an autobiography-第50节

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er　receiving　Mr。　Humphries'　letter　narrating　his　unlooked…for　difficulty；　I　had　the　whole　contrivance　in　all　its　executant　details；　before　me　in　a　page　of　my　Scheme　Book；　a　reduced　photographed　copy　of　which　I　append　to　this　description。　The　date　of　this　first　drawing　was　the　24th　November；　1839。

＇Image＇　　First　drawing　of　steam　hammer；　24th　Nov。　　1839

My　Steam　Hammer　as　thus　first　sketched；　consisted　of；　first；　a　massive　anvil　on　which　to　rest　the　work；　second；　a　block　of　iron　constituting　the　hammer　or　blow…giving　portion；　and；　third；　an　inverted　steam　cylinder　to　whose　piston…rod　the　hammer…block　was　attached。　All　that　was　then　required　to　produce　a　most　effective　hammer　was　simply　to　admit　steam　of　sufficient　pressure　into　the　cylinder；　so　as　to　act　on　the　under…side　of　the　piston；　and　thus　to　raise　the　hammer…block　attached　to　the　end　of　the　piston　rod。　　By　a　very　simple　arrangement　of　a　slide　valve；　under　the　control　of　all　attendant；　the　steam　was　allowed　to　escape　and　thus　permit　the　massive　block　of　iron　rapidly　to　descend　by　its　own　gravity　upon　the　work　then　upon　the　anvil。

Thus；　by　the　more　or　less　rapid　manner　in　which　the　attendant　allowed　the　steam　to　enter　or　escape　from　the　cylinder；　any　required　number　or　any　intensity　of　blows　could　be　delivered。　　Their　succession　might　be　modified　in　an　instant。　　The　hammer　might　be　arrested　and　suspended　according　to　the　requirements　of　the　work。　　The　workman　might　thus；　as　it　were；　think　in　blows。　　He　might　deal　them　out　on　to　the　ponderous　glowing　mass；　and　mould　or　knead　it　into　the　desired　form　as　if　it　were　a　lump　of　clay；　or　pat　it　with　gentle　taps　according　to　his　will；　or　at　the　desire　of　the　forgeman。

Rude　and　rapidly　sketched　out　as　it　was；　this；　my　first　delineation　of　the　steam　hammer；　will　be　found　to　comprise　all　the　essential　elements　of　the　invention。　　Every　detail　of　the　drawing　retains　to　this　day　the　form　and　arrangement　which　I　gave　to　it　forty…three　years　ago。　I　believed　that　the　steam　hammer　would　prove　practically　successful；　and　I　looked　forward　to　its　general　employment　in　the　forging　of　heavy　masses　of　iron。　　It　is　no　small　gratification　to　me　now；　when　I　look　over　my　rude　and　hasty　first　sketch；　to　find　that　I　hit　the　mark　so　exactly；　not　only　in　the　general　structure　but　in　the　details；　and　that　the　invention　as　I　then　conceived　it　and　put　it　into　shape；　still　retains　its　form　and　arrangements　intact　in　the　thousands　of　steam　hammers　that　are　now　doing　good　service　in　the　mechanical　arts　throughout　the　civilised　world。

But　to　return　to　my　correspondence　with　the　Great　Western　Steamship　Company。　　I　wrote　at　once　to　Mr。　Humphries；　and　sent　him　a　sketch　of　my　proposed　steam　hammer。　　I　told　him　that　I　felt　assured　he　would　now　be　able　to　overcome　his　difficulty；　and　that　the　paddle…shaft　of　the　Great　Britain　might　now　be　forged。　　Mr。　Humphries　was　delighted　with　my　design。　　He　submitted　it　to　Mr。　Brunel；　engineer…in…chief　of　the　steamship：　　to　Mr。　Guppy；　the　managing　director；　and　to　other　persons　interested　in　the　undertaking；by　all　of　whom　it　was　heartily　approved。　　I　accordingly　gave　the　Company　permission　to　communicate　my　design　to　such　forge　proprietors　as　might　feel　disposed　to　erect　the　steam　hammer；　the　only　condition　that　I　made　being；　that　in　the　event　of　its　being　adopted　I　was　to　be　allowed　to　supply　it　in　accordance　with　my　design。

But　the　paddle…shaft　of　the　Great　Britain　was　never　forged。　　About　that　time　the　substitution　of　the　Screw　for　the　paddle…wheel　as　a　means　of　propulsion　was　attracting　much　attention。　　The　performances　of　the　Archimedes；　as　arranged　by　Mr。　Francis　P。　Smith；　were　so　satisfactory　that　Mr。　Brunel；　after　he　had　made　an　excursion　in　that　vessel；　recommended　the　directors　to　adopt　the　new　propelling　power。　After　much　discussion；　they　yielded　to　his　strongly…urged　advice。　　The　consequence　was；　that　the　great　engines　which　Mr。　Humphries　had　so　elaborately　designed；　and　which　were　far　advanced　in　construction；　were　given　up；　to　his　inexpressible　regret　and　mortification；　as　he　had　pinned　his　highest　hopes　as　a　practical　engineer　on　the　results　of　their　performance。　　And；　to　crown　his　distress；　he　was　ordered　to　produce　fresh　designs　of　engines　specially　suited　for　screw　propulsion。　Mr。　Humphries　was　a　man　of　the　most　sensitive　and　sanguine　constitution　of　mind。　　The　labour　and　the　anxiety　which　he　had　already　undergone；　and　perhaps　the　disappointment　of　his　hopes；　proved　too　much　for　him；　and　a　brain　fever　carried　him　off　after　a　few　days'　illness。　There　was　thus；　for　a　time；　an　end　of　the　steam　hammer　required　for　forging　the　paddle…shaft　of　the　Great　Britain。

Very　bad　times　for　the　iron…trade；　and　for　all　mechanical　undertakings；　set　in　about　this　time。　　A　wide…spread　depression　affected　all　conditions　of　industry　Although　I　wrote　to　the　heads　of　all　the　great　firms；　urging　the　importance　of　my　invention；　and　forwarding　designs　of　my　steam　hammer；　I　was　unable　to　obtain　a　single　order。　　It　is　true；　they　cordially　approved　of　my　plan；　and　were　greatly　struck　by　its　simplicity；　unity；　and　apparent　power。*　　＇footnote。。。　Among　the　heads　of　firms　who　sent　me　cordial　congratulations　on　my　design；　were　Benjamin　Hick；　of　the　Soho　Ironworks；　Bolton；　a　man；　whose　judgment　in　all　matters　connected　with　engineering　and　mechanical　construction　was　held　in　the　very　highest　regard；　Messrs。　Rushton　and　Eckersley；　Bolton　Ironworks；　Messrs。　Howard　and　Ravenhill；　Rotherhithe　Ironworks；　London；　Messrs。　Hawkes；　Crashaw；　and　Company；　Newcastle…upon…Tyne；　George　Thorneycroft；　Wolverhampton；　and　others。　　。。。＇


But　the　substance　of　their　replies　was；　that　they　had　not　sufficient　orders　to　keep　the　forge　hammers　they　already　possessed　in　work。　They　promised；　however；　that　in　the　event　of　trade　recovering　from　its　depression；　they　would　probably　adopt　the　new　power。

In　the　meantime　my　invention　was　taken　up　in　an　entirely　new　and　unexpected　quarter。　　I　had　for　some　years　been　supplying　foreign　customers　with　self…acting　machine　tools。　　The　principals　of　continental　manufacturing　establishments　were　accustomed　to　make　frequent　visits　to　England　for　the　purpose　of　purchasing　various　machine　tools　required　for　the　production　of　the　ponderous　as　well　as　the　lighter　parts　of　their　machinery。　　We　gave　our　foreign　visitors　every　facility　and　opportunity　for　seeing　our　own　tools　at　work；　and　they　were　often　so　much　pleased　that；　when　they　came　to　order　one　special　tool；　they　ended　by　ordering　many；the　machine　tools　in　full　activity　thus　acting　as　their　most　effective　advertisements。　In　like　manner　I　freely　opened　my　Scheme　Book　to　any　foreign　visitors。*　　＇footnote。。。　Some　establishments　in　the　same　line　of　business　were　jealous　of　the　visit　of　foreigners；　but　to　our　views；　restriction　in　the　communication　of　new　ideas　on　mechanical　subjects　to　foreigners　of　intelligence　and　enterprising　spirit　served　no　good　purpose；　as　the　foreign　engineer　was　certain　to　obtain　all　the　information　he　was　in　quest　of　from　the　drawings　in　the　Patent　Office；　or　from　the　admirable　engravings　contained　in　the　engineering　publications　of　the　day。　　It　was　better　to　derive　the　advantage　of　supplying　them　with　the　machines　they　were　in　quest　of；　than　to　wait　until　the　demand　was　supplied　by　foreigners　themselves。　　。。。＇

There　I　let　them　see　the　mechanical　thoughts　that　were　passing　through　my　mind；　reduced　to　pen　and　ink　drawings。　　I　did　not　hesitate　to　advocate　the　advantage　of　my　steam　hammer　over　every　other　method　of　forging　heavy　masses　of　iron；　and　I　pointed　out　the　drawing　in　my　Scheme　Book　in　confirmation　of　my　views。　　The　book　was　kept　in　the　office　to　be　handy　for　such　occasions；　and　in　many　cases　it　was　the　means　of　suggesting　ideas　of　machine　tools　to　our　customers；　and　thus　led　to　orders　which　might　not　have　been　obtained　without　this　effective　method　of　prompting　them。　　Amongst　our　foreign　visitors　was　M。　Schneider；　proprietor　of　the　great　ironworks　at　Creuzot；　in　France。　We　had　supplied　him　with　various　machine　tools；　and　he　was　so　pleased　with　their　action　that　the　next　time　he　came　to　England　he　called　at　our　office　at　Patricroft。　　M。　Bourdon；　his　mechanical　manager；　accompanied　him。

I　happened　to　be　absent　on　a　journey　at　the　time；　but　my　partner；　Mr。　Gaskell；　was　present。　　After　showing　them　over　the　works；　as　an　act　of　courtesy　he　brought　them　my　Scheme　Book　and　allowed　them　to　examine　it。　　He　pointed　out　the　drawing　of　my　steam　hammer；　and　told　them　the　purpose　for　which　it　was　intended。　　They　were　impressed　with　its　simplicity　and　apparent　practical　utility；so　much　so；　that　M。　Bourdon　took　careful　notes　and　sketches　of　the　constructive　details　of　the　hammer。

I　was　informed　on　my　return　of　the　visit　of　MM。Schneider　and　Bourdon；　but　the　circumstance　of　their　having　inspected　the　designs　in　my　Scheme　Book；　and　especially　my　original　design　of　the　steam　hammer；　was　regarded　by　my　partner　as　too　ordinary　and　trivial　an　incident　of　their　visit　to　be　mentioned　to　me。　　The　exhibition　of　my　mechanical　designs　to　visitors　at　the　Foundry　was　a　matter　of　almost　daily　occurrence。　I　was；　therefore；　in　entire　ignorance　of　the　fact　that　these　foreign　visitors　had　taken　with　them　to　France　a　copy　of　the　plan　and　details　of　my　steam　hammer。

It