industrial biography-第58章

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This　diploma　piece　of　work　secured　Maudslay's　footing；　and　next

Monday　morning　he　came　on　as　one　of　the　regular　hands。



He　soon　took　rank　in　the　shop　as　a　first…class　workman。　　Loving　his

art；　he　aimed　at　excellence　in　it；　and　succeeded。　　For　it　must　be

understood　that　the　handicraftsman　whose　heart　is　in　his　calling；

feels　as　much　honest　pride　in　turning　out　a　piece　of　thoroughly　good

workmanship；　as　the　sculptor　or　the　painter　does　in　executing　a

statue　or　a　picture。　　In　course　of　time；　the　most　difficult　and

delicate　jobs　came　to　be　entrusted　to　Maudslay；　and　nothing　gave　him

greater　pleasure　than　to　be　set　to　work　upon　an　entirely　new　piece　of

machinery。　　And　thus　he　rose；　naturally　and　steadily；　from　hand　to

head　work。　　For　his　manual　dexterity　was　the　least　of　his　gifts。　　He

possessed　an　intuitive　power　of　mechanical　analysis　and　synthesis。　　He

had　a　quick　eye　to　perceive　the　arrangements　requisite　to　effect

given　purposes；　and　whenever　a　difficulty　arose；　his　inventive　mind

set　to　work　to　overcome　it。



His　fellow…workmen　were　not　slow　to　recognise　his　many　admirable

qualities；　of　hand；　mind；　and　heart；　and　he　became　not　only　the

favourite；　but　the　hero　of　the　shop。　　Perhaps　he　owed　something　to　his

fine　personal　appearance。　　Hence　on　gala…days；　when　the　men　turned　out

in　procession；　〃Harry〃　was　usually　selected　to　march　at　their　head

and　carry　the　flag。　　His　conduct　as　a　son；　also；　was　as　admirable　as

his　qualities　as　a　workman。　　His　father　dying　shortly　after　Maudslay

entered　Bramah's　concern；　he　was　accustomed　to　walk　down　to　Woolwich

every　Saturday　night；　and　hand　over　to　his　mother；　for　whom　he　had

the　tenderest　regard；　a　considerable　share　of　his　week's　wages；　and

this　he　continued　to　do　as　long　as　she　lived。



Notwithstanding　his　youth；　he　was　raised　from　one　post　to　another；

until　he　was　appointed；　by　unanimous　consent；　the　head　foreman　of　the

works；　and　was　recognised　by　all　who　had　occasion　to　do　business

there　as　〃Bramah's　right…hand　man。〃　　He　not　only　won　the　heart　of　his

master；　butwhat　proved　of　far　greater　importance　to　himhe　also

won　the　heart　of　his　master's　pretty　housemaid；　Sarah　Tindel　by　name；

whom　he　married；　and　she　went　hand…in…hand　with　him　through　life；　an

admirable　〃help　meet；〃　in　every　way　worthy　of　the　noble　character　of

the　great　mechanic。　　Maudslay　was　found　especially　useful　by　his

master　in　devising　the　tools　for　making　his　patent　locks；　and　many

were　the　beautiful　contrivances　which　he　invented　for　the　purpose　of

ensuring　their　more　accurate　and　speedy　manufacture；　with　a　minimum

degree　of　labour；　and　without　the　need　of　any　large　amount　of　manual

dexterity　on　the　part　of　the　workman。　　The　lock　was　so　delicate　a

machine；　that　the　identity　of　the　several　parts　of　which　it　was

composed　was　found　to　be　an　absolute　necessity。　　Mere　handicraft；

however　skilled；　could　not　secure　the　requisite　precision　of

workmanship；　nor　could　the　parts　be　turned　out　in　sufficient　quantity

to　meet　any　large　demand。　　It　was　therefore　requisite　to　devise

machine…tools　which　should　not　blunder；　nor　turn　out　imperfect

work；　machines；　in　short；　which　should　be　in　a　great　measure

independent　of　the　want　of　dexterity　of　individual　workmen；　but　which

should　unerringly　labour　in　their　prescribed　track；　and　do　the　work

set　them；　even　in　the　minutest　details；　after　the　methods　designed　by

their　inventor。　　In　this　department　Maudslay　was　eminently　successful；

and　to　his　laborious　ingenuity；　as　first　displayed　in　Bramah's

workshops；　and　afterwards　in　his　own　establishment；　we　unquestionably

owe　much　of　the　power　and　accuracy　of　our　present　self…acting

machines。



Bramah　himself　was　not　backward　in　admitting　that　to　Henry　Maudslay's

practical　skill　in　contriving　the　machines　for　manufacturing　his

locks　on　a　large　scale；　the　success　of　his　invention　was　in　a　great

degree　attributable。　　In　further　proof　of　his　manual　dexterity；　it　may

be　mentioned　that　he　constructed　with　his　own　hands　the　identical

padlock　which　so　severely　tested　the　powers　of　Mr。　Hobbs　in　1851。　　And

when　it　is　considered　that　the　lock　had　been　made　for　more　than　half

a　century；　and　did　not　embody　any　of　the　modern　improvements；　it　will

perhaps　be　regarded　not　only　as　creditable　to　the　principles　on　which

it　was　constructed；　but　to　the　workmanship　of　its　maker；　that　it

should　so　long　have　withstood　the　various　mechanical　dexterity　to

which　it　was　exposed。



Besides　the　invention　of　improved　machine…tools　for　the　manufacture

of　locks；　Maudslay　was　of　further　service　to　Bramah　in　applying　the

expedient　to　his　famous　Hydraulic　Press；　without　which　it　would

probably　have　remained　an　impracticable　though　a　highly　ingenious

machine。　　As　in　other　instances　of　great　inventions；　the　practical

success　of　the　whole　is　often　found　to　depend　upon　the　action　of　some

apparently　trifling　detail。　　This　was　especially　the　case　with　the

hydraulic　press；　to　which　Maudslay　added　the　essential　feature　of　the

self…tightening　collar；　above　described　in　the　memoir　of　Bramah。　　Mr。

James　Nasmyth　is　our　authority　for　ascribing　this　invention　to

Maudslay；　who　was　certainly　quite　competent　to　have　made　it；　and　it

is　a　matter　of　fact　that　Bramah's　specification　of　the　press　says

nothing　of　the　hollow　collar；*

　＇footnote。。。

The　words　Bramah　uses　in　describing　this　part　of　his　patent　of　1795

are　these〃The　piston　must　be　made　perfectly　watertight　by　leather

or　other　materials；　as　used　in　pump…making。〃　　He　elsewhere　speaks　of

the　piston…rod　〃working　through　the　stuffing…box。〃　　But　in　practice；

as　we　have　above　shown；　these　methods　were　found　to　be　altogether

inefficient。

　。。。＇

on　which　its　efficient　action　mainly　depends。　　Mr。　Nasmyth

says〃Maudslay　himself　told　me；　or　led　me　to　believe；　that　it　was　he

who　invented　the　self…tightening　collar　for　the　hydraulic　press；

without　which　it　would　never　have　been　a　serviceable　machine。　　As　the

self…tightening　collar　is　to　the　hydraulic　press；　so　is　the

steamblast　to　the　locomotive。　　It　is　the　one　thing　needful　that　has

made　it　effective　in　practice。　　If　Maudslay　was　the　inventor　of　the

collar；　that　one　contrivance　ought　to　immortalize　him。　　He　used　to

tell　me　of　it　with　great　gusto；　and　I　have　no　reason　to　doubt　the

correctness　of　his　statement。〃　　Whoever　really　struck　out　the　idea　of

the　collar；　displayed　the　instinct　of　the　true　inventor；　who

invariably　seeks　to　accomplish　his　object　by　the　adoption　of　the

simplest　possible　means。



During　the　time　that　Maudslay　held　the　important　office　of　manager　of

Bramah's　works；　his　highest　wages　were　not　more　than　thirty　shillings

a…week。　　He　himself　thought　that　he　was　worth　more　to　his　masteras

indeed　he　was；and　he　felt　somewhat　mortified　that　he　should　have　to

make　an　application　for　an　advance；　but　the　increasing　expenses　of

his　family　compelled　him　in　a　measure　to　do　so。　　His　application　was

refused　in　such　a　manner　as　greatly　to　hurt　his　sensitive　feelings；

and　the　result　was　that　he　threw　up　his　situation；　and　determined　to

begin　working　on　his　own　account。



His　first　start　in　business　was　in　the　year　1797；　in　a　small　workshop

and　smithy　situated　in　Wells　Street；　Oxford　Street。　　It　was　in　an

awful　state　of　dirt　and　dilapidation　when　he　became　its　tenant。　　He

entered　the　place　on　a　Friday；　but　by　the　Saturday　evening；　with　the

help　of　his　excellent　wife；　he　had　the　shop　thoroughly　cleaned；

whitewashed；　and　put　in　readiness　for　beginning　work　on　the　next

Monday　morning。　　He　had　then　the　pleasure　of　hearing　the　roar　of　his

own　forge…fire；　and　the　cheering　ring　of　the　hammer　on　his　own　anvil；

and　great　was　the　pride　he　felt　in　standing　for　the　first　time　within

his　own　smithy　and　executing　orders　for　customers　on　his　own　account。

His　first　customer　was　an　artist；　who　gave　him　an　order　to　execute

the　iron　work　of　a　large　easel；　embodying　some　new　arrangements；　and

the　work　was　punctually　done　to　his　employer's　satisfaction。　　Other