ThisdiplomapieceofworksecuredMaudslay’sfooting,andnextMondaymorninghecameonasoneoftheregularhands。
Hesoontookrankintheshopasafirst-classworkman。Lovinghisart,heaimedatexcellenceinit,andsucceeded。Foritmustbeunderstoodthatthehandicraftsmanwhoseheartisinhiscalling,feelsasmuchhonestprideinturningoutapieceofthoroughlygoodworkmanship,asthesculptororthepainterdoesinexecutingastatueorapicture。Incourseoftime,themostdifficultanddelicatejobscametobeentrustedtoMaudslay;andnothinggavehimgreaterpleasurethantobesettoworkuponanentirelynewpieceofmachinery。Andthusherose,naturallyandsteadily,fromhandtoheadwork。Forhismanualdexteritywastheleastofhisgifts。Hepossessedanintuitivepowerofmechanicalanalysisandsynthesis。Hehadaquickeyetoperceivethearrangementsrequisitetoeffectgivenpurposes;andwheneveradifficultyarose,hisinventivemindsettoworktoovercomeit。
Hisfellow-workmenwerenotslowtorecognisehismanyadmirablequalities,ofhand,mind,andheart;andhebecamenotonlythefavourite,buttheherooftheshop。Perhapsheowedsomethingtohisfinepersonalappearance。Henceongala-days,whenthementurnedoutinprocession,”Harry”wasusuallyselectedtomarchattheirheadandcarrytheflag。Hisconductasason,also,wasasadmirableashisqualitiesasaworkman。HisfatherdyingshortlyafterMaudslayenteredBramah’sconcern,hewasaccustomedtowalkdowntoWoolwicheverySaturdaynight,andhandovertohismother,forwhomhehadthetenderestregard,aconsiderableshareofhisweek’swages,andthishecontinuedtodoaslongasshelived。
Notwithstandinghisyouth,hewasraisedfromoneposttoanother,untilhewasappointed,byunanimousconsent,theheadforemanoftheworks;andwasrecognisedbyallwhohadoccasiontodobusinessthereas”Bramah’sright-handman。”Henotonlywontheheartofhismaster,but——whatprovedoffargreaterimportancetohim——healsowontheheartofhismaster’sprettyhousemaid,SarahTindelbyname,whomhemarried,andshewenthand-in-handwithhimthroughlife,anadmirable”helpmeet,”ineverywayworthyofthenoblecharacterofthegreatmechanic。Maudslaywasfoundespeciallyusefulbyhismasterindevisingthetoolsformakinghispatentlocks;andmanywerethebeautifulcontrivanceswhichheinventedforthepurposeofensuringtheirmoreaccurateandspeedymanufacture,withaminimumdegreeoflabour,andwithouttheneedofanylargeamountofmanualdexterityonthepartoftheworkman。Thelockwassodelicateamachine,thattheidentityoftheseveralpartsofwhichitwascomposedwasfoundtobeanabsolutenecessity。Merehandicraft,howeverskilled,couldnotsecuretherequisiteprecisionofworkmanship;norcouldthepartsbeturnedoutinsufficientquantitytomeetanylargedemand。Itwasthereforerequisitetodevisemachine-toolswhichshouldnotblunder,norturnoutimperfectwork;——machines,inshort,whichshouldbeinagreatmeasureindependentofthewantofdexterityofindividualworkmen,butwhichshouldunerringlylabourintheirprescribedtrack,anddotheworksetthem,evenintheminutestdetails,afterthemethodsdesignedbytheirinventor。InthisdepartmentMaudslaywaseminentlysuccessful,andtohislaboriousingenuity,asfirstdisplayedinBramah’sworkshops,andafterwardsinhisownestablishment,weunquestionablyowemuchofthepowerandaccuracyofourpresentself-actingmachines。
BramahhimselfwasnotbackwardinadmittingthattoHenryMaudslay’spracticalskillincontrivingthemachinesformanufacturinghislocksonalargescale,thesuccessofhisinventionwasinagreatdegreeattributable。Infurtherproofofhismanualdexterity,itmaybementionedthatheconstructedwithhisownhandstheidenticalpadlockwhichsoseverelytestedthepowersofMr。Hobbsin1851。Andwhenitisconsideredthatthelockhadbeenmadeformorethanhalfacentury,anddidnotembodyanyofthemodernimprovements,itwillperhapsberegardednotonlyascreditabletotheprinciplesonwhichitwasconstructed,buttotheworkmanshipofitsmaker,thatitshouldsolonghavewithstoodthevariousmechanicaldexteritytowhichitwasexposed。
Besidestheinventionofimprovedmachine-toolsforthemanufactureoflocks,MaudslaywasoffurtherservicetoBramahinapplyingtheexpedienttohisfamousHydraulicPress,withoutwhichitwouldprobablyhaveremainedanimpracticablethoughahighlyingeniousmachine。Asinotherinstancesofgreatinventions,thepracticalsuccessofthewholeisoftenfoundtodependupontheactionofsomeapparentlytriflingdetail。Thiswasespeciallythecasewiththehydraulicpress;towhichMaudslayaddedtheessentialfeatureoftheself-tighteningcollar,abovedescribedinthememoirofBramah。Mr。
JamesNasmythisourauthorityforascribingthisinventiontoMaudslay,whowascertainlyquitecompetenttohavemadeit;anditisamatteroffactthatBramah’sspecificationofthepresssaysnothingofthehollowcollar,*
[footnote……
ThewordsBramahusesindescribingthispartofhispatentof1795
arethese——”Thepistonmustbemadeperfectlywatertightbyleatherorothermaterials,asusedinpump-making。”Heelsewherespeaksofthepiston-rod”workingthroughthestuffing-box。”Butinpractice,aswehaveaboveshown,thesemethodswerefoundtobealtogetherinefficient。
onwhichitsefficientactionmainlydepends。Mr。Nasmythsays——”Maudslayhimselftoldme,orledmetobelieve,thatitwashewhoinventedtheself-tighteningcollarforthehydraulicpress,withoutwhichitwouldneverhavebeenaserviceablemachine。Astheself-tighteningcollaristothehydraulicpress,soisthesteamblasttothelocomotive。Itistheonethingneedfulthathasmadeiteffectiveinpractice。IfMaudslaywastheinventorofthecollar,thatonecontrivanceoughttoimmortalizehim。Heusedtotellmeofitwithgreatgusto,andIhavenoreasontodoubtthecorrectnessofhisstatement。”Whoeverreallystruckouttheideaofthecollar,displayedtheinstinctofthetrueinventor,whoinvariablyseekstoaccomplishhisobjectbytheadoptionofthesimplestpossiblemeans。
DuringthetimethatMaudslayheldtheimportantofficeofmanagerofBramah’sworks,hishighestwageswerenotmorethanthirtyshillingsa-week。Hehimselfthoughtthathewasworthmoretohismaster——asindeedhewas,——andhefeltsomewhatmortifiedthatheshouldhavetomakeanapplicationforanadvance;buttheincreasingexpensesofhisfamilycompelledhiminameasuretodoso。Hisapplicationwasrefusedinsuchamannerasgreatlytohurthissensitivefeelings;
andtheresultwasthathethrewuphissituation,anddeterminedtobeginworkingonhisownaccount。
Hisfirststartinbusinesswasintheyear1797,inasmallworkshopandsmithysituatedinWellsStreet,OxfordStreet。Itwasinanawfulstateofdirtanddilapidationwhenhebecameitstenant。HeenteredtheplaceonaFriday,butbytheSaturdayevening,withthehelpofhisexcellentwife,hehadtheshopthoroughlycleaned,whitewashed,andputinreadinessforbeginningworkonthenextMondaymorning。Hehadthenthepleasureofhearingtheroarofhisownforge-fire,andthecheeringringofthehammeronhisownanvil;
andgreatwasthepridehefeltinstandingforthefirsttimewithinhisownsmithyandexecutingordersforcustomersonhisownaccount。
Hisfirstcustomerwasanartist,whogavehimanordertoexecutetheironworkofalargeeasel,embodyingsomenewarrangements;andtheworkwaspunctuallydonetohisemployer’ssatisfaction。Otherordersfollowed,andhesoonbecamefullyemployed。Hisfameasafirst-rateworkmanwasalmostasgreatasthatofhisformermaster;
andmanywhohadbeenaccustomedtodobusinesswithhimatPimlicofollowedhimtoWellsStreet。Longyearsafter,thethoughtoftheseearlydaysofself-dependenceandhardworkusedtosethiminaglow,andhewoulddilatetohisintimatefriendsuponhisearlystrugglesandhisfirstsuccesses,whichweremuchmorehighlyprizedbyhimthanthoseofhismatureryears。
Withatrueloveofhiscraft,Maudslaycontinuedtoapplyhimself,ashehaddonewhilstworkingasBramah’sforeman,tothebestmethodsofensuringaccuracyandfinishofwork,soasinameasuretobeindependentofthecarelessnessorwantofdexterityoftheworkman。Withthisobjectheaimedatthecontrivanceofimprovedmachine-tools,whichshouldbeasmuchself-actingandself-regulatingaspossible;anditwaswhilepursuingthisstudythathewroughtouttheimportantmechanicalinventionwithwhichhisnameisusuallyidentified——thatoftheSlideRest。Itcontinuedtobehisspecialdelight,whenengagedintheexecutionofanypieceofworkinwhichhetookapersonalinterest,tointroduceasystemofidentityofparts,andtoadaptforthepurposesomeoneorotherofthemechanicalcontrivanceswithwhichhisfertilebrainwasalwaysteeming。Thusitwasfromhisdesiretoleavenothingtothechanceofmereindividualdexterityofhandthatheintroducedthesliderestinthelathe,andrendereditoneofthemostimportantofmachine-tools。ThefirstdeviceofthiskindwascontrivedbyhimforBramah,inwhoseshopsitcontinuedinpracticaluselongafterhehadbegunbusinessforhimself。”Ihaveseenthesliderest,”saysMr。JamesNasmyth,”thefirstthatHenryMaudslaymade,inuseatMessrs。Bramah’sworkshops,andinitwereallthosearrangementswhicharetobefoundinthemostmodernsliderestofourownday,*
[footnote……
Inthislathethesliderestandframeweremoveablealongthetraversing-bar,accordingtothelengthofthework,andcouldbeplacedinanypositionandsecuredbyahandleandscrewunderneath。
TheRest,however,afterwardsunderwentmanyimportantmodifications;
buttheprincipleofthewholemachinewasthere。
allofwhicharethelegitimateoffspringofMaudslay’soriginalrest。Ifthistoolbeyetextant,itoughttobepreservedwiththegreatestcare,foritwasthebeginningofthosemechanicaltriumphswhichgivetothedaysinwhichwelivesomuchoftheirdistinguishingcharacter。”
AveryfewwordsofexplanationwillservetoillustratetheimportanceofMaudslay’sinvention。Everypersonisfamiliarwiththeusesofthecommonturning-lathe。Itisafavouritemachinewithamateurmechanics,anditsemploymentisindispensablefortheexecutionofallkindsofroundedworkinwoodandmetal。Perhapsthereisnocontrivancebywhichtheskillofthehandicraftsmanhasbeenmoreeffectuallyaidedthanbythismachine。Itsoriginislostintheshadesofantiquity。Itsmostancientformwasprobablythepotter’swheel,fromwhichitadvanced,bysuccessiveimprovements,toitspresenthighlyimprovedform。Itwasfoundthat,bywhatevermeansasubstancecapableofbeingcutcouldbemadetorevolvewithacircularmotionroundafixedrightlineasacentre,acuttingtoolappliedtoitssurfacewouldremovetheinequalitiessothatanypartofsuchsurfaceshouldbeequidistantfromthatcentre。Suchisthefundamentalideaoftheordinaryturning-lathe。Theingenuityandexperienceofmechanicsworkingsuchaninstrumentenabledthemtoaddmanyimprovementstoit;untiltheskilfulartisanatlengthproducednotmerelycircularturningofthemostbeautifulandaccuratedescription,butexquisitefigure-work,andcomplicatedgeometricaldesigns,dependinguponthecycloidalandeccentricmovementswhichwerefromtimetotimeaddedtothemachine。
TheartisansoftheMiddleAgeswereveryskilfulintheuseofthelathe,andturnedoutmuchbeautifulscreenandstallwork,stilltobeseeninourcathedrals,aswellastwistedandswash-workforthebalustersofstaircasesandotherornamentalpurposes。Englishmechanicsseemearlytohavedistinguishedthemselvesasimproversofthelathe;andinMoxon’s’TreatiseonTurning,’publishedin1680,wefindMr。ThomasOldfield,atthesignoftheFlower-de-Luce,neartheSavoyintheStrand,namedasanexcellentmakerofoval-enginesandswash-engines,showingthatsuchmachinesweretheninsomedemand。TheFrenchwriterPlumier*
[footnote……
PLUMIER,L’ArtdeTourner,Paris,1754,p。155。
alsomentionsaningeniousmodificationofthelathebymeansofwhichanykindofreticulatedformcouldbegiventothework;and,fromit’sbeingemployedtoornamentthehandlesofknives,itwascalledbyhimthe”MachineamanchedeCouteaud’Angleterre。”ButtheFrenchartisanswereatthattimemuchbetterskilledthantheEnglishintheuseoftools,anditismostprobablethatweowetotheFlemishandFrenchProtestantworkmenwhoflockedintoEnglandinsuchlargenumbersduringthereligiouspersecutionsofthesixteenthandseventeenthcenturies,theimprovement,ifnottheintroduction,oftheartofturning,aswellasmanyotherartshereaftertobereferredto。ItiscertainthatattheperiodtowhichwerefernumeroustreatiseswerepublishedinFranceontheartofturning,someofthemofamostelaboratecharacter。SuchweretheworksofDelaHire,*
[footnote……
Machinesapprouveesparl’Academie,1719。
whodescribedhoweverykindofpolygonmightbemadebythelathe;
DelaCondamine,*
[footnote……
Machinesapprouveesparl’Academie,1733。
whoshowedhowalathecouldturnallsortsofirregularfiguresbymeansoftracers;andofGrandJean,Morin,*
[footnote……
L’ArtdeTournerenperfection,49。