Book contents
- Frontmatter
- PREFACE
- Contents
- ILLUSTRATIONS
- CHAPTER I MY ANCESTRY
- CHAPTER II ALEXANDER NASMYTH
- CHAPTER III AN ARTIST'S FAMILY
- CHAPTER IV MY EARLY YEARS
- CHAPTER V MY SCHOOL-DAYS
- CHAPTER VI MECHANICAL BEGINNINGS
- CHAPTER VII HENRY MAUDSLEY, LONDON
- CHAPTER VIII MAUDSLEY'S PRIVATE ASSISTANT
- CHAPTER IX HOLIDAY IN THE MANUFACTURING DISTRICTS
- CHAPTER X BEGIN BUSINESS AT MANCHESTER
- CHAPTER XI BRIDGEWATER FOUNDRY—PARTNERSHIP
- CHAPTER XII FREE TRADE IN ABILITY—THE STRIKE—DEATH OF MY FATHER
- CHAPTER XIII MY MARRIAGE—THE STEAM HAMMER
- CHAPTER XIV TRAVELS IN FRANCE AND ITALY
- CHAPTER XV STEAM HAMMER PILE DRIVER
- CHAPTER XVI NUREMBERG—ST. PETERSBURG—DANNEMORA
- CHAPTER XVII MORE ABOUT BRIDGEWATER FOUNDRY—WOOLWICH ARSENAL
- CHAPTER XVIII ASTRONOMICAL PURSUITS
- CHAPTER XIX MORE ABOUT ASTRONOMY
- CHAPTER XX RETIREMENT FROM BUSINESS
- CHAPTER XXI ACTIVE LEISURE
- CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF INVENTIONS AND CONTRIVANCES
- SUN-RAY ORIGIN OF THE PYRAMIDS, AND CUNEIFORM CHARACTER
- INDEX
- Plate section
CHAPTER XV - STEAM HAMMER PILE DRIVER
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 November 2010
- Frontmatter
- PREFACE
- Contents
- ILLUSTRATIONS
- CHAPTER I MY ANCESTRY
- CHAPTER II ALEXANDER NASMYTH
- CHAPTER III AN ARTIST'S FAMILY
- CHAPTER IV MY EARLY YEARS
- CHAPTER V MY SCHOOL-DAYS
- CHAPTER VI MECHANICAL BEGINNINGS
- CHAPTER VII HENRY MAUDSLEY, LONDON
- CHAPTER VIII MAUDSLEY'S PRIVATE ASSISTANT
- CHAPTER IX HOLIDAY IN THE MANUFACTURING DISTRICTS
- CHAPTER X BEGIN BUSINESS AT MANCHESTER
- CHAPTER XI BRIDGEWATER FOUNDRY—PARTNERSHIP
- CHAPTER XII FREE TRADE IN ABILITY—THE STRIKE—DEATH OF MY FATHER
- CHAPTER XIII MY MARRIAGE—THE STEAM HAMMER
- CHAPTER XIV TRAVELS IN FRANCE AND ITALY
- CHAPTER XV STEAM HAMMER PILE DRIVER
- CHAPTER XVI NUREMBERG—ST. PETERSBURG—DANNEMORA
- CHAPTER XVII MORE ABOUT BRIDGEWATER FOUNDRY—WOOLWICH ARSENAL
- CHAPTER XVIII ASTRONOMICAL PURSUITS
- CHAPTER XIX MORE ABOUT ASTRONOMY
- CHAPTER XX RETIREMENT FROM BUSINESS
- CHAPTER XXI ACTIVE LEISURE
- CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF INVENTIONS AND CONTRIVANCES
- SUN-RAY ORIGIN OF THE PYRAMIDS, AND CUNEIFORM CHARACTER
- INDEX
- Plate section
Summary
In 1840 I furnished Sir Edward Parry with a drawing of my steam hammer, in the hope that I might induce him to recommend its adoption in the Royal Dockyards. Sir Edward was at that timé the head director of the steam marine of England. That was after the celebrity he had acquired through his Arctic voyages. I was of opinion that the hammer might prove exceedingly useful in forging anchors and large iron work in those great establishments. Sir Edward appeared to be much struck with the simplicity and probable efficiency of the invention. But the Admiralty Board were very averse to introducing new methods of manufacturing into the dockyards. Accordingly, my interview with Sir Edward Parry, notwithstanding his good opinion, proved fruitless.
Time passed by. I had furnished steam hammers to the principal foundries in England. I had sent them abroad, even to Russia. At length it became known to the Lords of the Admiralty that a new power in forging had been introduced. This was in 1843, three years after I had submitted my design to Sir Edward Parry. The result was that my Lords appointed a deputation of intelligent officers to visit my foundry at Patricroft to see the new invention.
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- James Nasmyth, EngineerAn Autobiography, pp. 268 - 285Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2010First published in: 1883