industrial biography-第42部分

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part　and　altering　an　old　one；　packing　the　piston　and　tightening　the

valves；　the　machine　would　at　length　begot　to　work。*

　＇footnote。。。

There　was　the　same　clumsiness　in　all　kinds　of　mill…work　before　the

introduction　of　machine…tools。　　We　have　heard　of　a　piece　of　machinery

of　the　old　school；　the　wheels　of　which；　when　set　to　work；　made　such　a

clatter　that　the　owner　feared　the　engine　would　fall　to　pieces。　　The

foreman　who　set　it　agoing；　after　working　at　it　until　he　was　almost　in

despair；　at　last　gave　it　up；　saving；　〃I　think　we　had　better　leave　the

cogs　to　settle　their　differences　with　one　another：　　they　will　grind

themselves　right　in　time！〃

　。。。＇

Now　the　case　is　altogether　different。　　The　perfection　of　modern

machine…tools　is　such　that　the　utmost　possible　precision　is　secured；

and　the　mechanical　engineer　can　calculate　on　a　degree　of　exactitude

that　does　not　admit　of　a　deviation　beyond　the　thousandth　part　of　an

inch。　　When　the　powerful　oscillating　engines　of　the　'Warrior'　were　put

on　board　that　ship；　the　parts；　consisting　of　some　five　thousand

separate　pieces；　were　brought　from　the　different　workshops　of　the

Messrs。　Penn　and　Sons；　where　they　had　been　made　by　workmen　who　knew

not　the　places　they　were　to　occupy；　and　fitted　together　with　such

precision　that　so　soon　as　the　steam　was　raised　and　let　into　the

cylinders；　the　immense　machine　began　as　if　to　breathe　and　move　like　a

living　creature；　stretching　its　huge　arms　like　a　new…born　giant；　and

then；　after　practising　its　strength　a　little　and　proving　its

soundness　in　body　and　limb；　it　started　off　with　the　power　of　above　a

thousand　horses　to　try　its　strength　in　breasting　the　billows　of　the

North　Sea。



Such　are　among　the　triumphs　of　modern　mechanical　engineering；　due　in

a　great　measure　to　the　perfection　of　the　tools　by　means　of　which　all

works　in　metal　are　now　fashioned。　　These　tools　are　themselves　among

the　most　striking　results　of　the　mechanical　invention　of　the　day。

They　are　automata　of　the　most　perfect　kind；　rendering　the　engine　and

machine…maker　in　a　great　measure　independent　of　inferior　workmen。　　For

the　machine　tools　have　no　unsteady　hand；　are　not　careless　nor　clumsy；

do　not　work　by　rule　of　thumb；　and　cannot　make　mistakes。　　They　will

repeat　their　operations　a　thousand　times　without　tiring；　or　varying

one　hair's　breadth　in　their　action；　and　will　turn　out；　without

complaining；　any　quantity　of　work；　all　of　like　accuracy　and　finish。

Exercising　as　they　do　so　remarkable　an　influence　on　the　development

of　modem　industry；　we　now　propose；　so　far　as　the　materials　at　our

disposal　will　admit；　to　give　an　account　of　their　principal　inventors；

beginning　with　the　school　of　Bramah。





CHAPTER　XI。



JOSEPH　BRAMAH。



〃The　great　Inventor　is　one　who　has　walked　forth　upon　the　industrial

world；　not　from　universities；　but　from　hovels；　not　as　clad　in　silks

and　decked　with　honours；　but　as　clad　in　fustian　and　grimed　with　soot

and　oil。〃ISAAC　TAYLOR；　Ultimate　Civilization。





The　inventive　faculty　is　so　strong　in　some　men　that　it　may　be　said　to

amount　to　a　passion；　and　cannot　be　restrained。　　The　saying　that　the

poet　is　born；　not　made；　applies　with　equal　force　to　the　inventor；

who；　though　indebted　like　the　other　to　culture　and　improved

opportunities；　nevertheless　invents　and　goes　on　inventing　mainly　to

gratify　his　own　instinct。　　The　inventor；　however；　is　not　a　creator

like　the　poet；　but　chiefly　a　finder…out。　　His　power　consists　in　a

great　measure　in　quick　perception　and　accurate　observation；　and　in

seeing　and　foreseeing　the　effects　of　certain　mechanical　combinations。

He　must　possess　the　gift　of　insight；　as　well　as　of　manual　dexterity；

combined　with　the　indispensable　qualities　of　patience　and

perseverance；for　though　baffled；　as　he　often　is；　he　must　be　ready

to　rise　up　again　unconquered　even　in　the　moment　of　defeat。　　This　is

the　stuff　of　which　the　greatest　inventors　have　been　made。　　The　subject

of　the　following　memoir　may　not　be　entitled　to　take　rank　as　a

first…class　inventor；　though　he　was　a　most　prolific　one；　but；　as　the

founder　of　a　school　from　which　proceeded　some　of　the　most

distinguished　mechanics　of　our　time；　he　is　entitled　to　a　prominent

place　in　this　series　of　memoirs。



Joseph　Bramah　was　born　in　1748　at　the　village　of　Stainborough；　near

Barnsley　in　Yorkshire；　where　his　father　rented　a　small　farm　under

Lord　Strafford。　　Joseph　was　the　eldest　of　five　children；　and　was　early

destined　to　follow　the　plough。　　After　receiving　a　small　amount　of

education　at　the　village　school；　he　was　set　to　work　upon　the　farm。

From　an　early　period　he　showed　signs　of　constructive　skill。　　When　a

mere　boy；　he　occupied　his　leisure　hours　in　making　musical

instruments；　and　he　succeeded　in　executing　some　creditable　pieces　of

work　with　very　imperfect　tools。　　A　violin；　which　he　made　out　of　a

solid　block　of　wood；　was　long　preserved　as　a　curiosity。　　He　was　so

fortunate　as　to　make　a　friend　of　the　village　blacksmith；　whose　smithy

he　was　in　the　practice　of　frequenting。　　The　smith　was　an　ingenious

workman；　and；　having　taken　a　liking　for　the　boy；　he　made　sundry　tools

for　him　out　of　old　files　and　razor　blades；　and　with　these　his　fiddle

and　other　pieces　of　work　were　mainly　executed。



Joseph　might　have　remained　a　ploughman　for　life；　but　for　an　accident

which　happened　to　his　right　ankle　at　the　age　of　16；　which　unfitted

him　for　farm…work。　　While　confined　at　home　disabled　he　spent　his　time

in　carving　and　making　things　in　wood；　and　then　it　occurred　to　him

that；　though　he　could　not　now　be　a　ploughman；　he　might　be　a　mechanic。

When　sufficiently　recovered；　he　was　accordingly　put　apprentice　to　one

Allott；　the　village　carpenter；　under　whom　he　soon　became　an　expert

workman。　　He　could　make　ploughs；　window…frames；　or　fiddles；　with　equal

dexterity。　　He　also　made　violoncellos；　and　was　so　fortunate　as　to　sell

one　of　his　making　for　three　guineas；　which　is　still　reckoned　a　good

instrument。　　He　doubtless　felt　within　him　the　promptings　of　ambition；

such　as　every　good　workman　feels；　and　at　all　events　entertained　the

desire　of　rising　in　his　trade。　　When　his　time　was　out；　he　accordingly

resolved　to　seek　work　in　London；　whither　he　made　the　journey　on　foot。

He　soon　found　work　at　a　cabinet…maker's；　and　remained　with　him　for

some　time；　after　which　he　set　up　business　in　a　very　small　way　on　his

own　account。　　An　accident　which　happened　to　him　in　the　course　of　his

daily　work；　again　proved　his　helper；　by　affording　him　a　degree　of

leisure　which　he　at　once　proceeded　to　turn　to　some　useful　account。

Part　of　his　business　consisted　in　putting　up　water…closets；　after　a

method　invented　or　improved　by　a　Mr。　Allen；　but　the　article　was　still

very　imperfect；　and　Bramah　had　long　resolved　that　if　he　could　only

secure　some　leisure　for　the　purpose；　he　would　contrive　something　that

should　supersede　it　altogether。　　A　severe　fall　which　occurred　to　him

in　the　course　of　his　business；　and　laid　him　up；　though　very　much

against　his　will；　now　afforded　him　the　leisure　which　he　desired；　and

he　proceeded　to　make　his　proposed　invention。　　He　took　out　a　patent　for

it　in　1778；　describing　himself　in　the　specification　as　〃of　Cross

Court；　Carnaby　Market　＇Golden　Square＇；　Middlesex；　Cabinet　Maker。〃　　He

afterwards　removed　to　a　shop　in　Denmark　Street；　St。　　Giles's；　and

while　there　he　made　a　further　improvement　in　his　invention　by　the

addition　of　a　water　cock；　which　he　patented　in　1783。　　The　merits　of

the　machine　were　generally　recognised；　and　before　long　it　came　into

extensive　use；　continuing　to　be　employed；　with　but　few　alterations；

until　the　present　day。　　His　circumstances　improving　with　the　increased

use　of　his　invention；　Bramah　proceeded　to　undertake　the　manufacture

of　the　pumps；　pipes；　&c。；　required　for　its　construction；　and；

remembering　his　friend　the　Yorkshire　blacksmith；　who　had　made　his

first　tools　for　him　out　of　the　old　files　and　razor…blades；　he　sent

for　him　to　London　to　take　charge　of　his　blacksmith's　department；　in

which　he　proved　a　most　useful　assistant。　　As　usual；　the　patent　was

attacked　by　pirates　so　soon　as　it　became　productive；　and　Bramah　was

under　the　necessity；　on　more　than　one　occasion；　of　defending　his

property　in　the　invention；　in　which　he　was　completely　successful。



We　next　find　Bramah　turning　his　attention　to　the　invention　of　a　lock

that　should　surpass　all　others　then　known。　　The　locks　then　in　use　were

of　a　very　imperfect　character；　easily　picked　by　dexterous　thieves；

against　whom　they　afforded　little　protection。　　Yet　locks　are　a　very

ancient　invention；　though；　as　in　many　other　cases；　the　art　of　making

them　seems　in　a　great　measure　to　have　become　lost；　and　accordingly

had　to　be　found　out　anew。　　Thus　the　tumbler　lockwhich　consists　in

the　use　of　moveable　impediments　acted　on　by　the　proper　key　only；　as

contradistinguished　from　the　ordinary　ward　locks；　where　the

impediments　are　fixed　appears　to　have　been　well　known　to　the

ancient　Egyptians；　the　representation　of　such　a　lock　being　found

sculptured　among　the　bas…reliefs　which　decorate　the　great　temple　at

Karnak。　　This　kind　of　lock　was　revived；　or　at　least　greatly　improved；

by　a　Mr。　Barron　in　1774；　and　it　was　shortly　after　this　time　that

Bramah　directed　his　attention　to　the　subject。　　After　much　study　and

many　experiments；　he　contrived　a　lock　more　simple；　more　serviceable；

as　well　as　more　secure；　than　Barron's；　as　is　proved　by　the　fact　that

it　has　stood　the　test　of　nearly　eighty　years'　experience；*

　＇footnote。。。

The　lock　invented　by　Bramah　was　patented　in　1784。　　Mr。　Bramah　himself

fully　set　forth　the　specific　merits　of　the　invention　in　his

Dissertation　on　the　Construction　of　Locks。　　In　a　second　patent；　taken

out　by　him　in　1798；　he　amended　his　first　with　the　object　of

preventing　the　counterfeiting　of　keys；　and　suspending　the　office　of

the　lock　until　the　key　was　again　in　the　possession　of　the　owner。　　This

he　effected　by　enabling　the　owner　so　to　alter　the　sliders　as　to

render　the　lock　inaccessi