industrial biography-第44章

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machinery；　and　the　same　combination　of　mechanical　powers　which　made

the　steel　spider　crawl；　the　duck　quack；　or　waved　the　tiny　rod　of　the

magician；　contributed　in　future　years　to　purposes　of　higher

import；the　wheels　and　pinions；　which　in　these　automata　almost

eluded　the　human　senses　by　their　minuteness；　reappearing　in　modern

times　in　the　stupendous　mechanism　of　our　self…acting　lathes；

spinning…mules；　and　steam…engines。



〃In　our　own　country；〃　says　Professor　Willis；　〃the　literature　of　this

subject　is　so　defective　that　it　is　very　difficult　to　discover　what

progress　we　were　making　during　the　seventeenth　and　eighteenth

centuries。〃*

　＇footnote。。。

Professor　WILLIS；　Lectures　on　the　Results　of　the　Great　Exhibition　of

1851；　lst　series；　p。　306。

　。。。＇

We　believe　the　fact　to　be；　that　the　progress　made　in　England　down　to

the　end　of　last　century　had　been　very　small　indeed；　and　that　the

lathe　had　experienced　little　or　no　improvement　until　Maudslay　took　it

in　hand。　　Nothing　seems　to　have　been　known　of　the　slide　rest　until　he

re…invented　it　and　applied　it　to　the　production　of　machinery　of　a　far

more　elaborate　character　than　had　ever　before　been　contemplated　as

possible。　　Professor　Willis　says　that　Bramah's；　in　other　words

Maudslay's；　slide　rest　of　1794　is　so　different　from　that　described　in

the　French　'Encyclopedie　in　1772；　that　the　two　could　not　have　had　a

common　origin。　　We　are　therefore　led　to　the　conclusion　that　Maudslay's

invention　was　entirely　independent　of　all　that　had　gone　before；　and

that　he　contrived　it　for　the　special　purpose　of　overcoming　the

difficulties　which　he　himself　experienced　in　turning　out　duplicate

parts　in　large　numbers。　　At　all　events；　he　was　so　early　and　zealous　a

promoter　of　its　use；　that　we　think　he　may；　in　the　eyes　of　all

practical　mechanics；　stand　as　the　parent　of　its　introduction　to　the

workshops　of　England。



It　is　unquestionable　that　at　the　time　when　Maudslay　began　the

improvement　of　machine…tools；　the　methods　of　working　in　wood　and

metals　were　exceedingly　imperfect。　　Mr。　William　Fairbairn　has　stated

that　when　he　first　became　acquainted　with　mechanical　engineering；

about　sixty　years　ago；　there　were　no　self…acting　tools；　everything

was　executed　by　hand。　　There　were　neither　planing；　slotting；　nor

shaping　machines；　and　the　whole　stock　of　an　engineering　or　machine

establishment　might　be　summed　up　in　a　few　ill…constructed　lathes；　and

a　few　drills　and　boring　machines　of　rude　construction。*

　＇footnote。。。

Address　delivered　before　the　British　Association　at　Manchester　in

1861；　and　Useful　Information　for　Engineers；　1st　series；　p。　22。

　。。。＇

Our　mechanics　were　equally　backward　in　contrivances　for　working　in

wood。　　Thus；　when　Sir　Samuel　Bentham　made　a　tour　through　the

manufacturing　districts　of　England　in　1791；　he　was　surprised　to　find

how　little　had　been　done　to　substitute　the　invariable　accuracy　of

machinery　for　the　uncertain　dexterity　of　the　human　hand。　　Steam…power

was　as　yet　only　employed　in　driving　spinning…machines；　rolling

metals；　pumping　water；　and　such　like　purposes。　　In　the　working　of　wood

no　machinery　had　been　introduced　beyond　the　common　turning…lathe　and

some　saws；　and　a　few　boring　tools　used　in　making　blocks　for　the　navy。

Even　saws　worked　by　inanimate　force　for　slitting　timber；　though　in

extensive　use　in　foreign　countries；　were　nowhere　to　be　found　in　Great

Britain。*

　＇footnote。。。

Life　of　Sir　Samuel　Bentham；　97…8。

　。。。＇

As　everything　depended　on　the　dexterity　of　hand　and　correctness　of

eye　of　the　workmen；　the　work　turned　out　was　of　very　unequal　merit；

besides　being　exceedingly　costly。　　Even　in　the　construction　of

comparatively　simple　machines；　the　expense　was　so　great　as　to　present

a　formidable　obstacle　to　their　introduction　and　extensive　use；　and

but　for　the　invention　of　　machine…making　tools；　the　use　of　the

steam…engine　in　the　various　forms　in　which　it　is　now　applied　for　the

production　of　power　could　never　have　become　general。



In　turning　a　piece　of　work　on　the　old…fashioned　lathe；　the　workman

applied　and　guided　his　tool　by　means　of　muscular　strength。　　The　work

was　made　to　revolve；　and　the　turner；　holding　the　cutting　tool　firmly

upon　the　long；　straight；　guiding　edge　of　the　rest；　along　which　he

carried　it；　and　pressing　its　point　firmly　against　the　article　to　be

turned；　was　thus　enabled　to　reduce　its　surface　to　the　required　size

and　shape。　　Some　dexterous　turners　were　able；　with　practice　and

carefulness；　to　execute　very　clever　pieces　of　work　by　this　simple

means。　　But　when　the　article　to　be　turned　was　of　considerable　size；

and　especially　when　it　was　of　metal；　the　expenditure　of　muscular

strength　was　so　great　that　the　workman　soon　became　exhausted。　　The

slightest　variation　in　the　pressure　of　the　tool　led　to　an

irregularity　of　surface；　and　with　the　utmost　care　on　the　workman's

part；　he　could　not　avoid　occasionally　cutting　a　little　too　deep；　in

consequence　of　which　he　must　necessarily　go　over　the　surface　again；

to　reduce　the　whole　to　the　level　of　that　accidentally　cut　too　deep；

and　thus　possibly　the　job　would　be　altogether　spoiled　by　the　diameter

of　the　article　under　operation　being　made　too　small　for　its　intended

purpose。



The　introduction　of　the　slide　rest　furnished　a　complete　remedy　for

this　source　of　imperfection。　　The　principle　of　the　invention　consists

in　constructing　and　fitting　the　rest　so　that；　instead　of　being

screwed　down　to　one　place；　and　the　tool　in　the　hands　of　the　workman

travelling　over　it；　the　rest　shall　itself　hold　the　cutting　tool

firmly　fixed　in　it；　and　slide　along　the　surface　of　the　bench　in　a

direction　exactly　parallel　with　the　axis　of　the　work。　　Before　its

invention　various　methods　had　been　tried　with　the　object　of　enabling

the　work　to　be　turned　true　independent　of　the　dexterity　of　the

workman。　　Thus；　a　square　steel　cutter　used　to　be　firmly　fixed　in　a

bed；　along　which　it　was　wedged　from　point　to　point　of　the　work；　and

tolerable　accuracy　was　in　this　way　secured。　　But　the　slide　rest　was

much　more　easily　managed；　and　the　result　was　much　more　satisfactory。

All　that　the　workman　had　to　do；　after　the　tool　was　firmly　fitted　into

the　rest；　was　merely　to　turn　a　screw…handle；　and　thus　advance　the

cutter　along　the　face　of　the　work　as　required；　with　an　expenditure　of

strength　so　slight　as　scarcely　to　be　appreciable。　　And　even　this

labour　has　now　been　got　rid　of；　for；　by　an　arrangement　of　the

gearing；　the　slide　itself　has　been　made　self…acting；　and　advances

with　the　revolution　of　the　work　in　the　lathe；　which　thus　supplies　the

place　of　the　workman's　hand。　　The　accuracy　of　the　turning　done　by　this

beautiful　yet　simple　arrangement　is　as　mechanically　perfect　as　work

can　be。　　The　pair　of　steel　fingers　which　hold　the　cutting　tool　firmly

in　their　grasp　never　tire；　and　it　moves　along　the　metal　to　be　cut

with　an　accuracy　and　precision　which　the　human　hand；　however　skilled；

could　never　equal。



The　effects　of　the　introduction　of　the　slide　rest　were　very　shortly

felt　in　all　departments　of　mechanism。　　Though　it　had　to　encounter　some

of　the　ridicule　with　which　new　methods　of　working　are　usually

received；　and　for　a　time　was　spoken　of　in　derision　as　〃Maudslay's

Go…cart；〃its　practical　advantages　were　so　decided　that　it　gradually

made　its　way；　and　became　an　established　tool　in　all　the　best

mechanical　workshops。　　It　was　found　alike　capable　of　executing　the

most　delicate　and　the　most　ponderous　pieces　of　machinery；　and　as

slide…lathes　could　be　manufactured　to　any　extent；　machinery；

steam…engines；　and　all　kinds　of　metal　work　could　now　be　turned　out　in

a　quantity　and　at　a　price　that；　but　for　its　use；　could　never　have

been　practicable。　　In　course　of　time　various　modifications　of　the

machine　were　introducedsuch　as　the　planing　machine；　the

wheel…cutting　machine；　and　other　beautiful　tools　on　the　slide…rest

principle；the　result　of　which　has　been　that　extraordinary

development　of　mechanical　production　and　power　which　is　so

characteristic　a　feature　of　the　age　we　live　in。



〃It　is　not；　indeed；　saying　at　all　too　much　to　state；〃　says　Mr。

Nasmyth；*

　＇footnote。。。

Remarks　on　the　Introduction　of　the　Slide　Principle　in　Tools　and

Machines　employed　in　the　Production　of　Machinery；　in　Buchanan's

Practical　Essays　on　Mill　Work　and　other　Machinery。　　3rd　ed。　p。　397。

　。。。＇

a　most　competent　judge　in　such　a　matter；　〃that　its　influence　in

improving　and　extending　the　use　of　machinery　has　been　as　great　as

that　produced　by　the　improvement　of　the　steam…engine　in　respect　to

perfecting　manufactures　and　extending　commerce；　inasmuch　as　without

the　aid　of　the　vast　accession　to　our　power　of　producing　perfect

mechanism　which　it　at　once　supplied；　we　could　never　have　worked　out

into　practical　and　profitable　forms　the　conceptions　of　those　master

minds　who；　during　the　last　half　century；　have　so　successfully

pioneered　the　way　for　mankind。　　The　steam…engine　itself；　which

supplies　us　with　such　unbounded　power；　owes　its　present　perfection　to

this　most　admirable　means　of　giving　to　metallic　objects　the　most

precise　and　perfect　geometrical　forms。　　How　could　we；　for　instance；

have　good　steam…engines　if　we　had　not　the　means　of　boring　out　a　true

cylinder；　or　turning　a　true　piston…rod；　or　planing　a　valve　face？　It

is　this　alone　which　has　furnished　us　with　the　means　of　carrying　into

practice　the　accumulated　result's　of　scientific　investigation　on

mechanical　subjects。　　It　would　be　blamable　indeed；〃　continues　Mr。

Nasmyth；　〃after　having　endeavoured　to　set　forth　the　vast　advantages

which　have　been　conferred　on　the　mechanical　world；　and　therefore　on

mankind　generally；　by　the　invention　and　introduction　of　the　Slide

Rest；　were　I　to　suppress　the　name　of　that　admirable　individual　to

whom　we　are　indebted　for　this　powerful　agent　towards　the　attainment

of　mechanical　perfection。　　I　allude　to　Henry　Maudslay；　whose　useful

life　was　enthusiastically　devoted　to　the　grand　object　of　improving

our　means　of　producing　perfect　workmanship　and　machinery：　　to　him　we

are　certainly　indebted　for　the　slide　rest；　and；　consequently；　to　say

the　least；　we　are　indirectly　so　for　the　vast　benefits　which　have

resulted　from　the　introduction　of　so　powerful　an　agent　in　perfecting

our　machinery　and　mechanism　generally。　　The　indefatigable　care　which

he　took　in　inculcating　and　diffusing　among　his　workmen；　and

mechanical　men　generally；　sound　ideas　of　practical　knowledge　and

refined　views　of　construction；　have　rendered　and　ever　will　continue

to　render　his　name　identified　with　all　that　is　noble　in　the　ambition

of　a　lover　of　mechanical　perfection。〃



One　of　the　first　uses　to　which　Mr。　Maudslay　applied　the　improved

slide　rest；　which　he　perfected　shortly　after　beginning　business　in

Margaret　Street；　Cavendish　Square；　was　in　executing　the　requisite

tools　and　machinery　required　by　Mr。　（afterwards　Sir　Marc　Isambard）

Brunel　for　manufacturing　ships'　blocks。　　The　career　of　Brunel　was　of　a

more　romantic　character　than　fal