industrial biography-第81章

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nothing　of　the　greatly　extended　use　which　it　has　been　the　direct

means　of　effecting　in　wrought…iron　and　steel　forgings　in　every

description　of　machinery；　from　the　largest　marine　steam…engines　to

the　most　nice　and　delicate　parts　of　textile　mechanism。　　〃It　is　not　too

much　to　say；〃　observes　a　writer　in　the　Engineer；　〃that；　without

Nasmyth's　steam…hammer；　we　must　have　stopped　short　in　many　of　those

gigantic　engineering　works　which；　but　for　the　decay　of　all　wonder　in

us；　would　be　the　perpetual　wonder　of　this　age；　and　which　have　enabled

our　modern　engineers　to　take　rank　above　the　gods　of　all　mythologies。

There　is　one　use　to　which　the　steam…hammer　is　now　becoming

extensively　applied　by　some　of　our　manufacturers　that　deserves

especial　mention；　rather　for　the　prospect　which　it　opens　to　us　than

for　what　has　already　been　actually　accomplished。　　We　allude　to　the

manufacture　of　large　articles　in　DIES。　　At　one　manufactory　in　the

country；　railway　wheels；　for　example；　are　being　manufactured　with

enormous　economy　by　this　means。　　The　various　parts　of　the　wheels　are

produced　in　quantity　either　by　rolling　or　by　dies　under　the　hammer；

these　parts　are　brought　together　in　their　relative　positions　in　a

mould；　heated　to　a　welding　heat；　and　then　by　a　blow　of　the　steam

hammer；　furnished　with　dies；　are　stamped　into　a　complete　and　all　but

finished　wheel。　　It　is　evident　that　wherever　wrought…iron　articles　of

a　manageable　size　have　to　be　produced　in　considerable　quantities；　the

same　process　may　be　adopted；　and　the　saving　effected　by　the

substitution　of　this　for　the　ordinary　forging　process　will　doubtless

ere　long　prove　incalculable。　　For　this；　as　for　the　many　other

advantageous　uses　of　the　steam…hammer；　we　are　primarily　and　mainly

indebted　to　Mr。　Nasmyth。　　It　is　but　right；　therefore；　that　we　should

hold　his　name　in　honour。　　In　fact；　when　we　think　of　the　universal

service　which　this　machine　is　rendering　us；　we　feel　that　some　special

expression　of　our　indebtedness　to　him　would　be　a　reasonable　and

grateful　service。　　The　benefit　which　he　has　conferred　upon　us　is　so

great　as　to　justly　entitle　him　to　stand　side　by　side　with　the　few　men

who　have　gained　name　and　fame　as　great　inventive　engineers；　and　to

whom　we　have　testified　our　gratitudeusually；　unhappily；　when　it

was　too　late　for　them　to　enjoy　it。〃



Mr。　Nasmyth　subsequently　applied　the　principle　of　the　steam…hammer　in

the　pile　driver；　which　he　invented　in　1845。　　Until　its　production；　all

piles　had　been　driven　by　means　of　a　small　mass　of　iron　falling　upon

the　head　of　the　pile　with　great　velocity　from　a　considerable　height；

　the　raising　of　the　iron　mass　by　means　of　the　〃monkey〃　being　an

operation　that　occupied　much　time　and　labour；　with　which　the　results

were　very　incommensurate。　　Pile…driving　was；　in　Mr。　Nasmyth's　words；

conducted　on　the　artillery　or　cannon…ball　principle；　the　action　being

excessive　and　the　mass　deficient；　and　adapted　rather　for　destructive

than　impulsive　action。　　In　his　new　and　beautiful　machine；　he　applied

the　elastic　force　of　steam　in　raising　the　ram　or　driving　block；　on

which；　the　block　being　disengaged；　its　whole　weight　of　three　tons

descended　on　the　head　of　the　pile；　and　the　process　being　repeated

eighty　times　in　the　minute；　the　pile　was　sent　home　with　a　rapidity

that　was　quite　marvellous　compared　with　the　old…fashioned　system。　　In

forming　coffer…dams　for　the　piers　and　abutments　of　bridges；　quays；

and　harbours；　and　in　piling　the　foundations　of　all　kinds　of　masonry；

the　steam　pile　driver　was　found　of　invaluable　use　by　the　engineer。　　At

the　first　experiment　made　with　the　machine；　Mr。　Nasmyth　drove　a

14…inch　pile　fifteen　feet　into　hard　ground　at　the　rate　of　65　blows　a

minute。　　The　driver　was　first　used　in　forming　the　great　steam　dock　at

Devonport；　where　the　results　were　very　striking；　and　it　was　shortly

after　employed　by　Robert　Stephenson　in　piling　the　foundations　of　the

great　High　Level　Bridge　at　Newcastle；　and　the　Border　Bridge　at

Berwick；　as　well　as　in　several　other　of　his　great　works。　　The　saving

of　time　effected　by　this　machine　was　very　remarkable；　the　ratio　being

as　1　to　1800；　that　is；　a　pile　could　be　driven　in　four　minutes　that

before　required　twelve　hours。　　One　of　the　peculiar　features　of　the

invention　was　that　of　employing　the　pile　itself　as　the　support　of　the

steam…hammer　part　of　the　apparatus　while　it　was　being　driven；　so　that

the　pile　had　the　percussive　action　of　the　dead　weight　of　the　hammer

as　well　as　its　lively　blows　to　induce　it　to　sink　into　the　ground。　　The

steam…hammer　sat　as　it　were　on　the　shoulders　of　the　pile；　while　it

dealt　forth　its　ponderous　blows　on　the　pile…head　at　the　rate　of　80　a

minute；　and　as　the　pile　sank；　the　hammer　followed　it　down　with　never

relaxing　activity　until　it　was　driven　home　to　the　required　depth。　　One

of　the　most　ingenious　contrivances　employed　in　the　driver；　which　was

also　adopted　in　the　hammer；　was　the　use　of　steam　as　a　buffer　in　the

upper　part　of　the　cylinder；　which　had　the　effect　of　a　recoil　spring；

and　greatly　enhanced　the　force　of　the　downward　blow。



In　1846；　Mr。　Nasmyth　designed　a　form　of　steam…engine　after　that　of

his　steam…hammer；　which　has　been　extensively　adopted　all　over　the

world　for　screw…ships　of　all　sizes。　　The　pyramidal　form　of　this

engine；　its　great　simplicity　and　GET…AT…ABILITY　of　parts；　together

with　the　circumstance　that　all　the　weighty　parts　of　the　engine　are

kept　low；　have　rendered　it　a　universal　favourite。　　Among　the　other

labour…saving　tools　invented　by　Mr。　Nasmyth；　may　be　mentioned　the

well…known　planing　machine　for　small　work；　called　〃Nasmyth's　Steam

Arm；〃　now　used　in　every　large　workshop。　　It　was　contrived　for　the

purpose　of　executing　a　large　order　for　locomotives　received　from　the

Great　Western　Railway；　and　was　found　of　great　use　in　accelerating　the

work；　especially　in　planing　the　links；　levers；　connecting　rods；　and

smaller　kinds　of　wrought…iron　work　in　those　engines。　　His　circular

cutter　for　toothed　wheels　was　another　of　his　handy　inventions；　which

shortly　came　into　general　use。　　In　iron…founding　also　he　introduced　a

valuable　practical　improvement。　　The　old　mode　of　pouring　the　molten

metal　into　the　moulds　was　by　means　of　a　large　ladle　with　one　or　two

cross　handles　and　levers；　but　many　dreadful　accidents　occurred

through　a　slip　of　the　hand；　and　Mr。　Nasmyth　resolved；　if　possible；　to

prevent　them。　　The　plan　he　adopted　was　to　fix　a　worm…wheel　on　the　side

of　the　ladle；　into　which　a　worm　was　geared；　and　by　this　simple

contrivance　one　man　was　enabled　to　move　the　largest　ladle　on　its　axis

with　perfect　ease　and　safety。　　By　this　means　the　work　was　more

promptly　performed；　and　accidents　entirely　avoided。



Mr。　Nasmyth's　skill　in　invention　was　backed　by　great　energy　and　a

large　fund　of　common　sensequalities　not　often　found　united。　　These

proved　of　much　service　to　the　concern　of　which　he　was　the　head；　and

indeed　constituted　the　vital　force。　　The　firm　prospered　as　it

deserved；　and　they　executed　orders　not　only　for　England；　but　for　most

countries　in　the　civilized　world。　　Mr。　Nasmyth　had　the　advantage　of

being　trained　in　a　good　schoolthat　of　Henry　Maudslaywhere　he

had　not　only　learnt　handicraft　under　the　eye　of　that　great　mechanic；

but　the　art　of　organizing　labour；　and　（what　is　of　great　value　to　an

employer）　knowledge　of　the　characters　of　workmen。　　Yet　the　Nasmyth

firm　were　not　without　their　troubles　as　respected　the　mechanics　in

their　employment；　and　on　one　occasion　they　had　to　pass　through　the

ordeal　of　a　very　formidable　strike。　　The　manner　in　which　the　inventor

of　the　steam…hammer　literally　〃Scotched〃　this　strike　was　very

characteristic。



A　clever　young　man　employed　by　the　firm　as　a　brass　founder；　being

found　to　have　a　peculiar　capacity　for　skilled　mechanical　work；　had

been　advanced　to　the　lathe。　　The　other　men　objected　to　his　being　so

employed　on　the　ground　that　it　was　against　the　rules　of　the　trade。

〃But　he　is　a　first…rate　workman；〃　replied　the　employers；　〃and　we

think　it　right