industrial biography-第47章

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them；　as　few　were　used　as　possible；　and　cotters；　cotterils；　or

forelocks；　were　employed　instead。　　Screws；　however；　were　to　a　certain

extent　indispensable；　and　each　manufacturing　establishment　made　them

after　their　own　fashion。　　There　was　an　utter　want　of　uniformity。　　No

system　was　observed　as　to　〃pitch；〃　i。e。　　the　number　of　threads　to　the

inch；　nor　was　any　rule　followed　as　to　the　form　of　those　threads。

Every　bolt　and　nut　was　sort　of　specialty　in　itself；　and　neither　owed

nor　admitted　of　any　community　with　its　neighbours。　　To　such　an　extent

was　this　irregularity　carried；　that　all　bolts　and　their　corresponding

nuts　had　to　be　marked　as　belonging　to　each　other；　and　any　mixing　of

them　together　led　to　endless　trouble；　hopeless　confusion；　and

enormous　expense。　　Indeed　none　but　those　who　lived　in　the

comparatively　early　days　of　machine…manufacture　can　form　an　adequate

idea　of　the　annoyance　occasioned　by　the　want　of　system　in　this　branch

of　detail；　or　duly　appreciate　the　services　rendered　by　Maudslay　to

mechanical　engineering　by　the　practical　measures　which　he　was　among

the　first　to　introduce　for　its　remedy。　　In　his　system　of　screw…cutting

machinery；　his　taps　and　dies；　and　screw…tackle　generally；　he　laid　the

foundations　of　all　that　has　since　been　done　in　this　essential　branch

of　machine…construction；　in　which　he　was　so　ably　followed　up　by

several　of　the　eminent　mechanics　brought　up　in　his　school；　and　more

especially　by　Joseph　Clement　and　Joseph　Whitworth。　　One　of　his

earliest　self…acting　screw　lathes；　moved　by　a　guide…screw　and　wheels

after　the　plan　followed　by　the　latter　engineer；　cut　screws　of　large

diameter　and　of　any　required　pitch。　　As　an　illustration　of　its

completeness　and　accuracy；　we　may　mention　that　by　its　means　a　screw

five　feet　in　length；　and　two　inches　in　diameter；　was　cut　with　fifty

threads　to　the　inch；　the　nut　to　fit　on　to　it　being　twelve　inches

long；　and　containing　six　hundred　threads。　　This　screw　was　principally

used　for　dividing　scales　for　astronomical　purposes；　and　by　its　means

divisions　were　produced　so　minute　that　they　could　not　be　detected

without　the　aid　of　a　magnifier。　　The　screw；　which　was　sent　for

exhibition　to　the　Society　of　Arts；　is　still　carefully　preserved

amongst　the　specimens　of　Maudslay's　handicraft　at　the　Lambeth　Works；

and　is　a　piece　of　delicate　work　which　every　skilled　mechanic　will

thoroughly　appreciate。　　Yet　the　tool　by　which　this　fine　piece　of

turning　was　produced　was　not　an　exceptional　tool；　but　was　daily

employed　in　the　ordinary　work　of　the　manufactory。



Like　every　good　workman　who　takes　pride　in　his　craft；　he　kept　his

tools　in　first…rate　order；　clean；　and　tidily　arranged；　so　that　he

could　lay　his　hand　upon　the　thing　he　wanted　at　once；　without　loss　of

time。　　They　are　still　preserved　in　the　state　in　which　he　left　them；

and　strikingly　illustrate　his　love　of　order；　〃nattiness；〃　and

dexterity。　　Mr。　Nasmyth　says　of　him　that　you　could　see　the　man's

character　in　whatever　work　he　turned　out；　and　as　the　connoisseur　in

art　will　exclaim　at　sight　of　a　picture；　〃　That　is　Turner；〃　or　〃That

is　Stansfield；〃　detecting　the　hand　of　the　master　in　it；　so　the

experienced　mechanician；　at　sight　of　one　of　his　machines　or　engines；

will　be　equally　ready　to　exclaim；　〃That　is　Maudslay；〃　for　the

characteristic　style　of　the　master…mind　is　as　clear　to　the

experienced　eye　in　the　case　of　the　finished　machine　as　the　touches　of

the　artist's　pencil　are　in　the　case　of　the　finished　picture。　　Every

mechanical　contrivance　that　became　the　subject　of　his　study　came

forth　from　his　hand　and　mind　rearranged；　simplified；　and　made　new；

with　the　impress　of　his　individuality　stamped　upon　it。　　He　at　once

stripped　the　subject　of　all　unnecessary　complications；　for　he

possessed　a　wonderful　faculty　of　KNOWING　WHAT　TO　DO　WITHOUTthe

result　of　his　clearness　of　insight　into　mechanical　adaptations；　and

the　accurate　and　well…defined　notions　he　had　formed　of　the　precise

object　to　be　accomplished。　　〃Every　member　or　separate　machine　in　the

system　of　block…machinery　says　Mr。　Nasmyth；　〃is　full　of　Maudslay's

presence；　and　in　that　machinery；　as　constructed　by　him；　is　to　be

found　the　parent　of　every　engineering　tool　by　the　aid　of　which　we　are

now　achieving　such　great　things　in　mechanical　construction。　　To　the

tools　of　which　Maudslay　furnished　the　prototypes　are　we　mainly

indebted　for　the　perfection　of　our　textile　machinery；　our

locomotives；　our　marine　engines；　and　the　various　implements　of　art；

of　agriculture；　and　of　war。　　If　any　one　who　can　enter　into　the　details

of　this　subject　will　be　at　the　pains　to　analyse；　if　I　may　so　term　it；

the　machinery　of　our　modern　engineering　workshops；　he　will　find　in

all　of　them　the　strongly…marked　features　of　Maudslay's　parent

machine；　the　slide　rest　and　slide　systemwhether　it　be　a　planing

machine；　a　slotting　machine；　a　slide…lathe；　or　any　other　of　the

wonderful　tools　which　are　now　enabling　us　to　accomplish　so　much　in

mechanism。〃



One　of　the　things　in　which　Mr。　Maudslay　took　just　pride　was　in　the

excellence　of　his　work。　　In　designing　and　executing　it；　his　main

object　was　to　do　it　in　the　best　possible　style　and　finish；　altogether

irrespective　of　the　probable　pecuniary　results。　　This　he　regarded　in

the　light　of　a　duty　he　could　not　and　would　not　evade；　independent　of

its　being　a　good　investment　for　securing　a　future　reputation；　and　the

character　which　he　thus　obtained；　although　at　times　purchased　at

great　cost；　eventually　justified　the　soundness　of　his　views。　　As　the

eminent　Mr。　Penn；　the　head　of　the　great　engineering　firm；　is

accustomed　to　say；　〃I　cannot　afford　to　turn　out　second…rate　work；〃　so

Mr。　Maudslay　found　both　character　and　profit　in　striving　after　the

highest　excellence　in　his　productions。　　He　was　particular　even　in　the

minutest　details。　　Thus　one　of　the　points　on　which　he

insistedapparently　a　trivial　matter；　but　in　reality　of　considerable

importance　in　mechanical　construction　was　the　avoidance　of　sharp

interior　angles　in　ironwork；　whether　wrought　or　cast；　for　he　found

that　in　such　interior　angles　cracks　were　apt　to　originate；　and　when

the　article　was　a　tool；　the　sharp　angle　was　less　pleasant　to　the　hand

as　well　as　to　the　eye。　　In　the　application　of　his　favourite　round　or

hollow　corner　systemas；　for　instance；　in　the　case　of　the　points　of

junction　of　the　arms　of　a　wheel　with　its　centre　and　rimhe　used　to

illustrate　its　superiority　by　holding　up　his　hand　and　pointing　out

the　nice　rounded　hollow　at　the　junction　of　the　fingers；　or　by

referring　to　the　junction　of　the　branches　to　the　stem　of　a　tree。

Hence　he　made　a　point　of　having　all　the　angles　of　his　machine

framework　nicely　rounded　off　on　their　exterior；　and　carefully

hollowed　in　their　interior　angles。　　In　forging　such　articles　he　would

so　shape　his　metal　before　bending　that　the　result　should　be　the　right

hollow　or　rounded　corner　when　bent；　the　anticipated　external　angle

falling　into　its　proper　place　when　the　bar　so　shaped　was　brought　to


its　ultimate　form。　　In　all　such　matters　of　detail　he　was　greatly

assisted　by　his　early　dexterity　as　a　blacksmith；　and　he　used　to　say

that　to　be　a　good　smith　you　must　be　able　to　SEE　in　the　bar　of　iron

the　object　proposed　to　be　got　out　of　it　by　the　hammer　or　the　tool；

just　as　the　sculptor　is　supposed　to　see　in　the　block　of　stone　the

statue　which　he　proposes　to　bring　forth　from　it　by　his　mind　and　his

chisel。



Mr。　Maudslay　did　not　allow　himself　to　forget　his　skill　in　the　use　of

the　hammer；　and　to　the　last　he　took　pleasure　in　handling　it；

sometimes　in　the　way　of　business；　and　often　through　sheer　love　of　his

art。　　Mr　Nasmyth　says；　〃It　was　one　of　my　duties；　while　acting　as

assistant　in　his　beautiful　little　workshop；　to　keep　up　a　stock　of

handy　bars　of　lead　which　he　had　placed　on　a　shelf　under　his

work…bench；　which　was　of　thick　slate　for　the　more　ready　making　of　his

usual　illustrative　sketches　of　machinery　in　chalk。　　His　love　of

iron…forging　led　him　to　take　delight　in　forging　the　models　of　work　to

be　ultimately　done　in　iron；　and　cold　lead　being　of　about　the　same

malleability　as　red…hot　iron；　furnished　a　convenient　material　for

illustrating　the　method　to　be　adopted　with　the　large　work。　　I　well

remember　the　smile　of　satisfaction　that　lit　up　his　honest　face　when

he　met　with　a　good　excuse　for　'having　a　go　at'　one　of　the　bars　of

lead　with　hammer　and　anvil　as　if　it　were　a　bar　of　iron；　and　how；　with

a　few　dexterous　strokes；　punchings　of　holes；　and　rounded　notches；　he

would　give　the　rough　bar　or　block　its　desired　form。　　He　always　aimed

at　working　it　out　of　the　solid　as　much　as　possible；　so　as　to　avoid

the　risk　of　any　concealed　defect；　to　which　ironwork　built　up　of

welded　parts　is　so　liable；　and　when　he　had　thus　cleverly　finished　his

model；　he　used　forthwith　to　send　for　the　foreman　of　smiths；　and　show

him　how　he　was　to　instruct　his　men　as　to　the　proper　forging　of　the

desired　object。〃　　One　of　Mr。　Maudslay's　old　workmen；　when　informing　us

of　the　skilful　manner　in　which　he　handled　the　file；　said；　〃It　was　a

pleasure　to　see　him　handle　a　tool　of　any　kind；　but　he　was　QUITE

SPLENDID　with　an　eighteen…inch　file！〃　The　vice　at　which　he　worked　was

constructed　by　himself；　and　it　was　perfect　of　its　kind。　　It　could　be

turned　round　to　any　position　on　the　bench；　the　jaws　would　turn　from

the　horizontal　to　the　perpendicular　or　any　other

positionupside…down　if　necessaryand　they　would　open　twelve　inches

parallel。



Mr。　Nasmyth　furnishes　the　following　further　recollections　of　Mr。

Maudslay；　which　will　serve　in　some　measure　to　illustrate　his　personal

character。　　〃Henry　Maudslay；〃　he　says；　〃lived　in　the　days　of

snuff…taking；　which　unhappily；　as　I　think；　has　given　way　to　the

cigar…smoking　system。　　He　enjoyed　his　occasional　pinch　very　much。　　It

generally　preceded　the　giving　out　of　a　new　notion　or　suggestion　for

an　improvement　or　alteration　of　some　job　in　hand。　　As　with　most　of

those　who　enjoy　their　pinch；　about　three　times　as　much　was　taken

between　the　fingers　as　was　utilized　by　the　nose；　and　the　consequence

was　that　a　large　unconsumed　surplus　collected　in　the　folds　of　the

master's　waistcoat　as　he　sat　working　at　his　bench。　　Sometimes　a　file；

or　a　tool；　or　some　small　piece　of　work　would　drop；　and　then　it　was　my

duty　to　go　down　on　my　knees　and　fetch　it　up。　　On　such　occasions；　while

waiting　for　the　article；　he　would　take　the　opportunity　of　pulling

down　his　waistcoat　front；　which　had　become　disarranged　by　his

energetic　working　at　the　bench；　and　many　a　time　have　I　come　up　with

the　dropped　article；　half…blinded　by　the　snuff　jerked　into　my　eyes

from　off　his　waistcoat　front。



〃All　the　while　he　was　at　work　he　would　be　narrating　some　incident　in

his　past　life；　or　describing　the　progress　of　some　new　and　important

undertaking；　in　illustrating　which　he　would　use　the　bit　of　chalk

ready　to　his　hand　upon　the　slate　bench　before　him；　which　was　thus　in

almost　constant　use。　　One　of　the　pleasures　he　indulged　in　while　he　sat