industrial biography- 第50部分

expiry　of　his　contract；　the　Government　determined　to　establish　works

of　their　own　in　Portsmouth　Dockyard；　for　the　purpose　at　the　same　time

of　securing　greater　economy；　and　of　being　independent　of　individual

makers　in　the　supply　of　an　article　of　such　importance　in　the

equipment　of　ships。



Sir　Samuel　Bentham；　who　then　filled　the　office　of　Inspector…General

of　Naval　Works；　was　a　highly　ingenious　person；　and　had　for　some　years

been　applying　his　mind　to　the　invention　of　improved　machinery　for

working　in　wood。　　He　had　succeeded　in　introducing　into　the　royal

dockyards　sawing…machines　and　planing…machines　of　a　superior　kind；　as

well　as　block…making　machines。　　Thus　the　specification　of　one　of　his

patents；　taken　out　in　1793；　clearly　describes　a　machine　for　shaping

the　shells　of　the　blocks；　in　a　manner　similar　to　that　afterwards

specified　by　Brunel。　　Bentham　had　even　proceeded　with　the　erection　of

a　building　in　Portsmouth　Dockyard　for　the　manufacture　of　the　blocks

after　his　method；　the　necessary　steam…engine　being　already　provided；

but　with　a　singular　degree　of　candour　and　generosity；　on　Brunel's

method　being　submitted　to　him；　Sir　Samuel　at　once　acknowledged　its

superiority　to　his　own；　and　promised　to　recommend　its　adoption　by　the

authorities　in　his　department。



The　circumstance　of　Mrs。　Brunel's　brother　being　Under…Secretary　to

the　Navy　Board　at　the　time；　probably　led　Brunel　in　the　first　instance

to　offer　his　invention　to　the　Admiralty。　　A　great　deal；　however；

remained　to　be　done　before　he　could　bring　his　ideas　of　the

block…machinery　into　a　definite　shape；　for　there　is　usually　a　wide

interval　between　the　first　conception　of　an　intricate　machine　and　its

practical　realization。　　Though　Brunel　had　a　good　knowledge　of

mechanics；　and　was　able　to　master　the　intricacies　of　any　machine；　he

laboured　under　the　disadvantage　of　not　being　a　practical　mechanic　and

it　is　probable　that　but　for　the　help　of　someone　possessed　of　this

important　qualification；　his　invention；　ingenious　and　important

though　it　was；　would　have　borne　no　practical　fruits。　　It　was　at　this

juncture　that　he　was　so　fortunate　as　to　be　introduced　to　Henry

Maudslay；　the　inventor　of　the　sliderest。



It　happened　that　a　M。　de　Bacquancourt；　one　of　the　French　emigres；

of　whom　there　were　then　so　many　in　London；　was　accustomed　almost

daily　to　pass　Maudslay's　little　shop　in　Wells…street；　and　being

himself　an　amateur　turner；　he　curiously　inspected　the　articles　from

time　to　time　exhibited　in　the　window　of　the　young　mechanic。　　One　day　a

more　than　ordinarily　nice　piece　of　screw…cutting　made　its　appearance；

on　which　he　entered　the　shop　to　make　inquiries　as　to　the　method　by

which　it　had　been　executed。　　He　had　a　long　conversation　with　Maudslay；

with　whom　he　was　greatly　pleased；　and　he　was　afterwards　accustomed　to

look　in　upon　him　occasionally　to　see　what　new　work　was　going　on。

Bacquancourt　was　also　on　intimate　terms　with　Brunel；　who　communicated

to　him　the　difficulty　he　had　experienced　in　finding　a　mechanic　of

sufficient　dexterity　to　execute　his　design　of　the　block…making

machinery。　　It　immediately　occurred　to　the　former　that　Henry　Maudslay

was　the　very　man　to　execute　work　of　the　elaborate　character　proposed；

and　he　described　to　Brunel　the　new　and　beautiful　tools　which　Maudslay

had　contrived　for　the　purpose　of　ensuring　accuracy　and　finish。　　Brunel

at　once　determined　to　call　upon　Maudslay；　and　it　was　arranged　that

Bacquancourt　should　introduce　him；　which　he　did；　and　after　the

interview　which　took　place　Brunel　promised　to　call　again　with　the

drawings　of　his　proposed　model。



A　few　days　passed；　and　Brunel　called　with　the　first　drawing；　done　by

himself；　for　he　was　a　capital　draughtsman；　and　used　to　speak　of

drawing　as　the　〃alphabet　of　the　engineer。〃　　The　drawing　only　showed　a

little　bit　of　the　intended　machine；　and　Brunel　did　not　yet　think　it

advisable　to　communicate　to　Maudslay　the　precise　object　he　had　in

view；　for　inventors　are　usually　very　chary　of　explaining　their

schemes　to　others；　for　fear　of　being　anticipated。　　Again　Brunel

appeared　at　Maudslay's　shop　with　a　further　drawing；　still　not

explaining　his　design；　but　at　the　third　visit；　immediately　on　looking

at　the　fresh　drawings　he　had　brought；　Maudslay　exclaimed；　〃Ah！　now　I

see　what　you　are　thinking　of；　you　want　machinery　for　making　blocks。〃

At　this　Brunel　became　more　communicative；　and　explained　his　designs

to　the　mechanic；　who　fully　entered　into　his　views；　and　went　on　from

that　time　forward　striving　to　his　utmost　to　work　out　the　inventor's

conceptions　and　embody　them　in　a　practical　machine。



While　still　occupied　on　the　models；　which　were　begun　in　1800；

Maudslay　removed　his　shop　from　Wells…street；　where　he　was　assisted　by

a　single　journeyman；　to　Margaret…street；　Cavendish…square；　where　he

had　greater　room　for　carrying　on　his　trade；　and　was　also　enabled　to

increase　the　number　of　his　hands。　　The　working　models　were　ready　for

inspection　by　Sir　Samuel　Bentham　and　the　Lords　of　the　Admiralty　in

1801；　and　having　been　fully　approved　by　them；　Brunel　was　authorized

to　proceed　with　the　execution　of　the　requisite　machinery　for　the

manufacture　of　the　ship's　blocks　required　for　the　Royal　Navy。　　The

whole　of　this　machinery　was　executed　by　Henry　Maudslay；　it　occupied

him　very　fully　for　nearly　six　years；　so　that　the　manufacture　of

blocks　by　the　new　process　was　not　begun　until　September；　1808。



We　despair　of　being　able　to　give　any　adequate　description　in　words　of

the　intricate　arrangements　and　mode　of　action　of　the　block…making

machinery。　　Let　any　one　attempt　to　describe　the　much　more　simple　and

familiar　process　by　which　a　shoemaker　makes　a　pair　of　shoes；　and　he

will　find　how　inadequate　mere　words　are　to　describe　any　mechanical

operation。*

　＇footnote。。。

So　far　as　words　and　drawings　can　serve　to　describe　the　block…making

machinery；　it　will　be　found　very　ably　described　by　Mr。　Farey　in　his

article　under　this　head　in　Rees's　Cyclopaedia；　and　by　Dr。　Brewster　in

the　Edinburgh　Cyclopaedia。　　A　very　good　account　will　also　be　found　in

Tomlinson's　Cyclopaedia　of　the　Useful　Arts；　Art。　　〃Block。〃

　。。。＇

Suffice　it　to　say；　that　the　machinery　was　of　the　most　beautiful

manufacture　and　finish；　and　even　at　this　day　will　bear　comparison

with　the　most　perfect　machines　which　can　be　turned　out　with　all　the

improved　appliances　of　modern　tools。　　The　framing　was　of　cast…iron；

while　the　parts　exposed　to　violent　and　rapid　action　were　all　of　the

best　hardened　steel。　　In　turning　out　the　various　parts；　Maudslay　found

his　slide　rest　of　indispensable　value。　　Indeed；　without　this

contrivance；　it　is　doubtful　whether　machinery　of　so　delicate　and

intricate　a　character　could　possibly　have　been　executed。　　There　was

not　one；　but　many　machines　in　the　series；　each　devoted　to　a　special

operation　in　the　formation　of　a　block。　　Thus　there　were　various

sawing…machines；the　Straight　Cross…Cutting　Saw；　the　Circular

Cross…Cutting　Saw；　the　Reciprocating　Ripping…saw；　and　the　Circular

Ripping…Saw。　　Then　there　were　the　Boring　Machines；　and　the　Mortising

Machine；　of　beautiful　construction；　for　cutting　the　sheave…holes；

furnished　with　numerous　chisels；　each　making　from　110　to　150　strokes

a　minute；　and　cutting　at　every　stroke　a　chip　as　thick　as　pasteboard

with　the　utmost　precision。　　In　addition　to　these　were　the　Corner…Saw

for　cutting　off　the　corners　of　the　block；　the　Shaping　Machine　for

accurately　forming　the　outside　surfaces；　the　Scoring　Engine　for

cutting　the　groove　round　the　longest　diameter　of　the　block　for　the

reception　of　the　rope；　and　various　other　machines　for　drilling；

riveting；　and　finishing　the　blocks；　besides　those　for　making　the

sheaves。



The　total　number　of　machines　employed　in　the　various　operations　of

making　a　ship's　block　by　the　new　method　was　forty…four；　and　after

being　regularly　employed　in　Portsmouth　Dockyard　for　upwards　of　fifty

years；　they　are　still　as　perfect　in　their　action　as　on　the　day　they

were　erected。　　They　constitute　one　of　the　most　ingenious　and　complete

collections　of　tools　ever　invented　for　making　articles　in　wood；　being

capable　of　performing　most　of　the　practical　operations　of　carpentry

with　the　utmost　accuracy　and　finish。　　The　machines　are　worked　by　a

steam…engine　of　32…horse　power；　which　is　also　used　for　various　other

dockyard　purposes。　　Under　the　new　system　of　block…making　it　was　found

that　the　articles　were　better　made；　supplied　with　much　greater

rapidity；　and　executed　at　a　greatly　reduced　cost。　　Only　ten　men；　with

the　new　machinery；　could　perform　the　work　which　before　had　required　a

hundred　and　ten　men　to　execute；　and　not　fewer　than　160；000　blocks　of

various　kinds　and　sizes　could　be　turned　out　in　a　year；　worth　not　less

than　541；000L。*

　＇footnote。。。

The　remuneration　paid　to　Mr。　Brunel　for　his　share　in　the　invention

was　only　one　year's　savings；　which；　however；　were　estimated　by　Sir

Samuel　Bentham　at　17；663l。；　besides　which　a　grant　of　5000L。　was

afterwards　made　to　Brunel　when　labouring　under　pecuniary

difficulties。　　But　the　ANNUAL　saving　to　the　nation　by　the　adoption　of

the　block…making　machinery　was　probably　more　than　the　entire　sum　paid

to　the　engineer。　　Brunel　afterwards　invented　other　wood…working

machinery；　but　none　to　compare　in　merit　and　excellence　with　the

above；　For　further　particulars　of　his　career；　see　BEAMISH'S　Memoirs

of　Sir　Marc　Isambard　Brunel；　C。E。　　London。　　1862。　　。。。＇



The　satisfactory　execution　of　the　block…machinery　brought　Maudslay　a

large　accession　of　fame　and　business；　and　the　premises　in　Margaret

Street　proving　much　too　limited　for　his　requirements；　he　again

resolved　to　shift　his　quarters。　　He　found　a　piece　of　ground　suitable

for　his　purpose　in　Westminster　Road；　Lambeth。　　Little　more　than　a

century　since　it　formed　part　of　a　Marsh；　the　name　of　which　is　still

retained　in　the　adjoining　street；　its　principal　productions　being

bulrushes　and　willows；　which　were　haunted　in　certain　seasons　by　snipe

and　waterfowl。