industrial biography-第73章

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The　present　Messrs。　Fox　of　Derby；　who　continue　to　carry　on　the

business　of　the　firm；　claim　for　their　grandfather；　its　founder；　that

he　made　the　first　planing　machine　in　1814；*

　＇footnote。。。

Engineer；　Oct。　10th；　1862。

　。。。＇

and　they　add　that　the　original　article　continued　in　use　until　quite

recently。　　We　have　been　furnished　by　Samuel　Hall；　formerly　a　workman

at　the　Messrs。　Fox's；　with　the　following　description　of　the

machine：　　　〃　It　was　essentially　the　same　in　principle　as　the　planing

machine　now　in　general　use；　although　differing　in　detail。　　It　had　a

self…acting　ratchet　motion　for　moving　the　slides　of　a　compound　slide

rest；　and　a　self…acting　reversing　tackle；　consisting　of　three　bevel

wheels；　one　a　stud；　one　loose　on　the　driving　shaft；　and　another　on　a

socket；　with　a　pinion　on　the　opposite　end　of　the　driving　shaft

running　on　the　socket。　　The　other　end　was　the　place　for　the　driving

pulley。　　A　clutch　box　was　placed　between　the　two　opposite　wheels；

which　was　made　to　slide　on　a　feather；　so　that　by　means　of　another

shaft　containing　levers　and　a　tumbling　ball；　the　box　on　reversing　was

carried　from　one　bevel　wheel　to　the　opposite　one。〃　　The　same　James　Fox

is　also　said　at　a　very　early　period　to　have　invented　a　screw…cutting

machine；　an　engine　for　accurately　dividing　and　cutting　the　teeth　of

wheels；　and　a　self…acting　lathe。　　But　the　evidence　as　to　the　dates　at

which　these　several　inventions　are　said　to　have　been　made　is　so

conflicting　that　it　is　impossible　to　decide　with　whom　the　merit　of

making　them　really　rests。　　The　same　idea　is　found　floating　at　the　same

time　in　many　minds；　the　like　necessity　pressing　upon　all；　and　the

process　of　invention　takes　place　in　like　manner：　　hence　the

contemporaneousness　of　so　many　inventions；　and　the　disputes　that

arise　respecting　them；　as　described　in　a　previous　chapter。



There　are　still　other　claimants　for　the　merit　of　having　invented　the

planing　machine；　among　whom　may　be　mentioned　more　particularly

Matthew　Murray　of　Leeds；　and　Richard　Roberts　of　Manchester。　　We　are

informed　by　Mr。　March；　the　present　mayor　of　Leeds；　head　of　the

celebrated　tool…manufacturing　firm　of　that　town；　that　when　he　first

went　to　work　at　Matthew　Murray's；　in　1814；　a　planing　machine　of　his

invention　was　used　to　plane　the　circular　part　or　back　of　the　D　valve；

which　he　had　by　that　time　introduced　in　the　steam…engine。　　Mr。　March

says；　〃I　recollect　it　very　distinctly；　and　even　the　sort　of　framing

on　which　it　stood。　　The　machine　was　not　patented；　and　like　many

inventions　in　those　days；　it　was　kept　as　much　a　secret　as　possible；

being　locked　up　in　a　small　room　by　itself；　to　which　the　ordinary

workmen　could　not　obtain　access。　　The　year　in　which　I　remember　it

being　in　use　was；　so　far　as　I　am　aware；　long　before　any

planing…machine　of　a　similar　kind　had　been　invented。〃



Matthew　Murray　was　born　at　Stockton…on…Tees　in　the　year　1763。　　His

parents　were　of　the　working　class；　and　Matthew；　like　the　other

members　of　the　family；　was　brought　up　with　the　ordinary　career　of

labour　before　him。　　When　of　due　age　his　father　apprenticed　him　to　the

trade　of　a　blacksmith；　in　which　he　very　soon　acquired　considerable

expertness。　　He　married　before　his　term　had　expired；　after　which；

trade　being　slack　at　Stockton；　he　found　it　necessary　to　look　for　work

elsewhere。　　Leaving　his　wife　behind　him；　he　set　out　for　Leeds　with　his

bundle　on　his　back；　and　after　a　long　journey　on　foot；　he　reached　that

town　with　not　enough　money　left　in　his　pocket　to　pay　for　a　bed　at　the

Bay　Horse　inn；　where　he　put　up。　　But　telling　the　landlord　that　he

expected　work　at　Marshall's；　and　seeming　to　be　a　respectable　young

man；　the　landlord　trusted　him；　and　he　was　so　fortunate　as　to　obtain

the　job　which　he　sought　at　Mr。　Marshall's；　who　was　then　beginning　the

manufacture　of　flax；　for　which　the　firm　has　since　become　so　famous。



Mr。　Marshall　was　at　that　time　engaged　in　improving　the　method　of

manufacture；*

　＇footnote。。。

We　are　informed　in　Mr。　Longstaffe's　Annals　and　Characteristics　of

Darlington；　that　the　spinning　of　flax　by　machinery　was　first　begun　by

one　John　Kendrew；　an　ingenious　self…taught　mechanic　of　that　town；　who

invented　a　machine　for　the　purpose；　for　which　he　took　out　a　patent　in

1787。　　Mr。　Marshall　went　over　from　Leeds　to　see　his　machine；　and

agreed　to　give　him　so　much　per　spindle　for　the　right　to　use　it。　　But

ceasing　to　pay　the　patent　right；　Kendrew　commenced　an　action　against

him　for　a　sum　of　nine　hundred　pounds　alleged　to　be　due　under　the

agreement。　　The　claim　was　disputed；　and　Kendrew　lost　his　action；　and

it　is　added　in　Longstaffe's　Annals；　that　even　had　he　succeeded；　it

would　have　been　of　no　use；　for　Mr。　Marshall　declared　that　he　had　not

then　the　money　wherewith　to　pay　him。　　It　is　possible　that　Matthew

Murray　may　have　obtained　some　experience　of　flax…machinery　in　working

for　Kendrew；　which　afterwards　proved　of　use　to　him　in　Mr。　Marshall's

establishment。

　。。。＇

and　the　young　blacksmith　was　so　fortunate　or　rather　so　dexterous　as

to　be　able　to　suggest　several　improvements　in　the　machinery　which

secured　the　approval　of　his　employer；　who　made　him　a　present　of　20L。；

and　very　shortly　promoted　him　to　be　the　first　mechanic　in　the

workshop。　　On　this　stroke　of　good　fortune　Murray　took　a　house　at　the

neighbouring　village　of　Beeston；　sent　to　Stockton　for　his　wife；　who

speedily　joined　him；　and　he　now　felt　himself　fairly　started　in　the

world。　　He　remained　with　Mr。　Marshall　for　about　twelve　years；　during

which　he　introduced　numerous　improvements　in　the　machinery　for

spinning　flax；　and　obtained　the　reputation　of　being　a　first…rate

mechanic。　　This　induced　Mr。　James　Fenton　and　Mr。　David　Wood　to　offer

to　join　him　in　the　establishment　of　an　engineering　and　machine…making

factory　at　Leeds；　which　he　agreed　to；　and　operations　were　commenced

at　Holbeck　in　the　year　1795。



As　Mr。　Murray　had　obtained　considerable　practical　knowledge　of　the

steam…engine　while　working　at　Mr。　Marshall's；　he　took　principal

charge　of　the　engine…building　department；　while　his　partner　Wood

directed　the　machine…making。　　In　the　branch　of　engine…building　Mr。

Murray　very　shortly　established　a　high　reputation；　treading　close

upon　the　heels　of　Boulton　and　Wattso　close；　indeed；　that　that　firm

became　very　jealous　of　him；　and　purchased　a　large　piece　of　ground

close　to　his　works　with　the　object　of　preventing　their　extension。*

　＇footnote。。。

The　purchase　of　this　large　piece　of　ground；　known　as　Camp　Field；　had

the　effect　of　〃plugging　up〃　Matthew　Murray　for　a　time；　and　it

remained　disused；　except　for　the　deposit　of　dead　dogs　and　other

rubbish；　for　more　than　half　a　century。　　It　has　only　been　enclosed

during　the　present　year；　and　now　forms　part　of　the　works　of　Messrs。

Smith；　Beacock；　and　Tannet；　the　eminent　tool…makers。

　。。。＇

His　additions　to　the　steam…engine　were　of　great　practical　value；　one

of　which；　the　self…acting　apparatus　attached　to　the　boiler　for　the

purpose　of　regulating　the　intensity　of　fire　under　it；　and

consequently　the　production　of　steam；　is　still　in　general　use。　　This

was　invented　by　him　as　early　as　1799。　　He　also　subsequently　invented

the　D　slide　valve；　or　at　least　greatly　improved　it；　while　he　added　to

the　power　of　the　air…pump；　and　gave　a　new　arrangement　to　the　other

parts；　with　a　view　to　the　simplification　of　the　powers　of　the　engine。

To　make　the　D　valve　work　efficiently；　it　was　found　necessary　to　form

two　perfectly　plane　surfaces；　to　produce　which　he　invented　his

planing　machine。　　He　was　also　the　first　to　adopt　the　practice　of

placing　the　piston　in　a　horizontal　position　in　the　common　condensing

engine。　　Among　his　other　modifications　in　the　steam…engine；　was　his

improvement　of　the　locomotive　as　invented　by　Trevithick；　and　it　ought

to　be　remembered　to　his　honour　that　he　made　the　first　locomotive　that

regularly　worked　upon　any　railway。



This　was　the　engine　erected　by　him　for　Blenkinsop；　to　work　the

Middleton　colliery　railway　near　Leeds；　on　which　it