Dear metalwerx,
The invention of the flexible shaft is an early achievement of the
famous Scottish engineer James Hall Nasmyth (born 19 August 1808, died
7 May 1890), best known for his later development of the steam hammer.
In 1829, when Nasmyth was working as an assistant to the then
well-known British machine tool maker and inventor Henry Maudslay
(1771-1831), preparation of a special piece of machinery required
drilling holes in places that could not be reached with an ordinary
drill. In his autobiography, Nasmyth describes that in that situation,
it occurred to him "... that a flexible shaft, formed of a closely
coiled spiral of steel wire, might enable us to transmit the requisite
rotary motion to a drill attached to the end of this spiral shaft."
His employer Maudslay liked the idea and let Nasmyth construct a such
drill, which worked to complete satisfaction. The principle of
transmitting rotary motion via a flexible shaft also proved useful in
other applications.
James Nasmyth wrote: "So far as I am aware, such a mode of
transmitting rotary motion was new and original." And indeed does
research not lead to any evidence that would indicate that the
flexible shaft had already been invented by someone else before
Nasmyth developed his device.
You can read the description of the invention from James Nasmyth's
autobiography here:
BootLegBooks: James Nasmyth, Autobiography - List of Inventions and Contrivances
http://www.bootlegbooks.com/NonFiction/Nasmyth/Autobiography/jnivb.htm#d1829page396.2
Please follow this link for a brief biography of James Hall Nasmyth,
with a portrait:
Wikipedia: James Nasmyth
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Nasmyth
Additional sources:
Wikipedia: Henry Maudslay
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Maudslay
Bibliomania: James Nasmyth - Autobiography; List of Inventions and Contrivances
http://www.bibliomania.com/2/9/70/117/24612/1/frameset.html
James Nasmyth
http://www.cartage.org.lb/en/themes/Biographies/MainBiographies/N/Nasmyth/1.html
Dalin-Feigenbaum Ltd.: Dental Fun
http://www.dfdasmiles.com/dentalfun.html
BootLegBooks: James Nasmyth, Autobiography
http://www.bootlegbooks.com/NonFiction/Nasmyth/Autobiography/
Cartage: James Nasmyth
http://www.cartage.org.lb/en/themes/Biographies/MainBiographies/N/Nasmyth/1.html
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Hope this answers your question!
Regards,
Scriptor |
