to rest the work; second; a block of iron

constituting the hammer or blow…giving part; third; an inverted

steam…cylinder to whose piston…rod the block was attached。  All that

was then required to produce by such means a most effective hammer;

was simply to admit steam in the cylinder so as to act on the under

side of the piston; and so raise the block attached to the

piston…rod; and by a simple contrivance to let the steam escape and

so permit the block rapidly to descend by its own gravity upon the

work then on the anvil。  Such; in a few words; is the rationale of the

steam…hammer。



By the same day's post; Mr。 Nasmyth wrote to Mr。 Humphries; inclosing

a sketch of the invention by which he proposed to forge the 〃Great

Britain〃 paddle…shaft。  Mr。 Humphries showed it to Mr。 Brunel; the

engineer…inchief of the company; to Mr。 Guppy; the managing director;

and to others interested in the undertaking; by all of whom it was

heartily approved。  Mr。 Nasmyth gave permission to communicate his

plans to such forge proprietors as might feel disposed to erect such

a hammer to execute the proposed work;the only condition which he

made being; that in the event of his hammer being adopted; he was to

be allowed to supply it according to his own design。



The paddle…shaft of the 〃Great Britain〃 was; however; never forged。

About that time; the substitution of the Screw for the Paddle…wheel

as a means of propulsion of steam…vessels was attracting much

attention; and the performances of the 〃Archimedes〃 were so

successful as to induce Mr。 Brunel to recommend his Directors to

adopt the new power。  They yielded to his entreaty。  The great engines

which Mr。 Humphries had designed were accordingly set aside; and he

was required to produce fresh designs of engines suited for screw

propulsion。  The result was fatal to Mr。 Humphries。  The labour; the

anxiety; and perhaps the disappointment; proved too much for him; and

a brain…fever carried him off; so that neither his great paddle…shaft

nor Mr。 Nasmyth's steam…hammer to forge it was any longer needed。



The hammer was left to bide its time。  No forge…master would take it

up。  The inventor wrote to all the great firms; urging its superiority

to every other tool for working malleable iron into all kinds of

forge work。  Thus he wrote and sent illustrative sketches of his

hammer to Accramans and Morgan of Bristol; to the late Benjamin Hick

and Rushton and Eckersley of Bolton; to Howard and Ravenhill of

Rotherhithe; and other firms; but unhappily bad times for the iron

trade had set in; and although all to whom he communicated his design

were much struck with its simplicity and obvious advantages; the

answer usually given was〃We have not orders enough to keep in

work the forge…hammers we already have; and we do not desire at

present to add any new ones; however improved。〃  At that time no

patent had been taken out for the invention。  Mr。 Nasmyth had not yet

saved money enough to enable him to do so on his own account; and his

partner declined to spend money upon a tool that no engineer would

give the firm an order for。  No secret was made of the invention; and;

excepting to its owner; it did not seem to be worth one farthing。



Such was the unpromising state of affairs; when M。 Schneider; of the

Creusot Iron Works in France; called at the Patricroft works together

with his practical mechanic M。 Bourdon; for the purpose of ordering

some tools of the firm。  Mr。 Nasmyth was absent on a journey at the

time; but his partner; Mr。 Gaskell; as an act of courtesy to the

strangers; took the opportunity of showing them all that was new and

interesting in regard to mechanism about the works。  And among other

things; Mr。 Gaskell brought out his partner's sketch or 〃Scheme

book;〃 which lay in a drawer in the office; and showed them the

design of the Steam Hammer; which no English firm would adopt。  They

were much struck with its simplicity and practical utility; and M。

Bourdon took careful note of its arrangements。  Mr。 Nasmyth on his

return was informed of the visit of MM。 Schneider and Bourdon; but

the circumstance of their having inspected the design of his

steam…hammer seems to have been regarded by his partner as too

trivial a matter to be repeated to him; and he knew nothing of the

circumstance until his visit to France in April; 1840。  When passing

through the works at Creusot with M。 Bourdon; Mr。 Nasmyth saw a crank

shaft of unusual size; not only forged in the piece; but punched。  He

immediately asked; 〃How did you forge that shaft?〃  M。 Bourdon's

answer was; 〃Why; with your hammer; to be sure!〃  Great indeed was

Nasmyth's surprise; for he had never yet seen the hammer; except in

his own drawing!  A little explanation soon cleared all up。  M。 Bourdon

said he had been so much struck with the ingenuity and simplicity of

the arrangement; that he had no sooner returned than he set to work;

and had a hammer made in general accordance with the design Mr。

Gaskell had shown him; and that its performances had answered his

every expectation。  He then took Mr。 Nasmyth to see the steam…hammer;

and great was his delight at seeing the child of his brain in full

and active work。  It was not; according to Mr。 Nasmyth's ideas; quite

perfect; and he readily suggested several improvements; conformable

with the original design; which M。 Bourdon forthwith adopted。



On reaching England; Mr。 Nasmyth at once wrote to his partner telling

him what he had seen; and urging that the taking out of a patent for

the protection of the invention ought no longer to be deferred。  But

trade was still very much depressed; and as the Patricroft firm

needed all their capital to carry on their business; Mr。 Gaskell

objected to lock any of it up in engineering novelties。  Seeing

himself on the brink of losing his property in the invention; Mr。

Nasmyth applied to his brother…in…law; William Bennett; Esq。; who

advanced him the requisite money for the purposeabout 280L。;

and the patent was secured in June 1840。  The first hammer; of 30

cwt。; was made for the Patricroft works; with the consent of the

partners; and in the course of a few weeks it was in full work。  The

precision and beauty of its actionthe perfect ease with which it

was managed; and the untiring force of its percussive blowswere

the admiration of all who saw it; and from that moment the

steam…hammer became a recognised power in modern mechanics。  The

variety or gradation of its blows was such; that it was found

practicable to manipulate a hammer of ten tons as easily as if it had

only been of ten ounces weight。  It was under such complete control

that while descending with its greatest momentum; it could be

arrested at any point with even greater ease than any instrument used

by hand。  While capable of forging an Armstrong hundred…pounder; or

the sheet…anchor for a ship of the line; it could hammer a nail; or

crack a nut without bruising the kernel。  When it came into general

use; the facilities which it afforded for executing all kinds of

forging had the effect of greatly increasing the quantity of work

done; at the same time that expense was saved。  The cost of making

anchors was reduced by at least 50 per cent。; while the quality of

the forging was improved。  Before its invention the manufacture of a

shaft of l5 or 20cwt。  required the concentrated exertions of a large

establishment; and its successful execution was regarded as a great

triumph of skill。; whereas forgings of 20 and 30 tons weight are now

things of almost every…day occurrence。  Its advantages were so

obvious; that its adoption soon became general; and in the course of

a few years Nasmyth steam…hammers were to be found in every

well…appointed workshop both at home and abroad。  Many modifications

have been made in the tool; by Condie; Morrison; Naylor; Rigby; and

others; but Nasmyth's was the father of them all; and still holds its

ground。*

 'footnote。。。

Mr。 Nasmyth has lately introduced; with the assistance of Mr。 Wilson

of the Low Moor Iron Works; a new; exceedingly ingenious; and very

simple contrivance for working the hammer。

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