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industrial biography-第53部分

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accurate description; but exquisite figure…work; and complicated

geometrical designs; depending upon the cycloidal and eccentric

movements which were from time to time added to the machine。



The artisans of the Middle Ages were very skilful in the use of the

lathe; and turned out much beautiful screen and stall work; still to

be seen in our cathedrals; as well as twisted and swash…work for the

balusters of staircases and other ornamental purposes。  English

mechanics seem early to have distinguished themselves as improvers of

the lathe; and in Moxon's 'Treatise on Turning;' published in 1680;

we find Mr。 Thomas Oldfield; at the sign of the Flower…de…Luce; near

the Savoy in the Strand; named as an excellent maker of oval…engines

and swash…engines; showing that such machines were then in some

demand。  The French writer Plumier*

 'footnote。。。

PLUMIER; L'Art de Tourner; Paris; 1754; p。 155。  。。。'

also mentions an ingenious modification of the lathe by means of

which any kind of reticulated form could be given to the work; and;

from it's being employed to ornament the handles of knives; it was

called by him the  〃Machine a manche de Couteau d'Angleterre。〃  But

the French artisans were at that time much better skilled than the

English in the use of tools; and it is most probable that we owe to

the Flemish and French Protestant workmen who flocked into England in

such large numbers during the religious persecutions of the sixteenth

and seventeenth centuries; the improvement; if not the introduction;

of the art of turning; as well as many other arts hereafter to be

referred to。  It is certain that at the period to which we refer

numerous treatises were published in France on the art of turning;

some of them of a most elaborate character。  Such were the works of

De la Hire;*

 'footnote。。。

Machines approuvees par l' Academie; 1719。

 。。。'

who described how every kind of polygon might be made by the lathe;

De la Condamine;*

 'footnote。。。

Machines approuvees par l' Academie; 1733。

 。。。'

who showed how a lathe could turn all sorts of irregular figures by

means of tracers; and of Grand Jean; Morin;*

 'footnote。。。

L'Art de Tourner en perfection; 49。

 。。。'

 Plumier; Bergeron; and many other writers。



The work of Plumier is especially elaborate; entering into the

construction of the lathe in its various parts; the making of the

tools and cutters; and the different motions to be given to the

machine by means of wheels; eccentrics; and other expedients; amongst

which may be mentioned one very much resembling the slide rest and

planing…machine combined。*

 'footnote。。。

It consisted of two parallel bars of wood or iron connected together

at both extremities by bolts or keys of sufficient width to admit of

the article required to be planed。  A moveable frame was placed

between the two bars; motion being given to it by a long cylindrical

thread acting on any tool put into the sliding frame; and;

consequently; causing the screw; by means of a handle at each end of

it; to push or draw the point or cutting…edge of the tool either

way。Mr。 George Rennie's Preface to Buchanan's Practical Essays on

Mill Work; 3rd Ed。 xli。

 。。。'

 From this work it appears that turning had long been a favourite

pursuit in France with amateurs of all ranks; who spared no expense

in the contrivance and perfection of elaborate machinery for the

production of complex figures。*

 'footnote。。。

Turning was a favourite amusement amongst the French nobles of last

century; many of whom acquired great dexterity in the art; which they

turned to account when compelled to emigrate at the Revolution。  Louis

XVI。 himself was a very good locksmith; and could have earned a fair

living at the trade。  Our own George III。 was a good turner; and was

learned in wheels and treadles; chucks and chisels。  Henry Mayhew

says; on the authority of an old working turner; that; with average

industry; the King might have made from 40s。 to 50s。 a…week as a hard

wood and ivory turner。  Lord John Hay; though one…armed; was an adept

at the latter; and Lord Gray was another capital turner。  Indeed the

late Mr。 Holtzapffel's elaborately illustrated treatise was written

quite as much for amateurs as for working mechanics。  Among other

noble handicraftsmen we may mention the late Lord Douglas; who

cultivated bookbinding。  Lord Traquair's fancy was cutlery; and one

could not come to him in a more welcome fashion than with a pair of

old razors to set up。

 。。。'

There was at that time a great passion for automata in France; which

gave rise to many highly ingenious devices; such as Camus's miniature

carriage (made for Louis XIV。 when a child); Degennes' mechanical

peacock; Vancanson's duck; and Maillardet's conjuror。  It had the

effect of introducing among the higher order of artists habits of

nice and accurate workmanship in executing delicate pieces of

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
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