industrial biography-第50章

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into　the　shop　by　Galloway　to　admire　the　new　roof。　　Keir；　on　glancing

up　at　it；　immediately　exclaimed；　〃Come　outside；　and　let　us　speak

about　it　there！〃　　All　that　he　could　say　to　Galloway　respecting　the

unsoundness　of　its　construction　was　of　no　avail。　　The　fact　was　that；

however　Keir　might　argue　about　its　not　being　able　to　stand；　there　it

was　actually　standing；　and　that　was　enough　for　Galloway。　　Keir　went

home；　his　mind　filled　with　Galloway's　most　unprincipled　roof。　　〃If

that　stands；〃　said　he　to　himself；　〃all　that　I　have　been　learning　and

doing　for　thirty　years　has　been　wrong。〃　　That　night　he　could　not　sleep

for　thinking　about　it。　　In　the　morning　he　strolled　up　Primrose　Hill；

and　returned　home　still　muttering　to　himself　about　〃that　roof。〃

〃What；　said　his　wife　to　him；　〃are　you　thinking　of　Galloway's　roof？〃

〃Yes；　said　he。　　〃Then　you　have　seen　the　papers？〃　　〃No　　what　about

them？〃　　〃Galloway's　roof　has　fallen　in　this　morning；　and　killed　eight

or　ten　of　the　men！〃　　Keir　immediately　went　to　bed；　and　slept　soundly

till　next　morning。

　。。。＇



On　entering　Galloway's　shop；　Clement　was　first　employed　in　working　at

the　lathe；　but　finding　the　tools　so　bad　that　it　was　impossible　to

execute　satisfactory　work　with　them；　he　at　once　went　to　the　forge；

and　began　making　a　new　set　of　tools　for　himself。　　The　other　men；　to

whom　such　a　proceeding　was　entirely　new；　came　round　him　to　observe

his　operations；　and　they　were　much　struck　with　his　manual　dexterity。

The　tools　made；　he　proceeded　to　use　them；　displaying　what　seemed　to

the　other　workmen　an　unusual　degree　of　energy　and　intelligence；　and

some　of　the　old　hands　did　not　hesitate　already　to　pronounce　Clement

to　be　the　best　mechanic　in　the　shop。　　When　Saturday　night　came　round；

the　other　men　were　curious　to　know　what　wages　Galloway　would　allow

the　new　hand；　and　when　he　had　been　paid；　they　asked　him。　　〃A　guinea；〃

was　the　reply。　　〃A　guinea！　　Why；　you　are　worth　two　if　you　are　worth　a

shilling；〃　said　an　old　man　who　came　out　of　the　rankan　excellent

mechanic；　who；　though　comparatively　worthless　through　his　devotion　to

drink；　knew　Clement's　money　value　to　his　employer　better　than　any　man

there；　and　he　added；　〃Wait　for　a　week　or　two；　and　if　you　are　not

better　paid　than　this；　I　can　tell　you　of　a　master　who　will　give　you　a

fairer　wage。〃　　Several　Saturdays　came　round；　but　no　advance　was　made

on　the　guinea　a　week；　and　then　the　old　workman　recommended　Clement　to

offer　himself　to　Bramah　at　Pimlico；　who　was　always　on　the　look　out

for　first…rate　mechanics。



Clement　acted　on　the　advice；　and　took　with　him　some　of　his　drawings；

at　sight　of　which　Bramah　immediately　engaged　him　for　a　month；　and　at

the　end　of　that　time　he　had　given　so　much　satisfaction；　that　it　was

agreed　he　should　continue　for　three　months　longer　at　two　guineas　a

week。　　Clement　was　placed　in　charge　of　the　tools　of　the　shop；　and　he

showed　himself　so　apt　at　introducing　improvements　in　them；　as　well　as

in　organizing　the　work　with　a　view　to　despatch　and　economy；　that　at

the　end　of　the　term　Bramah　made　him　a　handsome　present；　adding；　〃if　I

had　secured　your　services　five　years　since；　I　would　now　have　been　a

richer　man　by　many　thousands　of　pounds。〃　　A　formal　agreement　for　a

term　of　five　years　was　then　entered　into　between　Bramah　and　Clement；

dated　the　1st　of　April；　1814；　by　which　the　latter　undertook　to　fill

the　office　of　chief…draughtsman　and　superintendent　of　the　Pimlico

Works；　in　consideration　of　a　salary　of　three　guineas　a　week；　with　an

advance　of　four　shillings　a　week　in　each　succeeding　year　of　the

engagement。　　This　arrangement　proved　of　mutual　advantage　to　both。

Clement　devoted　himself　with　increased　zeal　to　the　improvement　of　the

mechanical　arrangements　of　the　concern；　exhibiting　his　ingenuity　in

many　ways；　and　taking；　a　genuine　pride　in　upholding　the　character　of

his　master　for　turning　out　first…class　work。



On　the　death　of　Bramah；　his　sons　returned　from　college　and　entered

into　possession　of　the　business。　　They　found　Clement　the　ruling　mind

there　and　grew　jealous　of　him　to　such　an　extent　that　his　situation

became　uncomfortable；　and　by　mutual　consent　he　was　allowed　to　leave

before　the　expiry　of　his　term　of　agreement。　　He　had　no　difficulty　in

finding　employment；　and　was　at　once　taken　on　as　chief　draughtsman　at

Maudslay　and　Field's　where　he　was　of　much　assistance　in　proportioning

the　early　marine　engines；　for　the　manufacture　of　which　that　firm　were

becoming　celebrated。　　After　a　short　time；　he　became　desirous　of

beginning　business　on　his　own　account　as　a　mechanical　engineer。　　He

was　encouraged　to　do　this　by　the　Duke　of　Northumberland；　who；　being　a

great　lover　of　mechanics　and　himself　a　capital　turner；　used　often　to

visit　Maudslay's；　and　thus　became　acquainted　with　Clement；　whose

expertness　as　a　draughtsman　and　mechanic　he　greatly　admired。　　Being　a

man　of　frugal　and　sober　habits；　always　keeping　his　expenditure　very

considerably　within　his　income；　Clement　had　been　enabled　to

accumulate　about　500L。；　which　he　thought　would　be　enough　for　his

purpose；　and　he　accordingly　proceeded；　in　1817；　to　take　a　small

workshop　in　Prospect　Place；　Newington　Butts；　where　he　began　business

as　a　mechanical　draughtsman　and　manufacturer　of　small　machinery

requiring　first…class　workmanship。



From　the　time　when　he　took　his　first　gratuitous　lessons　in　drawing

from　Peter　Nicholson；　at　Glasgow；　in　1807；　he　had　been　steadily

improving　in　this　art；　the　knowledge　of　which　is　indispensable　to

whoever　aspires　to　eminence　as　a　mechanical　engineer；until　by

general　consent　Clement　was　confessed　to　stand　unrivalled　as　a

draughtsman。　　Some　of　the　very　best　drawings　contained　in　the

Transactions　of　the　Society　of　Arts；　from　the　year　1817

downwards；especially　those　requiring　the　delineation　of　any

unusually　elaborate　piece　of　machinery；proceeded　from　the　hand　of

Clement。　　In　some　of　these；　he　reached　a　degree　of　truth　in　mechanical

perspective　which　has　never　been　surpassed。*

　＇footnote。。。

See　more　particularly　The　Transactions　of　the　Society　for　the

Encouragement　of　Arts；　vol。　xxxiii。　（l8l7）；　at　pp。　74；l57；l60；175；208

（an　admirable　drawing；　of　Mr。　James　Allen's　Theodolite）；　vol。　xxxvi。

（1818）；　pp。　28；176　（a　series　of　remarkable　illustrations　of　Mr。

Clement's　own　invention　of　an　Instrument　for　Drawing　Ellipses）；　vol。

xliii。　（1825）；　containing　an　illustration　of　the　Drawing　Table

invented　by　him　for　large　drawings；　vol。　xlvi。　（1828）；　containing　a

series　of　elaborate　illustrations　of　his　Prize　Turning　Lathe；　and

xlviii。　1829；　containing　illustrations　of　his　Self…adjusting　Double

Driver　Centre　Chuck。

　。。。＇

To　facilitate　his　labours；　he　invented　an　extremely　ingenious

instrument；　by　means　of　which　ellipses　of　all　proportions；　as　well　as

circles　and　right　lines；　might　be　geometrically　drawn　on　paper　or　on

copper。　　He　took　his　idea　of　this　instrument　from　the　trammel　used　by

carpenters　for　drawing　imperfect　ellipses；　and　when　he　had　succeeded

in　avoiding　the　crossing　of　the　points；　he　proceeded　to　invent　the

straight…line　motion。　　For　this　invention　the　Society　of　Arts　awarded

him　their　gold　medal　in　1818。　　Some　years　later；　he　submitted　to　the

same　Society　his　invention　of　a　stand　for　drawings　of　large　size。　　He

had　experienced　considerable　difficulty　in　making　such　drawings；　and

with　his　accustomed　readiness　to　overcome　obstacles；　he　forthwith　set

to　work　and　brought　out　his　new　drawing…table。



As　with　many　other　original…minded　mechanics；　invention　became　a

habit　with　him；　and　by　study　and　labour　he　rarely　failed　in　attaining

the　object　which　he　had　bent　his　mind　upon　accomplishing。　　Indeed；

nothing　pleased　him　better　than　to　have　what　he　called　〃a　tough　job；〃

as　it　stimulated　his　inventive　faculty；　in　the　exercise　of　which　he

took　the　highest　pleasure。　　Hence　mechanical　schemers　of　all　kinds

were　accustomed　to　resort　to　Clement　for　help　when　they　had　found　an

idea　which　they　desired　to　embody　in　a　machine。　　If　there　was　any

value　in　their　idea；　none　could　be　more　ready　than　he　to　recognise

its　merit；　and　to　work　it　into　shape；　but　if　worthless；　he　spoke　out

his　mind　at　once；　dissuading　the　projector　from　wasting　upon　it

further　labour　or　expense。



One　of　the　important　branches　of　practical　mechanics　to　which　Clement

continued　through　life　to　devote　himself；　was　the　improvement　of

self…acting　tools；　more　especially　of　the　slide…lathe。　　He　introduced

various　improvements　in　its　construction　and　arrangement；　until　in

his　hands　it　became　as　nearly　perfect　as　it　was　possible　to　be。　　In

1818；　he　furnished　the　lathe　with　a　slide　rest　twenty…two　inches

long；　for　the　purpose　of　cutting　screws；　provided　with　the　means　of

self…correction；　and　some　years　later；　in　1827；　the　Society　of　Arts

awarded　him　their　gold　Isis　medal　for　his　improved　turning…lathe；

which　embodied　many　ingenious　contrivances　calculated　to　increase　its

precision　and　accuracy　in　large　surface…turning。



The　beautiful　arrangements　embodied　in　Mr。　Clement's　improved　lathe

can　with　difficulty　be　described　in　words；　but　its　ingenuity　may　be

inferred　from　a　brief　statement　of　the　defects　which　it　was　invented

to　remedy；　and　which　it　successfully　overcame。　　When　the　mandrill　of　a

lathe；　having　a　metal　plate　fixed　to　it；　turns　round　with　a　uniform

motion；　and　the　slide　rest　which　carries　the　cutter　is　moving　from

the　circumference　of　the　work　to　the　centre；　it　will　be　obvious　that

the　quantity　of　metal　passing　over　the　edge　of　the　cutter　at　each

revolution；　and　therefore　at　equal　intervals　of　time；　is　continually

diminishing；　in　exact　proportion　to　the　spiral　line　described　by　the

cutter　on　the　face　of　the　work。　　But　in　turning　metal　plates　it　is

found　very　in　expedient　to　increase　the　speed　of　the　work　beyond　a

certain　quantity；　for　when　this　happens；　and　the　tool　passes　the　work

at　too　great　a　velocity；　it　heats；　softens；　and　is　ground　away；　the

edge　of　the　cutter　becomes　dull；　and　the　surface　of　the　plate　is

indented　and　burnished；　instead　of　being　turned。　　Hence　loss　of　time

on　the　part　of　the　workman；　and　diminished　work　on　the　part　of　the

tool；　results　which；　considering　the　wages　of　the　one　and　the　capital

expended　on　the　construction　of　the　other；　are　of　no　small

importance；　for　the　prime　objects　of　all　improvement　of　tools　are；

economy　of　time　and　economy　of　capitalto　minimize　labour　and　cost；

and　maximize　result。



The　defect　to　which　we　have　referred　was　almost　the　only　remaining

imperfection　in　the　lathe；　and　Mr。　Clement　overcame　it　by　making　the

machine　self…regulating；　so　that；　whatever　might　be　the　situation　of

the　cutter；　equal　quantities　of　metal　should　pass　over　it　in　equal

times；the　speed　at　the　centre　not　exceeding　that　suited　to　the　work

at　the　circumference；while　the　workman　was　enabled　to　convert　the

varying　rate　of　the　mandrill　into　a　uniform　one　whenever　he　chose。

Thus　the　expedients　of　wheels；　riggers；　and　drums；　of　different

diamet