industrial biography-第39章

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for　him　to　London　to　take　charge　of　his　blacksmith's　department；　in

which　he　proved　a　most　useful　assistant。　　As　usual；　the　patent　was

attacked　by　pirates　so　soon　as　it　became　productive；　and　Bramah　was

under　the　necessity；　on　more　than　one　occasion；　of　defending　his

property　in　the　invention；　in　which　he　was　completely　successful。



We　next　find　Bramah　turning　his　attention　to　the　invention　of　a　lock

that　should　surpass　all　others　then　known。　　The　locks　then　in　use　were

of　a　very　imperfect　character；　easily　picked　by　dexterous　thieves；

against　whom　they　afforded　little　protection。　　Yet　locks　are　a　very

ancient　invention；　though；　as　in　many　other　cases；　the　art　of　making

them　seems　in　a　great　measure　to　have　become　lost；　and　accordingly

had　to　be　found　out　anew。　　Thus　the　tumbler　lockwhich　consists　in

the　use　of　moveable　impediments　acted　on　by　the　proper　key　only；　as

contradistinguished　from　the　ordinary　ward　locks；　where　the

impediments　are　fixed　appears　to　have　been　well　known　to　the

ancient　Egyptians；　the　representation　of　such　a　lock　being　found

sculptured　among　the　bas…reliefs　which　decorate　the　great　temple　at

Karnak。　　This　kind　of　lock　was　revived；　or　at　least　greatly　improved；

by　a　Mr。　Barron　in　1774；　and　it　was　shortly　after　this　time　that

Bramah　directed　his　attention　to　the　subject。　　After　much　study　and

many　experiments；　he　contrived　a　lock　more　simple；　more　serviceable；

as　well　as　more　secure；　than　Barron's；　as　is　proved　by　the　fact　that

it　has　stood　the　test　of　nearly　eighty　years'　experience；*

　＇footnote。。。

The　lock　invented　by　Bramah　was　patented　in　1784。　　Mr。　Bramah　himself

fully　set　forth　the　specific　merits　of　the　invention　in　his

Dissertation　on　the　Construction　of　Locks。　　In　a　second　patent；　taken

out　by　him　in　1798；　he　amended　his　first　with　the　object　of

preventing　the　counterfeiting　of　keys；　and　suspending　the　office　of

the　lock　until　the　key　was　again　in　the　possession　of　the　owner。　　This

he　effected　by　enabling　the　owner　so　to　alter　the　sliders　as　to

render　the　lock　inaccessible　to　such　key　if　applied　by　any　other

person　but　himself；　or　until　the　sliders　had　been　rearranged　so　as　to

admit　of　its　proper　action。　　We　may　mention　in　passing　that　the

security　of　Bramah's　locks　depends　on　the　doctrine　of　combinations；

or　multiplication　of　numbers　into　each　other；　which　is　known　to

increase　in　the　most　rapid　proportion。　　Thus；　a　lock　of　five　slides

admits　of　3；000　variations；　while　one　of　eight　will　have　no　less　than

1；935；360　changes；　in　other　words；　that　number　of　attempts　at　making

a　key；　or　at　picking　it；　may　be　made　before　it　can　be　opened。

　。。。＇

and　still　holds　its　ground。　　For　a　long　time；　indeed；　Bramah's　lock

was　regarded　as　absolutely　inviolable；　and　it　remained　unpicked　for

sixty…seven　years　until　Hobbs　the　American　mastered　it　in　1851。　　A

notice　had　long　been　exhibited　in　Bramah's　shop…window　in　Piccadilly；

offering　200L。　to　any　one　who　should　succeed　in　picking　the　patent

lock。　　Many　tried；　and　all　failed；　until　Hobbs　succeeded；　after

sixteen　days'　manipulation　of　it　with　various　elaborate　instruments。

But　the　difficulty　with　which　the　lock　was　picked　showed　that；　for

all　ordinary　purposes；　it　might　be　pronounced　impregnable。



The　new　locks　were　machines　of　the　most　delicate　kind；　the　action　of

which　depended　in　a　great　measure　upon　the　precision　with　which　the

springs；　sliders；　levers；　barrels；　and　other　parts　were　finished。　　The

merits　of　the　invention　being　generally　admitted；　there　was　a

considerable　demand　for　the　locks；　and　the　necessity　thus　arose　for

inventing　a　series　of　original　machine…tools　to　enable　them　to　be

manufactured　in　sufficient　quantities　to　meet　the　demand。　　It　is

probable；　indeed；　that；　but　for　the　contrivance　of　such　tools；　the

lock　could　never　have　come　in　to　general　use；　as　the　skill　of

hand…workmen；　no　matter　how　experienced；　could　not　have　been　relied

upon　for　turning　out　the　article　with　that　degree　of　accuracy　and

finish　in　all　the　parts　which　was　indispensable　for　its　proper

action。　　In　conducting　the　manufacture　throughout；　Bramah　was　greatly

assisted　by　Henry　Maudslay；　his　foreman；　to　whom　he　was　in　no　small

degree　indebted　for　the　contrivance　of　those　tool…machines　which

enabled　him　to　carry　on　the　business　of　lock…making　with　advantage

and　profit。



Bramah's　indefatigable　spirit　of　invention　was　only　stimulated　to

fresh　efforts　by　the　success　of　his　lock；　and　in　the　course　of　a　few

years　we　find　him　entering　upon　a　more　important　and　original　line　of

action　than　he　had　yet　ventured　on。　　His　patent　of　1785　shows　the

direction　of　his　studies。　　Watt　had　invented　his　steam…engine；　which

was　coming　into　general　use；　and　the　creation　of　motive…power　in

various　other　forms　became　a　favourite　subject　of　inquiry　with

inventors。　　Bramah's　first　invention　with　this　object　was　his

Hydrostatic　Machine；　founded　on　the　doctrine　of　the　equilibrium　of

pressure　in　fluids；　as　exhibited　in　the　well　known　'hydrostatic

paradox。'　In　his　patent　of　1785；　in　which　he　no　longer　describes

himself　as　Cabinet　maker；　but　'Engine　maker'　of　Piccadilly；　he

indicated　many　inventions；　though　none　of　them　came　into　practical

use；such　as　a　Hydrostatical　Machine　and　Boiler；　and　the　application

of　the　power　produced　by　them　to　the　drawing　of　carriages；　and　the

propelling　of　ships　by　a　paddle…wheel　fixed　in　the　stern　of　the

vessel；　of　which　drawings　are　annexed　to　the　specification；　but　it

was　not　until　1795　that　he　patented　his　Hydrostatic　or　Hydraulic

Press。



Though　the　principle　on　which　the　Hydraulic　Press　is　founded　had　long

been　known；　and　formed　the　subject　of　much　curious　speculation；　it

remained　unproductive　of　results　until　a　comparatively　recent　period；

when　the　idea　occurred　of　applying　it　to　mechanical　purposes。　　A

machine　of　the　kind　was　indeed　proposed　by　Pascal；　the　eminent

philosopher；　in　1664；　but　more　than　a　century　elapsed　before　the

difficulties　in　the　way　of　its　construction　were　satisfactorily

overcome。　　Bramah's　machine　consists　of　a　large　and　massive　cylinder；

in　which　there　works　an　accurately…fitted　solid　piston　or　plunger。　　A

forcing…pump　of　very　small　bore　communicates　with　the　bottom　of　the

cylinder；　and　by　the　action　of　the　pump…handle　or　lever；　exceeding

small　quantities　of　water　are　forced　in　succession　beneath　the　piston

in　the　large　cylinder；　thus　gradually　raising　it　up；　and　compressing

bodies　whose　bulk　or　volume　it　is　intended　to　reduce。　　Hence　it　is

most　commonly　used　as　a　packing…press；　being　superior　to　every　other

contrivance　of　the　kind　that　has　yet　been　invented；　and　though

exercising　a　prodigious　force；　it　is　so　easily　managed　that　a　boy　can

work　it。　　The　machine　has　been　employed　on　many　extraordinary

occasions　in　preference　to　other　methods　of　applying　power。　　Thus

Robert　Stephenson　used　it　to　hoist　the　gigantic　tubes　of　the

Britannia　Bridge　into　their　bed；*

　＇footnote。。。

The　weight　raised　by　a　single　press　at　the　Britannia　Bridge　was　1144

tons。

　。。。＇

and　Brunel　to　launch　the　Great　Eastern　steamship　from　her　cradles。　　It

has　also　been　used　to　cut　bars　of　iron；　to　draw　the　piles　driven　in

forming　coffer　dams；　and　to　wrench　up　trees　by　the　roots；　all　of

which　feats　it　accomplishes　with　comparative　ease。



The　principal　difficulty　experienced　in　constructing　the　hydraulic

press　before　the　time　of　Bramah　arose　from　the　tremendous　pressure

exercised　by　the　pump；　which　forced　the　water　through　between　the

solid　piston　and　the　side　of　the　cylinder　in　which　it　worked　in　such

quantities　as　to　render　the　press　useless　for　practical　purposes。

Bramah　himself　was　at　first　completely　baffled　by　this　difficulty。　　It

will　be　observed　that　the　problem　was　to　secure　a　joint　sufficiently

free　to　let　the　piston　slide　up　through　it；　and　at　the　same　time　so

water…tight　as　to　withstand　the　internal　force　of　the　pump。　　These　two

conditions　seemed　so　conflicting　that　Bramah　was　almost　at　his　wit's

end；　and　for　a　time　despaired　of　being　able　to　bring　the　machine　to　a

state　of　practical　efficiency。　　None　but　those　who　have　occupied

themselves　in　the　laborious　and　often　profitless　task　of　helping　the

world　to　new　and　useful　machines　can　have　any　idea　of　the　tantalizing

anxiety　which　arises　from　the　apparently　petty　stumbling…blocks　which

for　awhile　impede　the　realization　of　a　great　idea　in　mechanical

invention。　　Such　was　the　case　with　the　water…tight　arrangement　in　the

hydraulic　press。　　In　his　early　experiments；　Bramah　tried　the　expedient

of　the　ordinary　stuffing…box　for　the　purpose　of　securing　the　required

water　tightness'　That　is；　a　coil　of　hemp　on　leather　washers　was

placed　in　a　recess；　so　as　to　fit　tightly　round　the　moving　ram　or

piston；　and　it　was　further　held　in　its　place　by　means　of　a

compressing　collar　forced　hard　down　by　strong　screws。　　The　defect　of

this　arrangement　was；　that；　even　supposing　the　packing　could　be　made

sufficiently　tight　to　resist　the　passage　of　the　water　urged　by　the

tremendous　pressure　from　beneath；　such　was　the　grip　which　the

compressed　material　took　of　the　ram　of　the　press；　that　it　could　not

be　got　to　return　down　after　the　water　pressure　had　been　removed。



In　this　dilemma；　Bramah's　ever…ready　workman；　Henry　Maudslay；　came　to

his　rescue。　　The　happy　idea　occurred　to　him　of　employing　the　pressure

of　the　water　itself　to　give　the　requisite　water…tightness　to　the

collar。　　It　was　a　flash　of　common…sense　genius　beautiful　through　its

very　simplicity。　　The　result　was　Maudslay's　self…tightening　collar；

the　action　of　which　a　few　words　of　description　will　render　easily

intelligible。　　A　collar　of　sound　leather；　the　convex　side　upwards　and

the　concave　downwards；　was　fitted　into　the　recess　turned　out　in　the

neck　of　the　press…cylinder；　at　the　place　formerly　used　as　a

stuffing…box　。　　Immediately　on　the　high　pressure　water　being　turned

on；　it　forced　its　way　into　the　leathern　concavity　and　'flapped　out'

the　bent　edges　of　the　collar；　and；　in　so　doing；　caused　the　leather　to

apply　itself　to　the　surface　of　the　rising　ram　with　a　degree　of

closeness　and　tightness　so　as　to　seal　up　the　joint　the　closer　exactly

in　proportion　to　the　pressure　of　the　water　in　its　tendency　to　escape。

On　the　other　hand；　the　moment　the　　pressure　was　let　off　and　the　ram

desired　to　return；　the　collar　collapsed　and　the　ram　slid　gently　down；

perfectly　free　and　yet　perfectly　water…tight。　　Thus；　the　former

tendency　of　the　water　to　escape　by　the　side　of　the　piston　was　by　this

most　simple　and　elegant　self…adjusting　contrivance　made　instrumental

to　the　perfectly　efficient　action　of　the　machine；　and　from　the　moment

of　its　invention　the　hydraulic　press　took　its　place　as　one　of　the

grandest　agents　for　exercising　power　in　a　concentrated　and　tranquil

form。



Bramah　continued　his　useful　labours　as　an　inventor　for　many　years。

His　study　of　the　principles　of　hydraulics；　in　the　course　of　his

invention　of　the　press；　enabled　hi