industrial biography-第51章

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

diameters；　by　which　it　had　been　endeavoured　to　alter　the　speed　of　the

lathe…mandrill；　according　to　the　hardness　of　the　metal　and　the

diameter　of　the　thing　to　be　turned；　were　effectually　disposed　of。

These；　though　answering　very　well　where　cylinders　of　equal　diameter

had　to　be　bored；　and　a　uniform　motion　was　all　that　was　required；　were

found　very　inefficient　where　a　Plane　surface　had　to　be　turned；　and　it

was　in　such　cases　that　Mr。　Clement's　lathe　was　found　so　valuable。　　By

its　means　surfaces　of　unrivalled　correctness　were　produced；　and　the

slide…lathe；　so　improved；　became　recognised　and　adopted　as　the　most

accurate　and　extensively　applicable　of　all　machine…tools。



The　year　after　Mr。　Clement　brought　out　his　improved　turning…lathe；　he

added　to　it　his　self…adjusting　double　driving　centre…chuck；　for　which

the　Society　of　Arts　awarded　him　their　silver　medal　in　1828。　　In

introducing　this　invention　to　the　notice　of　the　Society；　Mr。　Clement

said；　〃Although　I　have　been　in　the　habit　of　turning　and　making

turning…lathes　and　other　machinery　for　upwards　of　thirty…five　years；

and　have　examined　the　best　turning…lathes　in　the　principal

manufactories　throughout　Great　Britain；　I　find　it　universally

regretted　by　all　practical　men　that　they　cannot　turn　anything

perfectly　true　between　the　centres　of　the　lathe。〃　　It　was　found　by

experience；　that　there　was　a　degree　of　eccentricity；　and　consequently

of　imperfection；　in　the　figure　of　any　long　cylinder　turned　while

suspended　between　the　centres　of　the　lathe；　and　made　to　revolve　by

the　action　of　a　single　driver。　　Under　such　circumstances　the　pressure

of　the　tool　tended　to　force　the　work　out　of　the　right　line　and　to

distribute　the　strain　between　the　driver　and　the　adjacent　centre；　so

that　one　end　of　the　cylinder　became　eccentric　with　respect　to　the

other。　　By　Mr。　Clement's　invention　of　the　two…armed　driver；　which　was

self…adjusting；　the　strain　was　taken　from　the　centre　and　divided

between　the　two　arms；　which　being　equidistant　from　the　centre；

effectually　corrected　all　eccentricity　in　the　work。　　This　invention

was　found　of　great　importance　in　ensuring　the　true　turning　of　large

machinery；　which　before　had　been　found　a　matter　of　considerable

difficulty。



In　the　same　year　（1828）　Mr。　Clement　began　the　making　of　fluted　taps

and　dies；　and　he　established　a　mechanical　practice　with　reference　to

the　pitch　of　the　screw；　which　proved　of　the　greatest　importance　in

the　economics　of　manufacture。　　Before　his　time；　each　mechanical

engineer　adopted　a　thread　of　his　own；　so　that　when　a　piece　of　work

came　under　repair；　the　screw…hob　had　usually　to　be　drilled　out；　and　a

new　thread　was　introduced　according　to　the　usage　which　prevailed　in

the　shop　in　which　the　work　was　executed。　　Mr。　Clement　saw　a　great

waste　of　labour　in　this　practice；　and　he　promulgated　the　idea　that

every　screw　of　a　particular　length　ought　to　be　furnished　with　its

appointed　number　of　threads　of　a　settled　pitch。　　Taking　the　inch　as

the　basis　of　his　calculations；　he　determined　the　number　of　threads　in

each　case；　and　the　practice　thus　initiated　by　him；　recommended　as　it

was　by　convenience　and　economy；　was　very　shortly　adopted　throughout

the　trade。　　It　may　be　mentioned　that　one　of　Clement's　ablest

journeymen；　Mr。　Whitworth；　has；　since　his　time；　been　mainly

instrumental　in　establishing　the　settled　practice；　and　Whitworth's

thread　（initiated　by　Clement）　has　become　recognised　throughout　the

mechanical　world。　　To　carry　out　his　idea；　Clement　invented　his

screw…engine　lathe；　with　gearing；　mandrill；　and　sliding…table

wheel…work；　by　means　of　which　he　first　cut　the　inside　screw…tools

from　the　left…handed　hobsthe　reverse　mode　having　before　been

adopted；while　in　shaping　machines　he　was　the　first　to　use　the

revolving　cutter　attached　to　the　slide　rest。　　Then；　in　1828；　he　fluted

the　taps　for　the　first　time　with　a　revolving　cutter；other　makers

having　up　to　that　time　only　notched　them。　　Among　his　other　inventions

in　screws　may　be　mentioned　his　headless　tap；　which；　according　to　Mr。

Nasmyth；　is　so　valuable　an　invention；　that；　〃if　he　had　done　nothing

else；　it　ought　to　immortalize　him　among　mechanics。　　It　passed　right

through　the　hole　to　be　tapped；　and　was　thus　enabled　to　do　the　duty　of

three　ordinary　screws。〃　　By　these　improvements　much　greater　precision

was　secured　in　the　manufacture　of　tools　and　machinery；　accompanied　by

a　greatly　reduced　cost　of　production；　the　results　of　which　are　felt

to　this　day。



Another　of　Mr。　Clement's　ingenious　inventions　was　his　Planing

Machine；　by　means　of　which　metal　plates　of　large　dimensions　were

planed　with　perfect　truth　and　finished　with　beautiful　accuracy。　　There

is　perhaps　scarcely　a　machine　about　which　there　has　been　more

controversy　than　this；　and　we　do　not　pretend　to　be　able　to　determine

the　respective　merits　of　the　many　able　mechanics　who　have　had　a　hand

in　its　invention。　　It　is　exceedingly　probable　that　others　besides

Clement　worked　out　the　problem　in　their　own　way；　by　independent

methods；　and　this　is　confirmed　by　the　circumstance　that　though　the

results　achieved　by　the　respective　inventors　were　the　same；　the

methods　employed　by　them　were　in　many　respects　different。　　As　regards

Clement；　we　find　that　previous　to　the　year　1820　he　had　a　machine　in

regular　use　for　planing　the　triangular　bars　of　lathes　and　the　sides

of　weaving…looms。　　This　instrument　was　found　so　useful　and　so

economical　in　its　working；　that　Clement　proceeded　to　elaborate　a

planing　machine　of　a　more　complete　kind；　which　he　finished　and　set　to

work　in　the　year　1825。　　He　prepared　no　model　of　it；　but　made　it　direct

from　the　working　drawings；　and　it　was　so　nicely　constructed；　that

when　put　together　it　went　without　a　hitch；　and　has　continued　steadily

working　for　more　than　thirty　years　down　to　the　present　day。



Clement　took　out　no　patent　for　his　invention；　relying　for　protection

mainly　on　his　own　and　his　workmen's　skill　in　using　it。　　We　therefore

find　no　specification　of　his　machine　at　the　Patent　Office；　as　in　the

case　of　most　other　capital　inventions；　but　a　very　complete　account　of

it　is　to　be　found　in　the　Transactions　of　the　Society　of　Arts　for

1832；　as　described　by　Mr。　Varley。　　The　practical　value　of　the　Planing

Machine　induced　the　Society　to　apply　to　Mr。　Clement　for　liberty　to

publish　a　full　description　of　it；　and　Mr。　Varley's　paper　was　the

result。*

　＇footnote。。。

Transactions　of　the　Society　for　the　Encouragement　of　Arts；　vol。　xlix。

p。157。

　。。。＇

It　may　be　briefly　stated　that　this　engineer's　plane　differs　greatly

from　the　carpenter's　plane；　the　cutter　of　which　is　only　allowed　to

project　so　far　as　to　admit　of　a　thin　shaving　to　be　sliced　off；the

plane　working　flat　in　proportion　to　the　width　of　the　tool；　and　its

length　and　straightness　preventing　the　cutter　from　descending　into

any　hollows　in　the　wood。　　The　engineer's　plane　more　resembles　the

turning…lathe；　of　which　indeed　it　is　but　a　modification；　working　up

on　the　same　principle；　on　flat　surfaces。　　The　tools　or　cutters　in

Clement's　machine　were　similar　to　those　used　in　the　lathe；　varying　in

like　manner；　but　performing　their　work　in　right　lines；the　tool

being　stationary　and　the　work　moving　under　it；　the　tool　only

travelling　when　making　lateral　cuts。　　To　save　time　two　cutters　were

mounted；　one　to　cut　the　work　while　going；　the　other　while　returning；

both　being　so　arranged　and　held　as　to　be　presented　to　the　work　in　the

firmest　manner；　and　with　the　least　possible　friction。　　The　bed　of　the

machine；　on　which　the　work　was　laid；　passed　under　the　cutters　on

perfectly　true　rollers　or　wheels；　lodged　and　held　in　their　bearings

as　accurately　as　the　best　mandrill　could　be；　and　having　set…screws

acting　against　their　ends　totally　preventing　all　end…motion。　　The

machine　was　bedded　on　a　massive　and　solid　foundation　of　masonry　in

heavy　blocks；　the　support　at　all　points　being　so　complete　as

effectually　to　destroy　all　tendency　to　vibration；　with　the　object　of

securing　full；　round；　and　quiet　cuts。　　The　rollers　on　which　the

planing…machine　travelled　were　so　true；　that　Clement　himself　used　to

say　of　them；　〃If　you　were　to　put　but　a　paper　shaving　under　one　of　the

rollers；　it　would　at　once　stop　all　the　rest。〃　　Nor　was　this　any

exaggerationthe　entire　mechanism；　notwithstanding　its　great　size；

being　as　true　and　accurate　as　that　of　a　watch。



By　an　ingenious　adaptation　of　the　apparatus；　which　will　also　be　found

described　in　the　Society　of　Arts　paper；　the　planing　machine　might　be

fitted　with　a　lathe…bed；　either　to　hold　two　centres；　or　a　head　with　a

suitable　mandrill。　　When　so　fitted；　the　machine　was　enabled　to　do　the

work　of　a　turning…lathe；　though　in　a　different　way；　cutting　cylinders

or　cones　in　their　longitudinal　direction　perfectly　straight；　as　well

as　solids　or　prisms　of　any　angle；　either　by　the　longitudinal　or

lateral　motion　of　the　cutter；　whilst　by　making　the　work　revolve；　it

might　be　turned　as　in　any　other　lathe。　　This　ingenious　machine；　as

contrived　by　Mr。　Clement；　therefore　represented　a　complete　union　of

the　turning…lathe　with　the　planing　machine　and　dividing　engine；　by

which　turning　of　the　most　complicated　kind　might　readily　be　executed。

For　ten　years　after　it　was　set　in　motion；　Clement's　was　the　only

machine　of　the　sort　available　for　planing　large　work；　and　being

consequently　very　much　in　request；　it　was　often　kept　going　night　and

day；the　earnings　by　the　planing　machine　alone　during　that　time

forming　the　principal　income　of　its　inventor。　　As　it　took　in　a　piece

of　work　six　feet　square；　and　as　his　charge　for　planing　was

three…halfpence　the　square　inch；　or　eighteen　shillings　the　square

foot；　he　could　thus　earn　by　his　machine　alone　some　ten　pounds　for

every　day's　work　of　twelve　hours。　　We　may　add　that　since　planing

machines　in　various　forms　have　become　common　in　mechanical　workshops；

the　cost　of　planing　does　not　amount　to　more　than　three…halfpence　the

square　foot。



The　excellence　of　Mr。　Clement's　tools；　and　his　well…known　skill　in

designing　and　executing　work　requiring　unusual　accuracy　and　finish；

led　to　his　being　employed　by　Mr。　Babbage　to　make　his　celebrated

Calculating　or　Difference　Engine。　　The　contrivance　of　a　machine　that

should　work　out　complicated　sums　in　arithmetic　with　perfect

precision；　was；　as　may　readily　be　imagined；　one　of　the　most　difficult

feats　of　the　mechanical　intellect。　　To　do　this　was　in　an　especial

sense　to　stamp　matter　with　the　impress　of　mind；　and　render　it

subservient　to　the　highest　thinking　faculty。　　Attempts　had　been　made

at　an　early　period　to　perform　arithmetical　calculations　by　mechanical

aids　more　rapidly　and　precisely　than　it　was　possible　to　do　by　the

operations　of　the　individual　mind。　　The　preparation　of　arithmetical

tables　of　high　numbers　involved　a　vast　deal　of　labour；　and　even　with

the　greatest　care　errors　were　unavoidable　and　numerous。　　Thus　in　a

multipltcation…table