an autobiography-第89节

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Traversing　Drill。

One　of　the　most　tedious　and　costly　processes　in　the　execution　of　the　detail　parts　of　machinery　is　the　cutting　out　of　Cottar　Slots　in　piston　rods；　connecting　rods；　and　key　recesses　in　shafts。　　This　operation　used　to　be　performed　by　drilling　a　row　of　holes　through　the　solid　body　of　the　object；　and　then　chipping　away　the　intermediate　metal　between　the　holes；　and　filing　the　rude　slot；　so　produced；　into　its　required　form。　The　whole　operation；　as　thus　conducted；　was　one　of　the　most　tedious　and　irksome　jobs　that　an　engineer　workman　could　be　set　to；　and　could　only　be　performed　by　those　possessed　of　the　highest　skill。

What　with　broken　chisels　and　files；　and　the　tedious　nature　of　the　work；　it　was　a　most　severe　task　to　the　very　best　men；　not　to　speak　of　the　heavy　cost　in　wages。

In　order　to　obviate　all　these　disadvantages；　I　contrived　an　arrangement　of　a　drilling　machine；　with　a　specially　formed　drill；　which　at　once　reduced　the　process　to　one　of　the　easiest　conducted　in　an　engineer's　workshop。

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The。　　〃special〃　form　of　the　Drill　consisted　in　the　removal　of　the　centre　portion　of　its　flat　cutting　face　by　making　it　with　a　notch　O。　This　enabled　it　to　cut　sideways；　as　well　as　downwards；　and　thus　to　cut　a　slit　or　oblong　hole。　　No　labour；　as　such；　was　required；　but　only　the　intelligent　superintendence　of　a　lad　to　place　the　work　in　the　machine；　and　remove　it　for　the　next　piece　in　its　turn。　　The　machine　did　the　labour；　and　by　its　self…action　did　the　work　in　the　most　perfect　manner。

I　may　further　mention　that　the　arrangement　of　the　machine　consisted　in　causing　the　object　to　traverse　to　and　fro　in　a　straight　line；　of　any　required　length；　under　the　action　of　the　drill。　　The　traversing　action　was　obtained　by　the　employment　of　an　adjustable　crank；　which　gave　the　requisite　motion　to　a　slide　table；　on　which　the　work　was　fastened。　The　〃feed〃　downwards　of　the　drill　was　effected　by　the　crank　at　the　moment　of　its　reversing　the　slide；　as　the　drill　reached　the　end　of　the　traverse；　and；　as　there　is　a　slight　pause　of　the　traverse　at　each　end　of　it；　the　〃feed〃　for　the　next　cutting　taking　place　at　that　time；　the　drill　has　the　opportunity　given　to　perfect　its　cut　ere　it　commences　the　next　cutting　traverse　in　succession。　　This　action　continues　in　regular　course　until　the　drill　makes　its　way　right　through　the　piece　of　work　under　its　action；　or　can　be　arrested　at　any　required　depth　according　to　the　requirements　of　the　work。　　Soap　and　water　as　a　lubricator　continues　to　drop　into　the　recess　of　the　slot；　and　is　always　in　its　right　place　to　assist　the　cutting　of　the　drill。

As　before　said；　the　entire　function　of　this　most　effective　machine　tool　is　self…acting。　　It　only　required　an　intelligent　lad　or　labourer　to　attend　to　it；　and；　as　there　was　ample　time　to　spare；　the　superintendence　of　two　of　these　machines　was　quite　within　his　ability。　The　rates　of　the　productive　powers　of　this　machine；　as　compared　with　the　former　employment　of　hand　labour；　was　at　least　ten　to　one；　to　say　nothing　of　the　superior　quality　of　the　work　executed。

Such　were　the　manifold　advantages　of　this　machine；　that　its　merits　soon　became　known　and　appreciated；　and　although　I　had　taken　out　no　patent　for　it；　we　always　had　an　abundance　of　orders；　as　it　was　its　own　best　advertisement。


1848。　A　Steam　Hammer　Form　of　Steam…Engine。

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This　engine　is　of　great　simplicity　and　get…at…ability　of　parts。　It　is　specially　adapted　for　screw…propelled　steamships；　and　many　other　purposes。　　It　is　now　in　very　general　use。　　The　outline　is　given　above。


1848。　Application　of　Hydraulic　Power　to　the　Punching　of　Large　Holes　in　　　　　　　Iron　Bars；　and　Plates　of　Great　Thickness。

Dr。　Faraday　having　applied　to　me　to　furnish　him；　for　one　of　his　lectures　at　the　Royal　Institution；　with　some　striking　example　of　the　Power　of　Machinery　in　overcoming　the　resistance　to　penetration　in　the　case　of　some　such　material　as　cold　malleable　iron；　it　occurred　to　me　to　apply　the　tranquil　but　vast　power　of　a　hydraulic　press　to　punch　out　a　large　hole　in　a　thick　cake　of　malleable　iron。　　Knowing　that　my　excellent　friend　John　Rick　had　in　his　works　at　Bolton　one　of　the　most　powerful　hydraulic　presses　then　existing；　contrived　and　constructed　by　his　ingenious　father；　the　late　Benjamin　Hick；　I　proceeded　to　Bolton；　and　explained　Dr。　Faraday's　requirement；　when；　with　his　usual　liberal　zeal；　Mr。　Hick　at　once　placed　the　use　of　his　great　hydraulic　press　at　my　service。

Having　had　a　suitable　cake　of　steam…hammered　malleable　iron　given　to　me　for　the　purpose　in　question；　by　my　valued　friend　Thomas　Lever　Rushton　of　the　Bolton　Ironworks；　we　soon　had　the　cake　of　iron　placed　in　the　great　press。　　It　was　5　inches　thick；18　inches　long；　and　15　inches　wide。　Placing　a　cylindrical　coupling　box　of　cast…iron　on　the　table　of　the　press；　and　then　placing　the　thick　cake　of　iron　on　it；　and　a　short　cylindrical　mass　of　iron　（somewhat　of　the　size　and　form　of　a　Stilton　Cheese）　on　the　iron　cake；　the　coupling　box　acting　as　the　Bolster　of　the　extemporised　punching　machine；the　press　was　then　set　to　work。　We　soon　saw　the　Stilton　Cheese…like　punch　begin　to　sink　slowly　and　quietly　through　the　5…inch　thick　cake　of　iron；　as　if　it　had　been　stiff　clay。　　The　only　sound　heard　was　when　the　punched…out　mass　dropped　into　the　recess　of　the　coupling　below。　　Such　a　demonstration　of　tranquil　but　almost　resistless　power　of　a　hydraulic　press　had　never；　so　far　as　we　were　aware；　been　seen　before。　　The　punched　of　iron；　together　with　the　punched…out　disc；　were　then　packed　off　to　Faraday；　and　great　was　his　delight　in　having　his　request　so　promptly　complied　with。　　Great　also　was　the　wonder　of　his　audience　when　the　punched　plate　was　placed　upon　the　lecture　table。　　This　feat　of　Benjamin　Hick's　great　hydraulic　press　set　me　a…thinking。　　I　conceived　the　idea　that　the　application　of　hydraulic　press　power　might　serve　many　similar　purposes　in　dealing　with　ultra　thick　plates　or　bar　iron；such　as　the　punching　out　of　holes；　and　cutting　thick　bars　and　plates　into　definite　shapes；　as　might　be　required。　　I　suggested　the　subject　to　my　friend　Charles　Fox；　head　of　the　firm　of　Fox；　Henderson；　and　Co。　He　had　taken　a　large　contract　for　a　chain　bridge；　the　links　of　which　were　to　be　of　thick　flat　iron　bars；　with　the　ends　broadened　out　for　the　link…pins　to　pass　through。　He　had　described　to　me　the　trouble　and　cost　they　had　occasioned　him　in　drilling　the　holes；　and　in　cropping　the　rude…shaped　ends　of　the　bars　into　the　required　form。　　I　advised　him　to　try　the　use　of　the　hydraulic　press　as　a　punching…machine；　and　also　as　a　cutting…machine　to　dress　the　ends　of　the　great　links。　　He　did　so　in　due　time；　and　found　the　suggestion　of　great　service　and　value　to　him　in　this；　and　in　other　cases　of　a　similar　kind。　　The　saving　of　cost　was　very　great；　and　the　work　was　much　more　perfect　than　under　the　former　system。


1848。　An　Alternately…pegged　〃Shive〃　or　Pulley　for　Rope　Band　Power　　　　　　　Transmission。


1848。　A　Turn…table　〃Trunnion　Vision〃　Reflecting　Telescope。

This　is　so　arranged　that　the　observer　can　direct　the　Telescope　and　view　an　object　in　any　part　of　the　heavens　without　moving　from　his　seat；　which　is　attached　to　the　turn…table。　　For　explanations；　see　text；　p。　337。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　


1850。　A　Double　or　Ambidexter　Self…acting　Turning…Lathe；　　　　　　　with　〃Dead　Gutters；〃　specially　adapted　for　turning　Bolts　and　　　　　　　suchlike　detail　Parts　of　Machinery。

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　　　　　　This　is　a　very　valuable　tool。　　It　requires　only　one　attendant。　It　is　especially　useful　as　regards　efficiency　and　economy。　　It　will　be　sufficiently　understood　by　mechanical　engineers　from　the　annexed　drawings。


1852。　A　Solid…bar　〃Link…Valve　Motion；〃　especially　valuable　for　the　　　　　　　larger　class　of　Marine　Steam…Engines。


1854。　Steam　Puddling　Patent。

This　was　the　〃pioneer〃　of　the　Bessemer　process。　　See　Bessemer　correspondence；　p。　354


1854。　A　Reversible　Rolling　Mill　without　Fly…wheel。

This　Rolling　Mill　consists　of　two　combined　steam…engines；　acting　on　cranks　at　right　angles；　the　reversing　of　the　rolls　being　effected　by　the　link　motion。　　The　requisite　rolling　power　is　obtained　by　suitable　wheel　and　pinion　gear；　so　as　to　be　entirely　independent　of　the　momentum　of　a　fly…wheel；　which　is　entirely　dispensed　with。

I　did　not　patent　the　invention。　　As　usual　in　such　cases；　I　made　no　secret　of　it；　but　sent　sketches　explanatory　of　the　arrangement　to　many　professional　friends　interested　in　mechanical　improvements。　It　was　adopted　by　many；　especially　for　rolling　long　and　heavy　bars　and　plates。　　It　enabled　the　workmen　to　〃see…saw〃　these　ponderous　objects；　and　pass　them　to　and　fro　through　the　rolls　with　the　utmost　case；　to　the　great　saving　of　heat；　time；　and　labour。　　The　invention　was　first　brought　into　use　by　Mr。　Ramsbotham　at　the　Crewe　works　of　the　London　and　North…Western　Railway。　　On　the　4th　December　1866　I　received　the　following　letter　from　him：

〃DEAR　SIRI　must　crave　your　forgiveness　for　my　great　delay　in　acknowledging　the　receipt　of　your　kind　letter　of　the　29th　August；　in　which　you　refer　to　the　successful　carrying　out　at　these　works　of　your　idea　of　a　'Reversible　Rolling　Mill　without　a　Fly…wheel。'　It　has　long　been　to　me　a　matter　of　astonishment　that　your　idea　has　not　been　reduced　to　p