the age of invention-第23部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


on　the　invention　of　a　new　tool；　we　may　judge　of　what　a　great　part　the　inventors　of　machine　tools；　of　whom　thousands　are　unnamed　and　unknown；　have　played　in　the　industrial　world。

*　Roe；　〃English　and　American　Tool　Builders〃；　p。　1　et　seq。


So　it　was　in　the　shops　of　the　New　England　gunmakers　that　machine　tools　were　first　made　of　such　variety　and　adaptability　that　they　could　be　applied　generally　to　other　branches　of　manufacturing；　and　so　it　was　that　the　system　of　interchangeable　manufacture　arose　as　a　distinctively　American　development。　We　have　already　seen　how　England's　policy　of　keeping　at　home　the　secrets　of　her　machinery　led　to　the　independent　development　of　the　spindles　and　looms　of　New　England。　The　same　policy　affected　the　tool　industry　in　America　in　the　same　way　and　bred　in　the　new　country　a　race　of　original　and　resourceful　mechanics。

One　of　these　pioneers　was　Thomas　Blanchard；　born　in　1788　on　a　farm　in　Worcester　County；　Massachusetts；　the　home　also　of　Eli　Whitney　and　Elias　Howe。　Tom　began　his　mechanical　career　at　the　age　of　thirteen　by　inventing　a　device　to　pare　apples。　At　the　age　of　eighteen　he　went　to　work　in　his　brother's　shop；　where　tacks　were　made　by　hand；　and　one　day　took　to　his　brother　a　mechanical　device　for　counting　the　tacks　to　go　into　a　single　packet。　The　invention　was　adopted　and　was　found　to　save　the　labor　of　one　workman。　Tom's　next　achievement　was　a　machine　to　make　tacks；　on　which　he　spent　six　years　and　the　rights　of　which　he　sold　for　five　thousand　dollars。　It　was　worth　far　more；　for　it　revolutionized　the　tack　industry；　but　such　a　sum　was　to　young　Blanchard　a　great　fortune。

The　tack…making　machine　gave　Blanchard　a　reputation；　and　he　was　presently　sought　out　by　a　gun　manufacturer；　to　see　whether　he　could　improve　the　lathe　for　turning　the　barrels　of　the　guns。　Blanchard　could；　and　did。　His　next　problem　was　to　invent　a　lathe　for　turning　the　irregular　wooden　stocks。　Here　he　also　succeeded　and　produced　a　lathe　that　would　copy　precisely　and　rapidly　any　pattern。　It　is　from　this　invention　that　the　name　of　Blanchard　is　best　known。　The　original　machine　is　preserved　in　the　United　States　Armory　at　Springfield；　to　which　Blanchard　was　attached　for　many　years；　and　where　scores　of　the　descendants　of　his　copying　lathe　may　be　seen　in　action　today。

Turning　gunstocks　was；　of　course；　only　one　of　the　many　uses　of　Blanchard's　copying　lathe。　Its　chief　use；　in　fact；　was　in　the　production　of　wooden　lasts　for　the　shoemakers　of　New　England；　but　it　was　applied　to　many　branches　of　wood　manufacture；　and　later　on　the　same　principle　was　applied　to　the　shaping　of　metal。

Blanchard　was　a　man　of　many　ideas。　He　built　a　steam　vehicle　for　ordinary　roads　and　was　an　early　advocate　of　railroads；　he　built　steamboats　to　ply　upon　the　Connecticut　and　incidentally　produced　in　connection　with　these　his　most　profitable　invention；　a　machine　to　bend　ship's　timbers　without　splintering　them。　The　later　years　of　his　life　were　spent　in　Boston；　and　he　often　served　as　a　patent　expert　in　the　courts；　where　his　wide　knowledge；　hard　common　sense；　incisive　speech；　and　homely　wit　made　him　a　welcome　witness。

We　now　glance　at　another　New　England　inventor；　Samuel　Colt；　the　man　who　carried　Whitney's　conceptions　to　transcendent　heights；　the　most　dashing　and　adventurous　of　all　the　pioneers　of　the　machine　shop　in　America。　If　〃the　American　frontier　was

Elizabethan　in　quality；〃　there　was　surely　a　touch　of　the　Elizabethan　spirit　on　the　man　whose　invention　so　greatly　affected　the　character　of　that　frontier。　Samuel　Colt　was　born　at　Hartford　in　1814　and　died　there　in　1862　at　the　age　of　forty…eight；　leaving　behind　him　a　famous　name　and　a　colossal　industry　of　his　own　creation。　His　father　was　a　small　manufacturer　of　silk　and　woolens　at　Hartford；　and　the　boy　entered　the　factory　at　a　very　early　age。　At　school　in　Amherst　a　little　later；　he　fell　under　the　displeasure　of　his　teachers。　At　thirteen　he　took　to　sea；　as　a　boy　before　the　mast；　on　the　East　India　voyage　to　Calcutta。　It　was　on　this　voyage　that　he　conceived　the　idea　of　the　revolver　and　whittled　out　a　wooden　model。　On　his　return　he　went　into　his　father's　works　and　gained　a　superficial　knowledge　of　chemistry　from　the　manager　of　the　bleaching　and　dyeing　department。　Then　he　took　to　the　road　for　three　years　and　traveled　from　Quebec　to　New　Orleans　lecturing　on　chemistry　under　the　name　of　〃Dr。　Coult。〃　The　main　feature　of　his　lecture　was　the　administration　of　nitrous　oxide　gas　to　volunteers　from　the　audience；　whose　antics　and　the　amusing　showman's　patter　made　the　entertainment　very　popular。

Colt's　ambition；　however；　soared　beyond　the　occupation　of　itinerant　showman；　and　he　never　forgot　his　revolver。　As　soon　as　he　had　money　enough；　he　made　models　of　the　new　arm　and　took　out　his　patents；　and；　having　enlisted　the　interest　of　capital；　he　set　up　the　Patent　Arms　Company　at　Paterson；　New　Jersey；　to　manufacture　the　revolver。　He　did　not　succeed　in　having　the　revolver　adopted　by　the　Government；　for　the　army　officers　for　a　long　time　objected　to　the　percussion　cap　（an　invention；　by　the　way；　then　some　twenty　years　old；　which　was　just　coming　into　use　and　without　which　Colt's　revolver　would　not　have　been　practicable）　and　thought　that　the　new　weapon　might　fail　in　an　emergency。　Colt　found　a　market　in　Texas　and　among　the　frontiersmen　who　were　fighting　the　Seminole　War　in　Florida；　but　the　sales　were　insufficient；　and　in　1842　the　company　was　obliged　to　confess　insolvency　and　close　down　the　plant。　Colt　bought　from　the　company　the　patent　of　the　revolver；　which　was　supposed　to　be　worthless。

Nothing　more　happened　until　after　the　outbreak　of　the　Mexican　War　in　1846。　Then　came　a　loud　call　from　General　Zachary　Taylor　for　a　supply　of　Colt's　revolvers。　Colt　had　none。　He　had　sold　the　last　one　to　a　Texas　ranger。　He　had　not　even　a　model。　Yet　he　took　an　order　from　the　Government　for　a　thousand　and　proceeded　to　construct　a　model。　For　the　manufacture　of　the　revolvers　he　arranged　with　the　Whitney　plant　at　Whitneyville。　There　he　saw　and　scrutinized　every　detail　of　the　factory　system　that　Eli　Whitney　had　established　forty　years　earlier。　He　resolved　to　have　a　plant　of　his　own　on　the　same　system　and　one　that　would　far　surpass　Whitney's。　Next　year　（1848）　he　rented　premises　in　Hartford。　His　business　prospered　and　increased。　At　last　the　Government　demanded　his　revolvers。　Within　five　years　he　had　procured　a　site　of　two　hundred　and　fifty　acres　fronting　the　Connecticut　River　at　Hartford；　and　had　there　begun　the　erection　of　the　greatest　arms　factory　in　the　world。

Colt　was　a　captain　of　captains。　The　ablest　mechanic　and　industrial　organizer　in　New　England　at　that　time　was　Elisha　K。　Root。　Colt　went　after　him；　outbidding　every　other　bidder　for　his　services；　and　brought　him　to　Hartford　to　supervise　the　erection　of　the　new　factory　and　set　up　its　machinery。　Root　was　a　great　superintendent；　and　the　phenomenal　success　of　the　Colt　factory　was　due　in　a　marked　degree　to　him。　He　became　president　of　the　company　after　Colt's　death　in　1862；　and　under　him　were　trained　a　large　number　of　mechanics　and　inventors　of　new　machine　tools；　who　afterwards　became　celebrated　leaders　and　officers　in　the　industrial　armies　of　the　country。

The　spectacular　rise　of　the　Colt　factory　at　Hartford　drew　the　attention　of　the　British　Government；　and　in　1854　Colt　was　invited　to　appear　in　London　before　a　Parliamentary　Committee　on　Small　Arms。　He　lectured　the　members　of　the　committee　as　if　they　had　been　school　boys；　telling　them　that　the　regular　British　gun　was　so　bad　that　he　would　be　ashamed　to　have　it　come　from　his　shop。　Speaking　of　a　plant　which　he　had　opened　in　London　the　year　before　he　criticized　the　supposedly　skilled　British　mechanic；　saying：　〃I　began　here　by　employing　the　highest…priced　men　that　I　could　find　to　do　difficult　things；　but　I　had　to　remove　the　whole　of　these　high…priced　men。　Then　I　tried　the　cheapest　I　could　find；　and　the　more　ignorant　a　man　was；　the　more　brains　he　had　for　my　purpose；　and　the　result　was　this：　I　had　men　now　in　my　employ　that　I　started　with　at　two　shillings　a　day；　and　in　one　short　year　I　can　not　spare　them　at　eight　shillings　a　day。〃*　Colt's　audacity；　however；　did　not　offend　the　members　of　the　committee　and　they　decided　to　visit　his　American　factory　at　Hartford。　They　did；　and　were　so　impressed　that　the　British　Government　purchased　in　America　a　full　set　of　machines　for　the　manufacture　of　arms　in　the　Royal　Small　Arms　factory　at　Enfield；　England；　and　took　across　the　sea　American　workmen　and　foremen　to　set　up　and　run　these　。　machines。　A　demand　sprang　up　in　Europe　for　Blanchard　copying　lathes　and　a　hundred　other　American　tools；　and　from　this　time　on　the　manufacture　of　tools　and　appliances　for　other　manufacturers；　both　at　home　and　abroad；　became　an　increasingly　important　industry　of　New　England。

*　Henry　Barnard；　〃Armsmear〃；　p。　371。


The　system　which　the　gunmakers　worked　out　and　developed　to　meet　their　own　requirements　was　capable　of　indefinite　expansion。　It　was　easily　adapted　to　other　kinds　of　manufacture。　So　it　was　that　as　new　inventions　came　in　the　manufacturers　of　these　found　many　of　the　needed　tools　ready　for　them；　and　any　special　modifications　could　be　quickly　made。　A　manufacturer；　of　machine　tools　will　produce　on　demand　a　device　to　perform　any　operation；　however　difficult　or　intricate。　Some　of　the　machines　are　so　versatile　that　specially　designed　sets　of　cutting　edges　will　adapt　them　to　almost　any　work。

Standardization；　due　to　the　machine　tool；　is　one　of　the　chief　glories　of　American　manufacturing。　Accurate　watches　and　clocks；　bicycles　and　motor　cars；　innumerable　devices　to　save　labor　in　the　home；　the　office；　the　shop；　or　on　the　farm；　are　within　the　reach　of　all；　because　the　machine　tool；　tended　by　labor　comparatively　unskilled；　does　the　greater　part　of　the　work　of　production。　In　the　crisis　of　the　World　War；　American　manufacturers；　turning　from　the　arts　of　peace；　promptly　adapted　their　plants　to　the　manufacture　of　the　most　complicated　engines　of　destruction；　which　were　produced　in　Europe　only　by　skilled　machinists　of　the　highest　class。



CHAPTER　IX。　THE　FATHERS　OF　ELECTRICITY

It　may　startle　some　reader　to　be　told　that　the　foundations　of　modern　electrical　science　were　definitely　established　in　the　Elizabethan　Age。　The　England　of　Elizabeth；　of　Shakespeare；　of　Drake　a