industrial biography-第76章

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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　friction　upon　railroads；　in　solution　of　the

problem　then　under　discussion　in　the　scientific　journals。　　In　the

following　year　he　patented　an　arrangement　for　communicating　power　to

both　driving…wheels　of　the　locomotive；　at　all　times　in　the　exact

proportions　required　when　turning　to　the　right　or　left；an

arrangement　which　has　since　been　adopted　in　many　road　locomotives　and

agricultural　engines。　　In　the　same　patent　will　be　found　embodied　his

invention　of　the　steam…brake；　which　was　also　a　favourite　idea　of

George　Stephenson；　since　elaborated　by　Mr。　MacConnell　of　the　London

and　North…Western　Railway。　　In　1834；　Sharp；　Roberts；　and　Co。　　began　the

manufacture　of　locomotives　on　a　large　scale；　and　the　compactness　of

their　engines；　the　excellence　of　their　workmanship；　and　the　numerous

original　improvements　introduced　in　them；　speedily　secured　for　the

engines　of　the　Atlas　firm　a　high　reputation　and　a　very　large　demand。

Among　Mr。　Roberts's　improvements　may　be　mentioned　his　method　of

manufacturing　the　crank　axle；　of　welding　the　rim　and　tyres　of　the

wheels；　and　his　arrangement　and　form　of　the　wrought…iron　framing　and

axle…guards。　　His　system　of　templets　and　gauges；　by　means　of　which

every　part　of　an　engine　or　tender　corresponded　with　that　of　every

other　engine　or　tender　of　the　same　class；　was　as　great　an　improvement

as　Maudslay's　system　of　uniformity　of　parts　in　other　descriptions　of

machinery。



In　connection　with　the　subject　of　railways；　we　may　allude　in　passing

to　Mr。　Roberts's　invention　of　the　Jacquard　punching　machinea

self…acting　tool　of　great　power；　used　for　punching　any　required

number　of　holes；　of　any　pitch　and　to　any　pattern；　with　mathematical

accuracy；　in　bridge　or　boiler　plates。　　The　origin　of　this　invention

was　somewhat　similar　to　that　of　the　self…acting　mule。　　The　contractors

for　the　Conway　Tubular　Bridge　while　under　construction；　in　1848；　were

greatly　hampered　by　combinations　amongst　the　workmen；　and　they

despaired　of　being　able　to　finish　the　girders　within　the　time

specified　in　the　contract。　　The　punching　of　the　iron　plates　by　hand

was　a　tedious　and　expensive　as　well　as　an　inaccurate　process；　and　the

work　was　proceeding　so　slowly　that　the　contractors　found　it

absolutely　necessary　to　adopt　some　new　method　of　punching　if　they

were　to　finish　the　work　in　time。　　In　their　emergency　they　appealed　to

Mr。　Roberts；　and　endeavoured　to　persuade　him　to　take　the　matter　up。

He　at　length　consented　to　do　so；　and　evolved　the　machine　in　question

during　his　evening's　leisurefor　the　most　part　while　quietly　sipping

his　tea。　　The　machine　was　produced；　the　contractors　were　enabled　to

proceed　with　the　punching　of　the　plates　independent　of　the　refractory

men；　and　the　work　was　executed　with　a　despatch；　accuracy；　and

excellence　that　would　not　otherwise　have　been　possible。　　Only　a　few

years　since　Mr。　Roberts　added　a　useful　companion　to　the　Jacquard

punching　machine；　in　his　combined　self…acting　machine　for　shearing

iron　and　punching　both　webs　of　angle　or　T　iron　simultaneously　to　any

required　pitch；　though　this　machine；　like　others　which　have　proceeded

from　his　fertile　brain；　is　ahead　even　of　this　fast…manufacturing　age；

and　has　not　yet　come　into　general　use；　but　is　certain　to　do　so　before

many　years　have　elapsed。



These　inventions　were　surely　enough　for　one　man　to　have　accomplished；

but　we　have　not　yet　done。　　The　mere　enumeration　of　his　other

inventions　would　occupy　several　pages。　　We　shall　merely　allude　to　a

few　of　them。　　One　was　his　Turret　Clock；　for　which　he　obtained　the

medal　at　the　Great　Exhibition　of　1851。　　Another　was　his　Prize

Electro…Magnet　of　1845。　　When　this　subject　was　first　mentioned　to　him；

he　said　he　did　not　know　anything　of　the　theory　or　practice　of

electro…magnetism；　but　he　would　try　and　find　out。　　The　result　of　his

trying　was　that　he　won　the　prize　for　the　most　powerful

electro…magnet：　　one　is　placed　in　the　museum　at　Peel　Park；　Manchester；

and　another　with　the　Scottish　Society　of　Arts；　Edinburgh。　　In　1846　he

perfected　an　American　invention　for　making　cigars　by　machinery；

enabling　a　boy；　working　one　of　his　cigar…engines；　to　make　as　many　as

5000　in　a　day。　　In　1852　he　patented　improvements　in　the　construction；

propelling；　and　equipment　of　steamships；　which　have；　we　believe；　been

adopted　to　a　certain　extent　by　the　Admiralty；　and　a　few　years　later；

in　1855；　we　find　him　presenting　the　Secretary　of　War　with　plans　of

elongated　rifle　projectiles　to　be　used　in　smooth…bore　ordnance　with　a

view　to　utilize　the　old…pattern　gun。　　His　head；　like　many　inventors　of

the　time；　being　full　of　the　mechanics　of　war；　he　went　so　far　as　to

wait　upon　Louis　Napoleon；　and　laid　before　him　a　plan　by　which

Sebastopol　was　to　be　blown　down。　　In　short；　upon　whatever　subject　he

turned　his　mind；　he　left　the　impress　of　his　inventive　faculty。　　If　it

was　imperfect；　he　improved　it；　if　incapable　of　improvement；　and

impracticable；　he　invented　something　entirely　new；　superseding　it

altogether。　　But　with　all　his　inventive　genius；　in　the　exercise　of

which　Mr。　Roberts　has　so　largely　added　to　the　productive　power　of　the

country；　we　regret　to　say　that　he　is　not　gifted　with　the　commercial

faculty。　　He　has　helped　others　in　their　difficulties；　but　forgotten

himself。　　Many　have　profited　by　his　inventions；　without　even

acknowledging　the　obligations　which　they　owed　to　him。　　They　have　used

his　brains　and　copied　his　tools；　and　the　〃sucked　orange〃　is　all　but

forgotten。　　There　may　have　been　a　want　of　worldly　wisdom　on　his　part；

but　it　is　lamentable　to　think　that　one　of　the　most　prolific　and

useful　inventors　of　his　time　should　in　his　old　age　be　left　to　fight

with　poverty。



Mr。　Whitworth　is　another　of　the　first…class　tool…makers　of　Manchester

who　has　turned　to　excellent　account　his　training　in　the　workshops　of

Maudslay　and　Clement。　　He　has　carried　fully　out　the　system　of

uniformity　in　Screw　Threads　which　they　initiated；　and　he　has　still

further　improved　the　mechanism　of　the　planing　machine；　enabling　it　to

work　both　backwards　and　forwards　by　means　of　a　screw　and　roller

motion。　　His　〃Jim　Crow　Machine；〃　so　called　from　its　peculiar　motion　in

reversing　itself　and　working　both　ways；　is　an　extremely　beautiful

tool；　adapted　alike　for　horizontal；　vertical；　or　angular　motions。　　The

minute　accuracy　of　Mr。　Whitworth's　machines　is　not　the　least　of　their

merits；　and　nothing　will　satisfy　him　short　of　perfect　truth。　　At　the

meeting　of　the　Institute　of　Mechanical　Engineers　at　Glasgow　in　1856

he　read　a　paper　on　the　essential　importance　of　possessing　a　true

plane　as　a　standard　of　reference　in　mechanical　constructions；　and　he

described　elaborately　the　true　method　of　securing　it；namely；　by

scraping；　instead　of　by　the　ordinary　process　of　grinding。　　At　the　same

meeting　he　exhibited　a　machine　of　his　invention　by　which　he　stated

that　a　difference　of　the　millionth　part　of　an　inch　in　length　could　at

once　be　detected。　　He　also　there　urged　his　favourite　idea　of

uniformity；　and　proper　gradations　of　size　of　parts；　in　all　the

various　branches　of　the　mechanical　arts；　as　a　chief　means　towards

economy　of　productiona　principle；　as　he　showed；　capable　of　very

extensive　application。　　To　show　the　progress　of　tools　and　machinery　in

his　own　time；　Mr。　Whitworth　cited　the　fact　that　thirty　years　since

the　cost　of　labour　for　making　a　surface　of　cast…iron　trueone　of　the

most　important　operations　in　mechanicsby　chipping　and　filing　by　the

hand；　was　12s。　a　square　foot；　whereas　it　is　now　done　by　the　planing

machine　at　a　cost　for　labour　of　less　than　a　penny。　　Then　in　machinery；

pieces　of　74　reed　printing…cotton　cloth　of　29　yards　each　could　not　be

produced　at　less　cost　than　30s。　6d。　per　piece；　whereas　the　same

description　is　now　sold　for　3s。　9d。　　Mr。　Whitworth　has　been　among　the

most　effective　workers　in　this　field　of　improvement；　his　tools　taking