men of invention and industry-第35章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



calcined　pipe…clay　do？　　If　you　will　calcine　some　fire…clay　by　a

red　heat　and　pound　it；about　a　pound；and　send　it　to　me；　I

shall　try　to　make　you　a　mould　or　two　in　Henning's　manner　to　cast

this　and　the　sulphur　acid　iron　in。　　I　have　made　a　screwing　tool

for　wood　that　seems　to　answer；　also　one　of　a　one…tenth　diameter

for　marble；　which　does　very　well。〃　　In　another　note；　Watt　says：

〃I　find　my　drill　readily　makes　2400　turns　per　minute；　even　with

the　large　drill　you　sent　last；　if　I　bear　lightly；　a　three…quarter

ferril　would　run　about　3000；　and　by　an　engine　that　might　be

doubled。〃



The　materials　to　be　drilled　into　medallions　also　required　much

consideration。　　〃I　am　much　obliged　to　you；〃　said　Watt；　〃for　the

balls；　etc。；　which　answer　as　well　as　can　be　expected。　　They　make

great　progress　in　cutting　the　crust　（Ridgways）　or　alabaster；　and

also　cut　marble；　but　the　harder　sorts　soon　blunt　them。　　At　any

rate；　marble　does　not　do　for　the　medallions；　as　its　grain

prevents　its　being　cut　smooth；　and　its　semi…transparence　hurts

the　effect。　　I　think　Bristol　lime；　or　shell　lime；　pressed　in　your

manner；　would　have　a　good　effect。　　When　you　are　at　leisure；　I

shall　thank　you　for　a　few　pieces；　and　if　some　of　them　are　made

pink　or　flesh　colour；　they　will　look　well。　　I　used　the　ball　quite

perpendicular；　and　it　cut　well；　as　most　of　the　cutting　is

sideways。　　I　tried　a　fine　whirling　point；　but　it　made　little

progress；　another　with　a　chisel　edge　did　almost　as　well　as　the

balls；　but　did　not　work　so　pleasantly。　　I　find　a　triangular

scraping　point　the　best；　and　I　think　from　some　trials　it　should

be　quite　a　sharp　point。　　The　wheel　runs　easier　than　it　did；　but

has　still　too　much　friction。　　I　wished　to　have　had　an　hour's

consultation　with　you；　but　have　been　prevented　by　sundry　matters

among　others　by　that　plaguey　stove；　which　is　now　in　your　hands。〃



Watt　was　most　grateful　to　Murdock　for　his　unvarying　assistance。　

In　January；　1813；　when　Watt　was　in　his　seventy…seventh　year；　he

wrote　to　Murdock；　asking　him　to　accept　a　present　of　a　lathe　〃I

have　not　heard　from　you；〃　he　says；　〃in　reply　to　my　letter　about

the　lathe；　and；　presuming　you　are　not　otherwise　provided；　I　have

bought　it；　and　request　your　acceptance　of　it。　　At　present；　an

alteration　for　the　better　is　making　in　the　oval　chuck；　and　a　few

additional　chucks；　rest；　etc。；　are　making　to　the　lathe。　　When

these　are　finished；　I　shall　have　it　at　Billinger's　until　you

return；　or　as　you　otherwise　direct。　　I　am　going　on　with　my

drawings　for　a　complete　machine；　and　shall　be　glad　to　see　you

here　to　judge　of　them。〃



The　drawings　were　made；　but　the　machine　was　never　finished。　

〃Invention；〃　said　Watt；　〃goes　on　very　slowly　with　me　now。〃　　Four

years　later；　he　was　still　at　work；　but　death　put　a　stop　to　his

〃diminishing…machine。〃　It　is　a　remarkable　testimony　to　the　skill

and　perseverance　of　a　man　who　had　already　accomplished　so　much；

that　it　is　almost　his　only　unfinished　work。　　Watt　died　in　1819；

in　the　eighty…third　year　of　his　age；　to　the　great　grief　of

Murdock；　his　oldest　and　most　attached　friend　and　correspondent。



Meanwhile；　the　firm　of　Boulton　and　Watt　continued。　　The　sons　of

the　two　partners　carried　it　on；　with　Murdock　as　their　Mentor。　　He

was　still　full　of　work　and　inventive　power。　　In　1802；　he　applied

the　compressed　air　of　the　Blast　Engine　employed　to　blow　the

cupolas　of　the　Soho　Foundry；　for　the　purpose　of　driving　the　lathe

in　the　pattern　shop。　　It　worked　a　small　engine；　with　a　l2…inch

cylinder　and　18…inch　stroke；　connected　with　the　lathe；　the　speed

being　regulated　as　required　by　varying　the　admission　of　the

blast。　　This　engine　continued　in　use　for　about　thirty…five　years。



In　1803　Murdock　experimented　on　the　power　of　high…pressure　steam

in　propelling　shot；　and　contrived　a　steam…engine　with　which　he

made　many　trials　at　Soho；　thereby　anticipating　the　apparatus

contrived　by　Mr。　Perkins　many　years　later。



In　1810　Murdock　took　out　a　patent　for　boring　steam…pipes　for

water；　and　cutting　columns　out　of　solid　blocks　of　stone；　by　means

of　a　cylindrical　crown　saw。　　The　first　machine　was　used　at　Soho；

and　afterwards　at　Mr。　Rennie's　Works　in　London；　and　proved　quite

successful。　　Among　his　other　inventions　were　a　lift　worked　by

compressed　air；　which　raised　and　lowered　the　castings　from　the

boring…mill　to　the　level　of　the　foundry　and　the　canal　bank。　　He

used　the　same　kind　of　power　to　ring　the　bells　in　his　house　at

Sycamore　Hill；　and　the　contrivance　was　afterwards　adopted　by　Sir

Walter　Scott　in　his　house　at　Abbotsford。



Murdock　was　also　the　inventor　of　the　well…known　cast…iron　cement；

so　extensively　used　in　engine　and　machine　work。　　The　manner　in

which　he　was　led　to　this　invention　affords　a　striking

illustration　of　his　quickness　of　observation。　　Finding　that　some

iron…borings　and　sal…ammoniac　had　got　accidently　mixed　together

in　his　tool…chest；　and　rusted　his　saw…blade　nearly　through；　he

took　note　of　the　circumstance；　mixed　the　articles　in　various

proportions；　and　at　length　arrived　at　the　famous　cement；　which

eventually　became　an　article　of　extensive　manufacture　at　the　Soho

Works。



Murdock's　ingenuity　was　constantly　at　work；　even　upon　matters

which　lay　entirely　outside　his　special　vocation。　　The　late　Sir

William　Fairbairn　informed　us　that　he　contrived　a　variety　of

curious　machines　for　consolidating　peat　moss；　finely　ground　and

pulverised；　under　immense　pressure；　and　which；　when　consolidated；

could　be　moulded　into　beautiful　medals；　armlets；　and　necklaces。　

The　material　took　the　most　brilliant　polish　and　had　the

appearance　of　the　finest　jet。



Observing　that　fish…skins　might　be　used　as　an　economical

substitute　for　isinglass；　he　went　up　to　London　on　one　occasion　in

order　to　explain　to　brewers　the　best　method　of　preparing　and

using　them。　　He　occupied　handsome　apartments；　and；　little

regarding　the　splendour　of　the　drawing…room；　he　hung　the

fish…skins　up　against　the　walls。　　His　landlady　caught　him　one　day

when　he　was　about　to　bang　up　a　wet　cod's　skin！　　He　was　turned　out

at　once；　with　all　his　fish。　　While　in　town　on　this　errand；　it

occurred　to　him　that　a　great　deal　of　power　was　wasted　in　treading

the　streets　of　London！　　He　conceived　the　idea　of　using　the

streets　and　roadways　as　a　grand　tread…mill；　under　which　the　waste

power　might　be　stored　up　by　mechanical　methods　and　turned　to

account。　　He　had　also　an　idea　of　storing　up　the　power　of　the

tides；　and　of　running　water；　in　the　same　way。　　The　late　Charles

Babbage；　F。R。S。；　entertained　a　similar　idea　about　using　springs

of　Ischia　or　of　the　geysers　of　Iceland　as　a　power　necessary　for

condensing　gases；　or　perhaps　for　the　storage　of　electricity。＇12＇　

The　latter；　when　perfected；　will　probably　be　the　greatest

invention　of　the　next　half　century。



Another　of　Murdock's'　ingenious　schemes；　was　his　proposed　method

of　transmitting　letters　and　packages　through　a　tube　exhausted　by

an　air…pump。　　This　project　led　to　the　Atmospheric　Railway；　the

success　of　which；　so　far　as　it　went；　was　due　to　the　practical

ability　of　Murdock's　pupil；　Samuel　Clegg。　　Although　the

atmospheric　railway　was　eventually　abandoned；　it　is　remarkable

that　the　original　idea　was　afterwards　revived　and　practised　with

success　by　the　London　Pneumatic　Dispatch　Company。



In　1815；　while　Murdock　was　engaged　in　erecting　an　apparatus　of

his　own　invention　for　heating　the　water　for　the　baths　at

Leamington；　a　ponderous　cast…iron　plate　fell　upon　his　leg　above

his　ankle；　and　severely　injured　him。　　He　remained　a　long　while　at

Leamington；　and　when　it　was　thought　safe　to　remove　him；　the

Birmingham　Canal　Company　kindly　placed　their　excursion　boat　at

his　disposal；　and　he　was　conveyed　safely　homeward。　　So　soon　as　he

was　able；　he　was　at　work　again　at　the　Soho　factory。



Although　the　elder　Watt　had　to　a　certain　extent　ignored　the　uses

of　steam　as　applied　to　navigation；　being　too　much　occupied　with

developing　the　powers　of　the　pumping　and　rotary　engine；　the　young

part