an autobiography-第84节

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rings　into　play　every　principle　of　constructive　art；　with　the　inexpressibly　glorious　reward　of　a　more　intimate　acquaintance　with　the　sublime　wonders　of　the　heavens；　I　communicated　in　full　detail　all　my　improvements　in　the　art　of　casting；　grinding；　and　polishing　the　specula　of　reflecting　telescopes；　to　the　Literary　and　Philosophical　Society　of　Manchester；　illustrating　my　paper　with　many　drawings。　　But　as　my　paper　was　of　considerable　length；　and　as　the　illustrations　would　prove　costly　to　engrave；　it　was　not　published　in　the　Society's　Transactions。　　They　are　still；　however；　kept　in　the　library　for　reference　by　those　who　take　a　special　interest　in　the　subject。


1829。　A　Mode　of　transmitting　Rotary　Motion　by　means　of　a　Flexible　　　　　　　Shaft；　formed　of　a　Coiled　Spiral　Wire　or　Rod　of　Steel。

While　assisting　Mr。　Maudslay　in　the　execution　of　a　special　piece　of　machinery；　in　which　it　became　necessary　to　have　some　holes　drilled　in　rather　inaccessible　portions　of　the　work　in　hand；　and　where　the　employment　of　the　ordinary　drill　was　impossible；　it　occurred　to　me　that　a　flexible　shaft；　formed　of　a　closely　coiled　spiral　of　steel　wire；　might　enable　us　to　transmit　the　requisite　rotary　motion　to　a　drill　attached　to　the　end　of　this　spiral　shaft。　　Mr。　Maudslay　was　much　pleased　with　the　notion；　and　I　speedily　put　it　in　action　by　a　close　coiled　spiral　wire　of　about　two　feet　in　length。

This　was　found　to　transmit　the　requisite　rotary　motion　to　the　drill　at　the　end　of　the　spiral　with　perfect　and　faithful　efficiency。　The　difficulty　was　got　over；　to　Mr。　Maudslay's　great　satisfaction。

So　far　as　I　am　aware；　such　a　mode　of　transmitting　rotary　motion　was　new　and　original。　　The　device　was　useful；　and　proved　of　essential　service　in　other　important　applications。　　By　a　suitably　close　coiled　spiral　steel　wire　I　have　conveyed　rotary　motion　quite　round　an　obstacle；　such　as　is　indicated　in　the　annexed　figure。

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It　has　acted　with　perfect　faithfulness　from　the　winch　handle　at　A　to　the　drill　at　B。　　Any　ingenious　mechanic　will　be　able　to　appreciate　the　value　of　such　a　flexible　shaft　in　many　applications。　　Four　years　ago　I　saw　the　same　arrangement　in　action　at　a　dentist's　operating…room；　when　a　drill　was　worked　in　the　mouth　of　a　patient　to　enable　a　decayed　tooth　to　be　stopped。　　It　was　said　to　be　the　last　thing　out　in　〃Yankee　notions。〃　It　was　merely　a　replica　of　my　flexible　drill　of　1829。

1829。　A　Mode　of　cutting　Square　or　Hexgonal　Collares　Nuts　or　Bolt…Heads　　　　　　　by　means　of　a　Revolving　File　or　Cutter。

This　method　is　refrered　to；　and　drawings　given；　in　the　text；　pp。　　141；　142。


1829。　A　Investigation　into　the　Origin　and　Mode　of　writing　the　Cuneiform　　　　　　　Character

This　will　be　found　described　in　the　next　and　final　chapter


1836。　A　Machine　for　cutting　the　Key…Grooves　in　Metal　Wheels　and　Belt　　　　　　　Pulleys；　of　ANY　Diameter。

The　fastening　of　wheels　and　belt　pulleys　to　shafts；　so　as　to　enable　them　to　transmit　rotary　motion；　is　one　of　the　most　frequently…recurring　processes　in　the　construction　of　machinery。　　This　is　best　effected　by　driving　a　slightly　tapered　iron　or　steel　wedge；　or　〃key〃　as　it　is　technically　termed；　into　a　corresponding　recess；　or　flat　part　of　the　shaft；　so　that　the　wheel　and　shaft　thus　become　in　effect　one　solid　structure。

The　old　mode　of　cutting　such　key…grooves　in　the　eyes　of　wheels　was　accomplished　by　the　laborious　and　costly　process　of　chipping　and　filing。　　Maudslay's　mortising　machine；　which　he　contrived　for　the　Block　machinery；　although　intended　originally　to　operate　upon　wood；　contained　all　the　essential　principles　and　details　required　for　acting　on　metals。　Mr。　Richard　Roberts；　by　some　excellent　modifications；　enabled　it　to　mortise　or　cut　out　the　key…grooves　in　metal　wheels；　and　this　method　soon　came　into　general　use。　　This　machine　consisted　of　a　vertical　slide　bar；　to　the　lower　end　of　which　was　attached　the　steel　mortising　tool；　which　received　its　requisite　up　and　down　motion　from　an　adjustable　crank；　through　a　suitable　arrangement　of　the　gearing。　　The　wheel　to　be　operated　upon　was　fixed　to　a　slide…table；　and　gradually　advanced；　so　as　to　cause　the　mortising　tool　to　take　successive　cuts　through　the　depth　of　the　eye　of　the　wheel；　until　the　mortise　or　key…groove　had　attained　its　required　depth。

The　only　drawback　to　this　admirable　machine　was　that　its　service　was　limited　in　respect　to　admitting　wheels　whose　half　diameter　did　not　exceed　the　distance　from　the　back　of　the　jaw　of　the　machine　to　the　face　of　the　mortise　tool；　so　that　to　give　to　this　machine　the　requisite　rigidity　and　strength　to　resist　the　strain　on　the　jaw；　due　to　the　mortising　of　the　key…grooves；　in　wheels　of　say　6　feet　diameter；　a　more　massive　and　cumbrous　frame　work　was　required；　which　was　most　costly　in　space　as　well　as　in　money。

In　order　to　obviate　this　inconvenience；　I　designed　an　arrangement　of　a　key…groove　mortising　machine。　　It　was　capable　of　operating　upon　wheels　of　any　diameter；　having　no　limit　to　it　capacity　in　that　respect。　It　was；　at　the　same　time；　possessed　in　respect　of　the　principle　on　which　it　was　arranged；　of　the　power　of　taking　a　much　deeper　cut；　there　being　an　entire　absence　of　any　source　of　springing　or　elasticity　in　its　structure。　　This　not　only　enabled　the　machine　to　perform　its　work　with　more　rapidity；　but　also　with　more　precision。　　Besides；　it　occupied　much　less　space　in　the　workshop；　and　did　not　cost　above　one…third　of　the　machines　formerly　in　use。　　It　gave　the　highest　satisfaction　to　those　who　availed　themselves　of　its　effective　Services。

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A　comparison　of　Fig。　1which　represents　the　general　arrangement　of　the　machine　in　use　previous　to　the　introduction　of　minewith　that　of　Fig。　2；　may　serve　to　convey　some　idea　of　their　relative　sizes。　　Fig。　1　shows　a　limit　to　the　admission　of　wheels　exceeding　6　feet　diameter；　Fig。　2　shows　an　unlimited　capability　in　that　respect。


1836。　An　Instrument　for　finding　and　marking　the　Centres　of　Cylindrical　　　　　　　Rods　or　Bolts　about　to　be　turned　on　the　Lathe。

One　of　the　most　numerous　details　in　the　structure　of　all　classes　of　machines　is　the　bolts　which　serve　to　hold　the　various　parts　together。　As　it　is　most　important　that　each　bolt　fits　perfectly　the　hole　it　belongs　to；　it　is　requisite　that　each　bolt　should；　by　the　process　of　turning；　be　made　perfectly　cylindrical。　　In　preparing　such　bolts；　as　they　come　from　the　forge；　in　order　to　undergo　the　process　of　turning；　they　have　to　be　〃centred；〃　that　is；　each　end　has　to　receive　a　hollow　conical　indent；　which　must　agree　with　the　axis　of　the　bolt。　To　find　this　in　the　usual　mode；　by　trial　and　frequent　error；　is　a　most　tedious　process；　and　consumes　much　valuable　time　of　the　workman　as　well　as　his　lathe。

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In　order　to　obviate　the　necessity　for　this　costly　process；　I　devised　the　simple　instrument；　a　drawing　of　which　is　annexed。　　The　use　of　this　enabled　any　boy　to　find　and　mark　with　absolute　exactness　and　rapidity　the　centres　of　each　end　of　bolts；　or　suchlike　　objects。　　All　that　was　required　was　to　place　the　body　of　the　bolt　in　the　V…shaped　supports；　and　to　gently　cause　it　to　revolve；　pressing　it　longitudinally　against　the　steel…pointed　marker；　which　scratched　a　neat　small　circle　in　the　true　centre　or　axis　of　the　bolt。　　This　small　circle　had　its　centre　easily　marked　by　the　indent　of　a　punch；　and　the　work　was　thus　ready　for　the　lathe。　　This　humble　but　really　important　process　was　accomplished　with　ease；　rapidity；　and　great　economy。


1836。　Improvement　in　Steam…Engine　Pistons；　and　in　Water　and　Air…Pump　　　　　　　Buckets；　so　as　to　lessen　Friction　and　dispense　with　Packing。

The　desire　to　make　the　pistons　of　steam…engines　and　air…pump　buckets　of　condensing　engines　perfectly　steam　and　water　tight　has　led　to　the　contrivance　of　many　complex　and　costly　constructions　for　the　purpose　of　packing　them。　　When　we　take　a　commonsense　view　of　the　subject；　we　find　that　in　most　cases　the　loss　of　power　resulting　from　the　extra　friction　neutralises　the　expected　saving。　　This　is　especially　the　case　with　the　air…pump　bucket　of　a　condensing　steam…engine；　as　it　is　in　reality　much　more　a　water　than　an　air　pump。　　But　when　it　is　constructed　with　a　deep　well…fitted　bucket；　entirely　without　packing；　the　loss　sustained　by　such　an　insignificant　amount　of　leakage　as　may　occur　from　the　want　of　packing　is　more　than　compensated　by　the　saving　of　power　resulting　from　the　total　absence　of　friction。

The　first　condensing　steam…engine　to　which　I　applied　an　air…pump　bucket；　entirely　without　packing；　was　the　forty　horsepower　engine；　which　I　constructed　for　the　Bridgewater　Foundry。　　It　answered　its　purpose　so　well　that；　after　twenty　years'　constant　working；　the　air…pump　cover　was　taken　off；　out　of　curiosity；　to　examine　the　bucket；　when　it　was　found　in　perfect　order。　　This　system；　in　which　I　dispensed　with　the　packing　for　air…pump　buckets　of　condensing　steam…engines；　I　have　also　applied　to　the　pistons　of　the　steam　cylinders；　especially　those　of　high…pressure　engines　of　the　smaller　vertical　construction；　the　stroke　of　which　is　generally　short　and　rapid。　　Provided　the　cylinder　is　bored　true；　and　the　piston　is　carefully　fitted；　and　of　a　considerable　depth　in　proportion　to　its　diameter；　such　pistons　will　be　found　to　perform　perfectly　all　their　functions；　and　with　a　total　absence