industrial biography-第75章

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of　gas　by　the　index　shaft；　the　want　of　which；　as　well　as　its　great

complexity；　had　prevented　the　only　other　gas　meter　then　in　existence

from　working　satisfactorily。　　The　water　lute　was　immediately　adopted

by　the　patentee　of　that　meter。　　The　planing　machine；　though　claimed；

as　we　have　seen；　by　many　inventors；　was　constructed　by　Mr。　Roberts

after　an　original　plan　of　his　own　in　1817；　and　became　the　tool　most

generally　employed　in　mechanical　workshopsacting　by　means　of　a

chain　and　rackthough　it　has　since　been　superseded　to　some　extent　by

the　planing　machine　of　Whitworth；　which　works　both　ways　upon　an

endless　screw。　　Improvements　followed　in　the　slide…lathe　（giving　a

large　range　of　speed　with　increased　diameters　for　the　same　size　of

headstocks；　&c。）；　in　the　wheel…cutting　engine；　in　the　scale…beam　（by

which；　with　a　load　of　2　oz。　　on　each　end；　the　fifteen…hundredth　part

of　a　grain　could　be　indicated）；　in　the　broaching…machine；　the

slotting…machine；　and　other　engines。



But　the　inventions　by　which　his　fame　became　most　extensively　known

arose　out　of　circumstances　connected　with　the　cotton　manufactures　of

Manchester　and　the　neighbourhood。　　The　great　improvements　which　he

introduced　in　the　machine　for　making　weavers'　reeds；　led　to　the

formation　of　the　firm　of　Sharp；　Roberts；　and　Co。；　of　which　Mr。

Roberts　was　the　acting　mechanical　partner　for　many　years。　　Not　less

important　were　his　improvements　in　power…looms　for　weaving　fustians；

which　were　extensively　adopted。　　But　by　far　the　most　famous　of　his

inventions　was　unquestionably　his　Self…acting　Mule；　one　of　the　most

elaborate　and　beautiful　pieces　of　machinery　ever　contrived。　　Before

its　invention；　the　working　of　the　entire　machinery　of　the

cotton…mill；　as　well　as　the　employment　of　the　piecers；　cleaners；　and

other　classes　of　operatives；　depended　upon　the　spinners；　who；　though

receiving　the　highest　rates　of　pay；　were　by　much　the　most　given　to

strikes；　and　they　were　frequently　accustomed　to　turn　out　in　times

when　trade　was　brisk；　thereby　bringing　the　whole　operations　of　the

manufactories　to　a　standstill；　and　throwing　all　the　other　operatives

out　of　employment。　　A　long…continued　strike　of　this　sort　took　place　in

1824；　when　the　idea　occurred　to　the　masters　that　it　might　be　possible

to　make　the　spinning…mules　run　out　and　in　at　the　proper　speed　by

means　of　self…acting　machinery；　and　thus　render　them　in　some　measure

independent　of　the　more　refractory　class　of　their　workmen。　　It　seemed；

however；　to　be　so　very　difficult　a　problem；　that　they　were　by　no

means　sanguine　of　success　in　its　solution。　　Some　time　passed　before

they　could　find　any　mechanic　willing　so　much　as　to　consider　the

subject。　　Mr。　Ashton　of　Staley…bridge　made　every　effort　with　this

object；　but　the　answer　he　got　was　uniformly　the　same。　　The　thing　was

declared　to　be　impracticable　and　impossible。　　Mr。　Ashton；　accompanied

by　two　other　leading　spinners；　called　on　Sharp；　Roberts；　and　Co。；　to

seek　an　interview　with　Mr。　Roberts。　　They　introduced　the　subject　to

him；　but　he　would　scarcely　listen　to　their　explanations；　cutting　them

short　with　the　remark　that　he　knew　nothing　whatever　about

cotton…spinning。　　They　insisted；　nevertheless；　on　explaining　to　him

what　they　required；　but　they　went　away　without　being　able　to　obtain

from　him　any　promise　of　assistance　in　bringing　out　the　required

machine。



The　strike　continued；　and　the　manufacturers　again　called　upon　Mr。

Roberts；　but　with　no　better　result。　　A　third　time　they　called　and

appealed　to　Mr。　Sharp；　the　capitalist　of　the　firm；　who　promised　to

use　his　best　endeavours　to　induce　his　mechanical　partner　to　take　the

matter　in　hand。　　But　Mr。　Roberts；　notwithstanding　his　reticence；　had

been　occupied　in　carefully　pondering　the　subject　since　Mr。　Ashton's

first　interview　with　him。　　The　very　difficulty　of　the　problem　to　be

solved　had　tempted　him　boldly　to　grapple　with　it；　though　he　would　not

hold　out　the　slightest　expectation　to　the　cotton…spinners　of　his

being　able　to　help　them　in　their　emergency　until　he　saw　his　way

perfectly　clear。　　That　time　had　now　come；　and　when　Mr。　Sharp

introduced　the　subject；　he　said　he　had　turned　the　matter　over　and

thought　he　could　construct　the　required　self…acting　machinery。　　It　was

arranged　that　he　should　proceed　with　it　at　once；　and　after　a　close

study　of　four　months　he　brought　out　the　machine　now　so　extensively

known　as　the　self…acting　mule。　　The　invention　was　patented　in　1825；

and　was　perfected　by　subsequent　additions；　which　were　also　patented。



Like　so　many　other　inventions；　the　idea　of　the　self…acting　mule　was

not　new。　　Thus　Mr。　William　Strutt　of　Derby；　the　father　of　Lord　Belper；

invented　a　machine　of　this　sort　at　an　early　period；　Mr。　William

Belly；　of　the　New　Lanark　Mills；　invented　a　second；　and　various　other

projectors　tried　their　skill　in　the　same　direction；　but　none　of　these

inventions　came　into　practical　use。　　In　such　cases　it　has　become

generally　admitted　that　the　real　inventor　is　not　the　person　who

suggests　the　idea　of　the　invention；　but　he　who　first　works　it　out

into　a　practicable　process；　and　so　makes　it　of　practical　and

commercial　value。　　This　was　accomplished　by　Mr。　Roberts；　who；　working

out　the　idea　after　his　own　independent　methods；　succeeded　in　making

the　first　self…acting　mule　that　would　really　act　as　such；　and　he　is

therefore　fairly　entitled　to　be　regarded　as　its　inventor。



By　means　of　this　beautiful　contrivance；　spindle…carriages；　bearing

hundreds　of　spindles；　run　themselves　out　and　in　by　means　of　automatic

machinery；　at　the　proper　speed；　without　a　hand　touching　them；　the

only　labour　required　being　that　of　a　few　boys　and　girls　to　watch　them

and　mend　the　broken　threads　when　the　carriage　recedes　from　the　roller

beam；　and　to　stop　it　when　the　cop　is　completely　formed；　as　is

indicated　by　the　bell　of　the　counter　attached　to　the　working　gear。

Mr。　Baines　describes　the　self…acting　mule　while　at　work　as　〃drawing

out；　twisting；　and　winding　up　many　thousand　threads；　with　unfailing

precision　and　indefatigable　patience　and　strengtha　scene　as　magical

to　the　eye　which　is　not　familiarized　with　it；　as　the　effects　have

been　marvellous　in　augmenting　the　wealth　and　population　of　the

country。〃*

　＇footnote。。。

EDWARD　BAINES；　Esq。；　M。P。；　History　of　the　Cotton　Manufacture；　212。

　。。。＇



Mr。　Roberts's　great　success　with　the　self…acting　mule　led　to　his

being　often　appealed　to　for　help　in　the　mechanics　of　manufacturing。

In　1826；　the　year　after　his　patent　was　taken　out；　he　was　sent　for　to

Mulhouse；　in　Alsace；　to　design　and　arrange　the　machine　establishment

of　Andre　Koechlin　and　Co。；　and　in　that　and　the　two　subsequent　years

he　fairly　set　the　works　a…going；　instructing　the　workmen　in　the

manufacture　of　spinning…machinery；　and　thus　contributing　largely　to

the　success　of　the　French　cotton　manufacture。　　In　1832　he　patented　his

invention　of　the　Radial　Arm　for　〃winding　on〃　in　the　self…acting　mule；

now　in　general　use；　and　in　future　years　he　took　out　sundry　patents

for　roving；　slubbing；　spinning；　and　doubling　cotton　and　other　fibrous

materials；　and　for　weaving；　beetling；　and　mangling　fabrics　of　various

sorts。



A　considerable　branch　of　business　carried　on　by　the　firm　of　Sharp；

Roberts；　and　Co。　　was　the　manufacture　of　iron　billiard…tables；　which

were　constructed　with　almost　perfect　truth　by　means　of　Mr。　Roberts's

planing…machine；　and　became　a　large　article　of　export。　　But　a　much

more　important　and　remunerative　department　was　the　manufacture　of

locomotives；　which　was　begun　by　the　firm　shortly　after　the　opening　of

the　Liverpool　and　Manchester　Railway　had　marked　this　as　one　of　the

chief　branches　of　future　mechanical　engineering。　　Mr。　Roberts　adroitly

seized　the　opportunity　presented　by　this　new　field　of　invention　and

enterprise；　and　devoted　himself　for　a　time　to　the　careful　study　of

the　locomotive　and　its　powers。　　As　early　as　the　year　1829　we　find　him

presenting　to　the　Manchester　Mechanics'　Institute　a　machine

exhibiting　the　nature　of