industrial biography-第53部分

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！



accurate　description；　but　exquisite　figure…work；　and　complicated

geometrical　designs；　depending　upon　the　cycloidal　and　eccentric

movements　which　were　from　time　to　time　added　to　the　machine。



The　artisans　of　the　Middle　Ages　were　very　skilful　in　the　use　of　the

lathe；　and　turned　out　much　beautiful　screen　and　stall　work；　still　to

be　seen　in　our　cathedrals；　as　well　as　twisted　and　swash…work　for　the

balusters　of　staircases　and　other　ornamental　purposes。　　English

mechanics　seem　early　to　have　distinguished　themselves　as　improvers　of

the　lathe；　and　in　Moxon's　'Treatise　on　Turning；'　published　in　1680；

we　find　Mr。　Thomas　Oldfield；　at　the　sign　of　the　Flower…de…Luce；　near

the　Savoy　in　the　Strand；　named　as　an　excellent　maker　of　oval…engines

and　swash…engines；　showing　that　such　machines　were　then　in　some

demand。　　The　French　writer　Plumier*

　＇footnote。。。

PLUMIER；　L'Art　de　Tourner；　Paris；　1754；　p。　155。　　。。。＇

also　mentions　an　ingenious　modification　of　the　lathe　by　means　of

which　any　kind　of　reticulated　form　could　be　given　to　the　work；　and；

from　it's　being　employed　to　ornament　the　handles　of　knives；　it　was

called　by　him　the　　〃Machine　a　manche　de　Couteau　d'Angleterre。〃　　But

the　French　artisans　were　at　that　time　much　better　skilled　than　the

English　in　the　use　of　tools；　and　it　is　most　probable　that　we　owe　to

the　Flemish　and　French　Protestant　workmen　who　flocked　into　England　in

such　large　numbers　during　the　religious　persecutions　of　the　sixteenth

and　seventeenth　centuries；　the　improvement；　if　not　the　introduction；

of　the　art　of　turning；　as　well　as　many　other　arts　hereafter　to　be

referred　to。　　It　is　certain　that　at　the　period　to　which　we　refer

numerous　treatises　were　published　in　France　on　the　art　of　turning；

some　of　them　of　a　most　elaborate　character。　　Such　were　the　works　of

De　la　Hire；*

　＇footnote。。。

Machines　approuvees　par　l'　Academie；　1719。

　。。。＇

who　described　how　every　kind　of　polygon　might　be　made　by　the　lathe；

De　la　Condamine；*

　＇footnote。。。

Machines　approuvees　par　l'　Academie；　1733。

　。。。＇

who　showed　how　a　lathe　could　turn　all　sorts　of　irregular　figures　by

means　of　tracers；　and　of　Grand　Jean；　Morin；*

　＇footnote。。。

L'Art　de　Tourner　en　perfection；　49。

　。。。＇

　Plumier；　Bergeron；　and　many　other　writers。



The　work　of　Plumier　is　especially　elaborate；　entering　into　the

construction　of　the　lathe　in　its　various　parts；　the　making　of　the

tools　and　cutters；　and　the　different　motions　to　be　given　to　the

machine　by　means　of　wheels；　eccentrics；　and　other　expedients；　amongst

which　may　be　mentioned　one　very　much　resembling　the　slide　rest　and

planing…machine　combined。*

　＇footnote。。。

It　consisted　of　two　parallel　bars　of　wood　or　iron　connected　together

at　both　extremities　by　bolts　or　keys　of　sufficient　width　to　admit　of

the　article　required　to　be　planed。　　A　moveable　frame　was　placed

between　the　two　bars；　motion　being　given　to　it　by　a　long　cylindrical

thread　acting　on　any　tool　put　into　the　sliding　frame；　and；

consequently；　causing　the　screw；　by　means　of　a　handle　at　each　end　of

it；　to　push　or　draw　the　point　or　cutting…edge　of　the　tool　either

way。Mr。　George　Rennie's　Preface　to　Buchanan's　Practical　Essays　on

Mill　Work；　3rd　Ed。　xli。

　。。。＇

　From　this　work　it　appears　that　turning　had　long　been　a　favourite

pursuit　in　France　with　amateurs　of　all　ranks；　who　spared　no　expense

in　the　contrivance　and　perfection　of　elaborate　machinery　for　the

production　of　complex　figures。*

　＇footnote。。。

Turning　was　a　favourite　amusement　amongst　the　French　nobles　of　last

century；　many　of　whom　acquired　great　dexterity　in　the　art；　which　they

turned　to　account　when　compelled　to　emigrate　at　the　Revolution。　　Louis

XVI。　himself　was　a　very　good　locksmith；　and　could　have　earned　a　fair

living　at　the　trade。　　Our　own　George　III。　was　a　good　turner；　and　was

learned　in　wheels　and　treadles；　chucks　and　chisels。　　Henry　Mayhew

says；　on　the　authority　of　an　old　working　turner；　that；　with　average

industry；　the　King　might　have　made　from　40s。　to　50s。　a…week　as　a　hard

wood　and　ivory　turner。　　Lord　John　Hay；　though　one…armed；　was　an　adept

at　the　latter；　and　Lord　Gray　was　another　capital　turner。　　Indeed　the

late　Mr。　Holtzapffel's　elaborately　illustrated　treatise　was　written

quite　as　much　for　amateurs　as　for　working　mechanics。　　Among　other

noble　handicraftsmen　we　may　mention　the　late　Lord　Douglas；　who

cultivated　bookbinding。　　Lord　Traquair's　fancy　was　cutlery；　and　one

could　not　come　to　him　in　a　more　welcome　fashion　than　with　a　pair　of

old　razors　to　set　up。

　。。。＇

There　was　at　that　time　a　great　passion　for　automata　in　France；　which

gave　rise　to　many　highly　ingenious　devices；　such　as　Camus's　miniature

carriage　（made　for　Louis　XIV。　when　a　child）；　Degennes'　mechanical

peacock；　Vancanson's　duck；　and　Maillardet's　conjuror。　　It　had　the

effect　of　introducing　among　the　higher　order　of　artists　habits　of

nice　and　accurate　workmanship　in　executing　delicate　pieces　of

machinery；　and　the　same　combination　of　mechanical　powers　which　made

the　steel　spider　crawl；　the　duck　quack；　or　waved　the　tiny　rod　of　the

magician；　contributed　in　future　years　to　purposes　of　higher

import；the　wheels　and　pinions；　which　in　these　automata　almost

eluded　the　human　senses　by　their　minuteness；　reappearing　in　modern

times　in　the　stupendous　mechanism　of　our　self…acting　lathes；

spinning…mules；　and　steam…engines。



〃In　our　own　country；〃　says　Professor　Willis；　〃the　literature　of　this

subject　is　so　defective　that　it　is　very　difficult　to　discover　what

progress　we　were　making　during　the　seventeenth　and　eighteenth

centuries。〃*

　＇footnote。。。

Professor　WILLIS；　Lectures　on　the　Results　of　the　Great　Exhibition　of

1851；　lst　series；　p。　306。

　。。。＇

We　believe　the　fact　to　be；　that　the　progress　made　in　England　down　to

the　end　of　last　century　had　been　very　small　indeed；　and　that　the

lathe　had　experienced　little　or　no　improvement　until　Maudslay　took　it

in　hand。　　Nothing　seems　to　have　been　known　of　the　slide　rest　until　he

re…invented　it　and　applied　it　to　the　production　of　machinery　of　a　far

more　elaborate　character　than　had　ever　before　been　contemplated　as

possible。　　Professor　Willis　says　that　Bramah's；　in　other　words

Maudslay's；　slide　rest　of　1794　is　so　different　from　that　described　in

the　French　'Encyclopedie　in　1772；　that　the　two　could　not　have　had　a

common　origin。　　We　are　therefore　led　to　the　conclusion　that　Maudslay's

invention　was　entirely　independent　of　all　that　had　gone　before；　and

that　he　contrived　it　for　the　special　purpose　of　overcoming　the

difficulties　which　he　himself　experienced　in　turning　out　duplicate

parts　in　large　numbers。　　At　all　events；　he　was　so　early　and　zealous　a

promoter　of　its　use；　that　we　think　he　may；　in　the　eyes　of　all

practical　mechanics；　stand　as　the　parent　of　its　introduction　to　the

workshops　of　England。



It　is　unquestionable　that　at　the　time　when　Maudslay　began　the

improvement　of　machine…tools；　the　methods　of　working　in　wood　and

metals　were　exceedingly　imperfect。　　Mr。　William　Fairbairn　has　stated

that　when　he　first　became　acquainted　with　mechanical　engineering；

about　sixty　years　ago；　there　were　no　self…acting　tools；　everything

was　executed　by　hand。　　There　were　neither　planing；　slotting；　nor

shaping　machines；　and　the　whole　stock　of　an　engineering　or　machine

establishment　might　be　summed　up　in　a　few　ill…constructed　lathes；　and

a　few　drills　and　boring　machines　of　rude　construction。*

　＇footnote。。。

Address　delivered　before　the　British　Association　at　Manchester　in

1861；　and　Useful　Information　for　Engineers；　1st　series；　p。　22。

　。。。＇

Our　mechanics　were　equally　backward　in　contrivances　for　working　in

wood。　　Thus；　when　Sir　Samuel　Bentham　made　a　tour　through　the

manufacturing　districts　of　England　in　1791；　he　was　surprised　to　find

how　little　had　been　done　to　substitute　the　invariable　accuracy　of

machinery　for　the　uncertain　dexterity　of　the　human　hand。　　Steam…power

was　as　yet　only　employed　in　driving　spinning…machines；　rolling

metals；　pumping　water；　and　such　like　purposes。　　In　the　working　of　wood

no　machinery　had　been　introduced　beyond　the　common　turning…lathe　and

some　saws；　and　a　few　boring　tools　used　in　making　blocks　for　the　navy。

Even　saws　worked　by　inanimate　force　for　slitting　timber；　though　in

extensive　use　in　foreign　countries；　were　nowhere　to　be　found　in　Great

Britain。*

　＇footnote。。。

Life　of　Sir　Samuel　Bentham；　97…8。

　。。。＇

As　everything　depended　on　the　dexterity　of　hand　and　correctness　of

eye　of　the　workmen；　the　work　turned　out　was　of　very　unequal　merit；

besides　being　exceedingly　costly。　　Even　in　the　construction　of

comparatively　simple　machines；　the　expense　was　so　great　as　to　present

a　formidable　obstacle　to　their　introduction　and　extensive　use；　and

but　for　the　invention　of　　machine…making　tools；　the　use　of　the

steam…engine　in　the　various　forms　in　which　it　is　now　applied　for　the

production　of　power　could　never　have　become　general。



In　turning　a　piece　of　work　on　the　old…fashioned　lathe；　the　workman