an autobiography-第51部分

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ign　visitors　had　taken　with　them　to　France　a　copy　of　the　plan　and　details　of　my　steam　hammer。

It　was　not　until　my　visit　to　France　in　April　1842　that　the　upshot　of　their　visit　was　brought　under　my　notice　in　an　extraordinary　manner。　I　was　requested　by　M。　Bouchier；　Minister　of　Marine；　to　visit　the　French　dockyards　and　arsenals　for　the　purpose　of　conferring　with　the　director　of　each　with　reference　to　the　supply　of　various　machine　tools　for　the　proper　equipment　of　the　marine　engine　factories　in　connection　with　the　Royal　Dockyards。　　In　order　to　render　this　journey　more　effective　and　instructive；　I　visited　most　of　the　French　engineering　establishments　which　had　been　supplied　with　machine　tools　by　our　firm。　Amongst　these　was　of　course　the　famous　firm　of　Schneider；　whose　works　at　Creuzot　lay　not　far　out　of　the　way　of　my　return　journey　accordingly　made　my　way　thither；　and　found　M。　Bourdon　at　his　post；　though　M。　Schneider　was　absent。

M。　Bourdon　received　me　with　much　cordiality。　　As　he　spoke　English　with　fluency　I　was　fortunate　in　finding　him　present；　in　order　to　show　me　over　the　works；　on　entering　which；　one　of　the　things　that　particularly　struck　me　was　the　excellence　of　a　large　wrought…iron　marine　engine　single　crank；　forged　with　a　remarkable　degree　of　exactness　in　its　general　form。　　I　observed　also　that　the　large　eye　of　the　crank　had　been　punched　and　drifted　with　extraordinary　smoothness　and　truth。　I　inquired　of　M。　Bourdon　〃how　that　crank　had　been　forged？〃　His　immediate　reply　was；　〃It　was　forged　by　your　steam　hammer！〃

Great　was　my　surprise　and　pleasure　at　hearing　this　statement。　I　asked　him　how　he　had　come　to　be　acquainted　with　my　steam　hammer？　He　then　narrated　the　circumstance　of　his　visit　to　the　Bridgewater　Foundry　during　my　absence。　　He　told　me　of　my　partner　having　exhibited　to　him　the　original　design；　and　how　much　he　was　struck　by　its　simplicity　and　probable　efficiency；　that　he　had　taken　careful　note　and　sketches　on　the　spot；　that　among　the　first　things　he　did　after　his　return　to　Creuzot　was　to　put　in　hand　the　necessary　work　for　the　erection　of　a　steam　hammer；　and　that　the　results　had　in　all　respects　realised　the　high　expectations　he　had　formed　of　it。

M。　Bourdon　conducted　me　to　the　forge　department　of　the　works；　that　I　might；　as　he　said；　〃see　my　own　child；〃　and　there　it　was；　in　trutha　thumping　child　of　my　brain。　　Until　then　it　had　only　existed　in　my　scheme　book；　and　yet　it　had　often　and　often　been　before　my　mind's　eye　in　full　action。　　On　inspecting　the　steam　hammer　I　found　that　Bourdon　had　omitted　some　important　details；　which　had　led　to　a　few　mishaps；　especially　with　respect　to　the　frequent　breaking　of　the　piston…rod　at　its　junction　with　the　hammer　block。　　He　had　effected　this；　in　the　usual　way；　by　means　of　a　cutter　wedge　through　the　rod；　but　he　told　me　that　it　often　broke　through　the　severe　jar　during　the　action　of　the　hammer。　　I　sketched　for　him；　then　and　there；　in　full　size　on　a　board；the　elastic　packing　under　the　end　of　the　piston…rod；　which　acted；　as　I　told　him；　like　the　cartilage　between　the　bones　of　the　vertebrae；　preventing　the　destructive　effects　of　violent　jars。　I　also　communicated　to　him　a　few　other　important　details；　which　he　had　missed　in　his　hasty　inspection　of　my　design。　　Indeed；　I　felt　great　pleasure　in　doing　so；　as　I　found　Bourdon　to　be　a　most　intelligent　mechanic；　and　thoroughly　able　to　appreciate　the　practical　value　of　the　information　I　communicated　to　him。　　He　expressed　his　obligation　to　me　in　the　warmest　terms；　and　the　alterations　which　he　shortly　afterwards　effected　in　the　steam　hammer；　in　accordance　with　my　plans；　enabled　it　to　accomplish　everything　that　he　could　desire。

I　had　not　yet　taken　out　a　patent　for　the　steam　hammer。　　The　reason　was　this。　　The　cost　of　a　patent　at　the　time　I　invented　it　was　little　short　of　#500；　all　expenses　included。　　My　partner　was　unwilling　to　lay　out　so　large　a　sum　upon　an　invention　for　which　there　seemed　to　be　so　little　demand　at　that　time；　and　I　myself　had　the　whole　of　my　capital　embarked　in　the　concern。　　Besides；　the　general　depression　still　continued　in　the　iron　trade；　and　we　had　use　for　every　farthing　of　money　we　possessed。　I　had　been　warned　of　the　risk　I　ran　by　freely　exhibiting　my　original　design；　as　well　as　by　sending　drawings　of　it　to　those　who　I　thought　were　most　likely　to　bring　the　invention　into　use。　　But　nothing　had　as　yet　been　done　in　England。　　It　was　left　for　France；　as　I　have　described；　to　embody　my　invention　in　an　actual　steam　hammer。　　I　now　became　alarmed；　and　feared　lest　I　should　lose　the　benefits　of　　my　invention。　As　my　partner　declined　to　help　me；　I　applied　to　my　brother…in…law；　William　Bennett。　　He　was　a　practical　engineer；　and　had　expressed　himself　as　highly　satisfied　with　its　value。　　He　had　also　many　times　cautioned　me　against　〃publishing〃　its　advantages　so　widely；　without　having　first　protected　it　by　a　patent。　He　was　therefore　quite　ready　to　come　to　my　assistance。　　He　helped　me　with　the　necessary　money；　and　the　invention　was　placed　in　a　position　of　safety　so　far　as　my　interests　were　concerned。　　In　return　for　his　kindness　I　stipulated　that　the　reimbursement　of　his　loan　should　be　a　first　charge　upon　any　profits　arising　from　the　manufacture　of　the　steam　hammer；　and　also　that　he　should　have　a　share　in　the　profits　during　the　period　of　the　patent　rights。　　Mr。　Bennett　lived　for　many　years；　rejoicing　in　the　results　of　his　kindness　to　me　in　the　time　of　my　difficulty。　　I　may　add　that　the　patent　was　secured　in　June　1842；　or　less　than　two　months　after　my　return　from　France。

Soon　after　this；　the　iron　trade　recovered　from　its　depression。　The　tide　of　financial　prosperity　of　the　Bridgewater　Foundry　soon　set　in；　and　my　partner's　sanguine　confidence　in　my　ability　to　raise　it　to　the　condition　of　a　thriving　and　prosperous　concern　was　justified　in　a　most　substantial　manner。　　In　order　to　make　the　most　effective　demonstration　of　the　powers　and　capabilities　of　my　steam　hammer；　I　constructed　one　of　30cwt。　　of　hammer　block；　with　a　clear　four　feet　range　of　fall。　　I　soon　had　it　set　to　work；　and　its　energetic　services　helped　us　greatly　in　our　smith　and　forge　work。　　It　was　admired　by　all　observers。　　People　came　from　a　distance　to　see　it。　　Mechanics　and　ironfounders　wondered　at　the　new　power　which　had　been　born。　The　precision　and　beauty　of　its　action　seemed　marvellous。　The　attendant　could；　by　means　of　the　steam　slide…valve　lever　in　his　hand；　transmit　his　will　to　the　action　of　the　hammer；　and　thus　think　in　blows。　　The　machine　combined　great　power　with　gentleness。　　The　hammer　could　be　made　to　give　so　gentle　a　blow　as　to　crack　the　end　of　an　egg　placed　in　a　wine　glass　on　the　anvil；　whilst　the　next　blow　would　shake　the　parish　or　be　instantly　arrested　in　its　descent　midway。*　　＇footnote。。。　This　is　no　mere　figure　of　speech。　　I　have　heard　the　tea…cups　rattle　in　the　cupboard　in　my　house　a　quarter　of　a　mile　from　the　place　where　the　hammer　was　at　work。　　I　was　afterwards　informed　that　the　blows　of　my　great　steam　hammer　at　Woolwich　Arsenal　were　sensibly　felt　at　Greenwich　Observatory；　about　two　miles　distant。　　。。。＇

Hand…gear　was　the　original　system　introduced　in　working　the　hammer。　A　method　of　self…acting　was　afterwards　added。　　In　1843；　I　admitted　steam　above　the　piston；　to　aid　gravitation。　　This　was　an　important　improvement。　　The　self…acting　arrangement　was　eventually　done　away　with；　and　hand…gear　again　became　all　but　universal。　　Sir　John　Anderson；　in　his　admirable　Report　on　the　Vienna　Exhibition　of　1873；　says：　The　most　remarkable　features　of　the　Nasmyth　hammers　were　the　almost　entire　abandonment　of　the　old　self…acting　motion　of　the　early　hammers　and　the　substitution　of　new　devices；　and　in　the　use　of　hand…gear　only　in　all　attempts　to　show　off　the　working。　　There　is　no　real　saving；　as　a　general　rule；　by　the　self…acting　arrangement；　because　one　attendant　is　required　in　either　case；　and　on　the　other　hand　there　is　frequently　a　positive　loss　in　the　effect　of　the　blow。　By　hand…working；　with　steam　on　top　of　piston；　the　full　force　can　be　more　readily　maintained　until　the　blow　is　fully　delivered；　it　is　thus　more　of　a　dead　blow　than　was　formerly　the　case　with　the　other　system。〃

There　was　no　want　of　orders　when　the　valuable　qualities　of　the　steam　hammer　came　to　be　seen　and　experienced。　　The　first　Order　came　from　Rushton　and　Eckersley　of　Bolton；　who；　by　the　way；　had　seen　the　first　copy　of　my　original　design　a　few　years　before。　　The　steam　hammer　I　made　for　them　was　more　powerful　than　my　own。　　The　hammer　block　was　of　five　tons　weight；　and　had　a　clear　fall　of　five　feet。　　It　gave　every　satisfaction；　and　the　fame　of　its　performances　went　abroad　amongst　the　ironworkers。　　The　Lowmoor　Ironworks　Company　followed　suit　with　an　order　for　one　of　the　same　size　and　power；　and　another　came　from　Hawkes　and　Co。；　of　Newcastle…upon…Tyne。

One　of　the　most　important　uses　of　the　steam　hammer　was　in　forging　anchors。　　Under　the　old　system；　anchors　upon　the　soundness　of　which　the　safety　of　ships　so　often　dependswere　forged　upon　the　〃bit　by　bit〃　system。　　The　various　pieces　of　an　anchor　were　welded　together；　but　at　the　parts　where　the　different　pieces　of　iron　were　welded　together；　flaws　often　occurred；　the　parts　would　break　offblades　from　the　stock；　or　flukes　from　the　bladesand　leave　the　vessel；　which　relied　upon　the　security