industrial biography-第79章

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canal；　and　on　the　other　by　the　Liverpool　and　Manchester　Railway。　　By

the　end　of　the　week　I　had　secured　a　lease　of　the　site　for　999　years；

by　the　end　of　the　month　my　wood　sheds　were　erected；　the　ring　of　the

hammer　on　the　smith's　anvil　was　soon　heard　all　over　the　place；　and

the　Bridgewater　Foundry　was　fairly　under　way。　　There　I　toiled　right

heartily　until　December　31st；　1856；　when　I　retired　to　enjoy　in　active

leisure　the　reward　of　a　laborious　life；　during　which；　with　the

blessing　of　God；　I　enjoyed　much　true　happiness　through　the　hearty

love　which　I　always　had　for　my　profession；　and　I　trust　I　may　be

allowed　to　say；　without　undue　vanity；　that　I　have　left　behind　me　some

useful　results　of　my　labours　in　those　inventions　with　which　my　name

is　identified；　which　have　had　no　small　share　in　the　accomplishment　of

some　of　the　greatest　mechanical　works　of　our　age。〃　　If　Mr。　Nasmyth　had

accomplished　nothing　more　than　the　invention　of　his　steam…hammer；　it

would　have　been　enough　to　found　a　reputation。　　Professor　Tomlinson

describes　it　as　〃one　of　the　most　perfect　of　artificial　machines　and

noblest　triumphs　of　mind　over　matter　that　modern　English　engineers

have　yet　developed。〃*

　＇footnote。。。

Cyclopaedia　of　Useful　Arts；　ii。　739。

　。。。＇

The　hand…hammer　has　always　been　an　important　tool；　and；　in　the　form

of　the　stone　celt；　it　was　perhaps　the　first　invented。　　When　the　hammer

of　iron　superseded　that　of　stone；　it　was　found　practicable　in　the

hands　of　a　〃cunning〃　workman　to　execute　by　its　means　metal　work　of

great　beauty　and　even　delicacy。　　But　since　the　invention　of　cast…iron；

and　the　manufacture　of　wrought…iron　in　large　masses；　the　art　of

hammer…working　has　almost　become　lost；　and　great　artists；　such　as

Matsys　of　Antwerp　and　Rukers　of　Nuremberg　were；*

　＇footnote。。。

Matsys'　beautiful　wrought…iron　well　cover；　still　standing　in　front　of

the　cathedral　at　Antwerp；　and　Rukers's　steel　or　iron　chair　exhibited

at　South　Kensington　in　1862；　are　examples　of　the　beautiful　hammer

work　turned　out　by　the　artisans　of　the　middle　ages。　　The　railings　of

the　tombs　of　Henry　VII。　and　Queen　Eleanor　in　Westminster　Abbey；　the

hinges　and　iron　work　of　Lincoln　Cathedral；　of　St。　　George's　Chapel　at

Windsor；　and　of　some　of　the　Oxford　colleges；　afford　equally　striking

illustrations　of　the　skill　of　our　English　blacksmiths　several

centuries　ago。

　。。。＇

no　longer　think　it　worth　their　while　to　expend　time　and　skill　in

working　on　so　humble　a　material　as　wrought…iron。　　It　is　evident　from

the　marks　of　care　and　elaborate　design　which　many　of　these　early

works　exhibit；　that　the　workman's　heart　was　in　his　work；　and　that　his

object　was　not　merely　to　get　it　out　of　hand；　but　to　execute　it　in

first…rate　artistic　style。



When　the　use　of　iron　extended　and　larger　ironwork　came　to　be　forged；

for　cannon；　tools；　and　machinery；　the　ordinary　hand…hammer　was　found

insufficient；　and　the　helve　or　forge…hammer　was　invented。　　This　was

usually　driven　by　a　water…wheel；　or　by　oxen　or　horses。　　The

tilt…hammer　was　another　form　in　which　it　was　used；　the　smaller　kinds

being　worked　by　the　foot。　　Among　Watt's　various　inventions；　was　a

tilt…hammer　of　considerable　power；　which　he　at　first　worked　by　means

of　a　water…wheel；　and　afterwards　by　a　steam　engine　regulated　by　a

fly…wheel。　　His　first　hammer　of　this　kind　was　120　lbs。　in　weight；　it

was　raised　eight　inches　before　making　each　blow。　　Watt　afterwards　made

a　tilt…hammer　for　Mr。　Wilkinson　of　Bradley　Forge；　of　7　1/2　cwt。；　and

it　made　300　blows　a　minute　。　　Other　improvements　were　made　in　the

hammer　from　time　to　time；　but　no　material　alteration　was　made　in　the

power　by　which　it　was　worked　until　Mr。　Nasmyth　took　it　in　hand；　and

applying　to　it　the　force　of　steam；　at　once　provided　the　worker　in

iron　with　the　most　formidable　of　machine…tools。　　This　important

invention　originated　as　follows：　　



In　the　early　part　of　1837；　the　directors　of　the　Great　Western

Steam…Ship　Company　sent　Mr。　Francis　Humphries；　their　engineer；　to

consult　Mr。　Nasmyth　as　to　some　engineering　tools　of　unusual　size　and

power；　which　were　required　for　the　construction　of　the　engines　of　the

〃Great　Britain〃　steamship。　　They　had　determined　to　construct　those

engines　on　the　vertical　trunk…engine　principle；　in　accordance　with

Mr。　Humphries'　designs；　and　very　complete　works　were　erected　by　them

at　their　Bristol　dockyard　for　the　execution　of　the　requisite

machinery；　the　most　important　of　the　tools　being　supplied　by　Nasmyth

and　Gaskell。　　The　engines　were　in　hand；　when　a　difficulty　arose　with

respect　to　the　enormous　paddle…shaft　of　the　vessel；　which　was　of　such

a　size　of　forging　as　had　never　before　been　executed。　　Mr。　Humphries

applied　to　the　largest　engineering　firms　throughout　the　country　for

tenders　of　the　price　at　which　they　would　execute　this　part　of　the

work；　but　to　his　surprise　and　dismay　he　found　that　not　one　of　the

firms　he　applied　to　would　undertake　so　large　a　forging。　　In　this

dilemma　he　wrote　to　Mr。　Nasmyth　on　the　24th　November；1838；　informing

him　of　this　unlooked…for　difficulty。　　〃I　find；〃　said　he；　〃there　is　not

a　forge…hammer　in　England　or　Scotland　powerful　enough　to　forge　the

paddle…shaft　of　the　engines　for　the　'Great　Britain！'　What　am　I　to　do？

Do　you　think　I　might　dare　to　use　cast…iron？〃



This　letter　immediately　set　Mr。　Nasmyth　a…thinking。　　How　was　it　that

existing　hammers　were　incapable　of　forging　a　wrought…iron　shaft　of

thirty　inches　diameter？　Simply　because　of　their　want　of　compass；　or

range　and　fall；　as　well　as　power　of　blow。　　A　few　moments'　rapid

thought　satisfied　him　that　it　was　by　rigidly　adhering　to　the　old

traditional　form　of　hand…hammerof　which　the　tilt；　though　driven

by　steam；　was　but　a　modificationthat　the　difficulty　had　arisen。

When　even　the　largest　hammer　was　tilted　up　to　its　full　height；　its

range　was　so　small；　that　when　a　piece　of　work　of　considerable　size

was　placed　on　the　anvil；　the　hammer　became　〃gagged；〃　and；　on　such　an

occasion；　where　the　forging　required　the　most　powerful　blow；　it

received　next　to　no　blow　at　all；the　clear　space　for　fall　being

almost　entirely　occupied　by　the　work　on　the　anvil。



The　obvious　remedy　was　to　invent　some　method；　by　which　a　block　of

iron　should　be　lifted　to　a　sufficient　height　above　the　object　on

which　it　was　desired　to　strike　a　blow；　and　let　the　block　fall　down

upon　the　work；guiding　it　in　its　descent　by　such　simple　means　as

should　give　the　required　precision　in　the　percussive　action　of　the

falling　mass。　　Following　out　this　idea；　Mr。　Nasmyth　at　once　sketched

on　paper　his　steam…hammer；　having　it　clearly　before　him　in　his　mind's

eye　a　few　minutes　after　receiving　Mr。　Humphries'　letter　narrating　his

unlooked…for　difficulty。　　The　hammer；　as　thus　sketched；　consisted　of；

first　an　anvil　on　which　to　rest　the　work；　second；　a　block　of　iron

constituting　the　hammer　or　blow…giving　part；　third；　an　inverted

steam…cylinder　to　whose　piston…rod　the　block　was　attached。　　All　that

was　then　required　to　produce　by　such　means　a　most　effective　hammer；

was　simply　to　admit　steam　in　the　cylinder　so　as　to　act　on　the　under

side　of　the　piston；　and　so　raise　the　block　attached　to　the

piston…rod；　and　by　a　simple　contrivance　to　let　the　steam　escape　and

so　permit　the　block　rapidly　to　descend　by　its　own　gravity　upon　the

work　then　on　the　anvil。　　Such；　in　a　few　words；　is　the　rationale　of　the

steam…hammer。



By　the　same　day's　post；　Mr。　Nasmyth　wrote　to　Mr。　Humphries；　inclosing

a　sketch　of　the　invention　by　which　he　proposed　to　forge　the　〃Great

Britain〃　paddle…shaft。　　Mr。　Humphries　showed　it　to　Mr。　Brunel；　the

engineer…inchief　of　the　company；　to　Mr。　Guppy；　the　managing　director；

and　to　others　interested　in　the　undertaking；　by　all　of　whom　it　was

heartily　approved。　　Mr。　Nasmyth　gave　permission　to　communicate　his

plans　to　such　forge　proprietors　as　might　feel　disposed　to　erect　such

a　hammer　to　execute　the　proposed　work；the　only　condition　which　he

made　being；　that　in　the　event　of　his　hammer　being　adopted；　he　was　to

be　allowed　to　sup