172 



iin: ( ivir. I'.xciM'Fji anh aikiiftixts journal. 



[May, 



MKSSItS. F.VWCETT AND CO.'S ENGINE FACTOIiy, LIVEUl'OOL. 



(From the Livcrjiool Siamlaril.) 



TnK olijpcl of tlic cstal)lisliiii(-'nl is principally the ooiistnictioii of iiiaiine 

 and oilier steam engines, mill niacliinery, picecs of onlnance, aTul other heavy 

 articles of tlic fonnihy and the forge, which here jiass from their rndest state, 

 tlirongh tlie various reqni.sitc processes, until they are turned out hriglit and 

 perfect from the hands of the liiiishers. The magnitude of the works maybe 

 estimated from the facts, that the premises stand upon an area of many hun- 

 dreil yards : that thai space, nearly covered hy lofty huihiings, is fou)id in- 

 commodiously small ; and that the nundjci" of workmen emjjloycd in tlie 

 various departments eonsiderahly exceeds seven hundred. The writer of tins 

 was a f('W days ago politely permitted to view the works, and was furnished 

 with such information as the sliortness of his visit would allow, by one of the 

 partners, as well as hy an attetidaut. Me shall now notice the several dc- 

 liartments under their respective heads, and shall conclude with some parti- 

 culars of the fine marine engines now in a state of forwardness. 



Foioidinf/ and Borinij of Cannoti. 



On entering the yard the attention of the visitor is arrested by the great 

 nundicr of cannons of various sizes and calibres, fi'om swivels and half- 

 jionnders to thirty-two pounders, ranged on the ground, or jieeping, in car- 

 riages, with portentous .aspect, from door-ways, entrances, and corners. The 

 large guns are of various fashions, some being cast from the plain models 

 used in the I'rench navy, otliers from those of the Dutch, and others (the 

 handsomest to our thinking) of the umre decorative form approved in Eng- 

 land. In casting these guns (all solid), what is ealleii "ahead" is cast along 

 with them, at the mu/.zlc end, having the appearance of a plug or long toni- 

 j)ion. This is cut otf before the boring is commcuecd. At the brcceh, too, 

 an additional stpiare piece of the metal is cast on, by which the gun is turned 

 I)y machinery while it is being liored.the borer being stationary in the o])era- 

 tion. When outwardly cleaned and finished (with the cxcejition of drilling 

 the touch-liole ami fiving the lock), the gun is )daccd horizontally, and se- 

 cured so as to turn witliout vibratory nmtiou. Tlie machinery is then ap- 

 jdied, and the gun turns rather slowly, advancing with an even pressure upon 

 the large steel boring instrnnient, and continually discharging the metal which 

 it cuts out. The gun has to he bored two or three times, according to its 

 calibre, and when the operation is completed the bore is as bright and true 

 as that of a fowling piece. The touch-hole is afterwards drilled out with 

 great incety, as are the holes, in raised jiortions of the breech, for the fixing 

 of the flint lock, which has now in gunnery almost superceded the use of 

 the match. Several guns are bored daily and simultaneously, to meet the 

 demand at home and abroad, and a lar,r;e " assortment" is kept constantly on 

 hand to supiily those governments and individuals who are bent on " mis- 

 chief" or self-defence. Aniongst the pieces of ordnance now in preparation 

 or finished at the works arc : — 



2I> thirty-two pounders, for a French house. 

 20 twenty-four pounders, another French order. 

 4 twelve pounders, for the same. 



The Fonndry. — This jiart of the works diffeis from most other foundries 

 only in the immense weight of the eastings, which, from the size of the build- 

 ing, and the number of blast furnaces, cranes, &c., may be turned out. Single 

 jneces of twenty tons each might be accomplished, if rci|nired. The ojiera- 

 tion is interesting, but it is too generally known to require detail. The 

 article to be cast is moulded (in sand) from wood, and enclosed vvithin iron 

 frame-work, a hole being left for the entrance of the metal. The metal 

 (east-iron) is tin-own, in broken iiieccs, mixed with coaN, into a Large cylin- 

 drical furnace, the blast thrown into which, hy niacliinery, witli great force, 

 makes a roaniig noise, and soon brings the whole to a white beat. The 

 metal, as it melts, sinks to the bottom. When all this is ready, a ))erfoiatiou 

 is made vvitii the jioint of an iron rod, through a sort of doorway at the bot- 

 tom, which at that point is st0]iped up by fire cl.iv. The boiling metal iiii- 

 mediatcly rushes out in liquid white fire, and is received in jiots with three 

 long horizontal iron handles, two at one side, like those of a hand-barrow, and 

 one at the other. IJy these it is carried hy three or four men, according to 

 its weight ; and if the casting or castings he comparatively siiuill, the imlal 

 is poured at once from tliis into the moulds, the pot being turned by the men 

 holding the two handles. If, however, the easting be large, tlie smaller pots 

 full of liquid nict.-d are discharged into a cauldron of siillicient size, and this, 

 from its great weight, is hoisted by a crane and jilacerl over the casting, 

 where it is discharged, in a careful maniier, of its contents. The air, forced 

 out of the sand by the metal, frequently makes a loud explosion, (as we 

 witnessed,) and when the intense beat of the hissing iron perforates 

 the outer jiortious of the same, blue ami sulphureous looking fiame issues 

 from the sides in all directions. When the metal is sufiiciently cooled, the 

 frame-work is removed, and the castings taken out. Here may be cast any 

 article, from a lath nail to a steam-engine cylinder, weighing from leu to 

 fifteen Ions. 



The Jl'orilnr/ Fni/inc nti Iho If'urln. — flu the east of the yard, on each side 

 of which are the p\teuRi\e buildings, is the larger engine, of thirty-siv horse 

 power, \^llich works tiic greater part of the iiiacbiiierv used in the dilVereiit 

 rooms, ill the several operations of turning, phiiiiiig, drilling and otlier\\isc 

 " torturing" the obdurate but conquerable metal lluit falls under the cruel 

 hands of the workmen. This engine is of the ohl-fashioned principle, with 



an inimeuse wooden beam, secured with iron, and a large nv-whecl. It is, 

 however, most ell'eetivc, coniniuiiieated b\ cog-wheels and shafts \\ilh the 

 several rooms in which the jiower is a]qilicd to the lathes, iVc. hv drums and 

 shafts. There are also other engines, but of eon-iderahly less power. 



The Sinilhi/. — This is one of the most extensive jiortions of the establish- 

 ment. It eomprises two large buildings thrown into one ; and a great num- 

 ber of workmen are constantly employed. There is an avenue of anvils, and 

 the constant hammering, the blowing of their fires, together with the dusky 

 visages of the athletic workmen, remind one of the description of the .abode 

 of the Cyclops. Here, however, "bolts" are "forged," of which ncitlur 

 "Jove" nor his armourer " Vulcan" could have conceived any notion. All 

 the iron-work for the steam engines is here made, with the exception of the 

 very heavy paddle-shafts, which are brought in the rough from the .Mersey 

 Forge. 



7V/e rianhuj-machuw Room. — In this room are valuable and elaborately- 

 contrived machines for the planing or levelling of large plates, or other pieces 

 of iron or brass, so as to give them a smooth, true, and jiolished surface. 

 The article or jiiece to be planed is securely fixed by screw-bolts, &c., to an 

 horizontal iron table, )iei-forate(l with holes fur the insertion of the holts 

 from beneath it in any required point, to suit the size or form of the article. 

 This table, when jiut in motion, travels backwards and forwards, with its 

 load on two iron rails, or parallel slides. Over the centre is perpendicularly 

 fixed what is called the "planing tool," an instrument made of steel, some- 

 what in the form of a hook, with the jioint so inclined as to jiresent itself to- 

 wards the surface of the metal to he planed, as it approaches it on the t.abic, so 

 as, when all is adjusted, to idough or plane it in narrow streaks or shavings as 

 it passes under it. The extremity of the tool is about half an inch to three 

 quarters in breadth, and being of a round form at the under side, and ground 

 or bevelled on the upper, presents a sort of point. If a plate of iron is to be 

 planed, the operation commences on the outer edge, and each moveinent 

 backwards and forwards of the table places it in such a position under the 

 tool, that another small parallel cut is made throughout its whole length. 

 The tool, in ordinary machines of this kind, is fixed so that it cuts only in 

 one directiiin, as the plate is drawn against its edge or ]ioint, which is raised 

 to allow of the backward motion of the plale. -V new patent has, however, 

 been obtained for a great improvement in this respect by Mr. Whitworth, of 

 Manchester, and several of his machines are on Messrs. Fawcctt and Co.'s 

 premises. In these, by a peculiarly beautiful contrivance, the cutting instru- 

 ment, the moment the plate passes under it, " jumps " up a little in tlie box 

 or case to which it is attached, and instanl.ly "turns about" in the opposite 

 direction, and commences cutting awey, so that both backwards and forwards 

 the operation goes on without loss of time. The workmen very quaintly and 

 appropriately call this new planing tool " Jim Crow." A worknwn attends 

 to each of the macliines, and when the piece to be cut is fixed with great 

 exactness on the moving table, by a spirit level, he has nothing to do but to 

 watch that it remain so, and that the machinery work evenly and correctly. 

 Where a very smooth suiface is required, the ojieration of planing is repeated, 

 and two jdates thus finished will he so truly level, that they will adhere 

 together. It should he added, tluat so perfect are these machines, that in 

 aihlition to planing horizontally, they may be so adjusted as to plane perpen- 

 dicularly, or at any given angle. 



The Tuniiiiff Rooms. — In several of the rooms both hammered and east iron 

 of all jiossible dimensions arc turned, with astonishing facility and correctness, 

 on what are called shde lathes. In one of these we saw the paddle-shafts 

 for the President under the operation. Each of these weighed, when they 

 came from the forge, about ten tons, and they will he but slightly reduced in 

 weight hy turning. In the same room large piston and other rods were being 

 turned. While the shaft or rod is revolved, the cutting instrument, fixed to 

 a slide, on \\liich it is slowh' and evenly carried .along, performs its operations 

 with wonderful precision, frequently cutting a large and continuous shaving 

 of thirty or forty feet in length (as nwy be,) a)iparcntly as if it were lead, 

 and which, curling up, forms a curious and jierfect worm or screw. From 

 the great pressure of the tool, one of the edges of this screw is frequently 

 split into regular teeth like those of a fine comb, but shorter. The tool, 

 \\lien it has gone from end to end of a shaft or rod, is, liy a simple adjust- 

 ment, made to tr.avel back again, and the operation is eontinued till the 

 whole is of the required diameter, and perfectly bright and polished. Ano- 

 ther interesting operation in this department is the turning and polishing of 

 circular pieces of niacliinery, whether dished or flat. The tops or lids of the 

 cylinders of large eugiucs are the jirincijial, and some idea may be formed of 

 the advancement of this art, by an inspeclion of the cylinder tops of the 

 President, which arc as bright as mirrors, and are 80 inches in di.tmeler ! 

 W.ater coiistaiilly drop|iiiig on the cutting tool from a small pipe, is all the 

 " oil " used either in planing or turning. 



The Fif/iii(/-iiji .Shojix. — There are several rooms in which the '■ fitters-np" 

 are employed. These finish the sniiillcr brass and iron-work of the engines, 

 and have turning-latlics, and .all inanner of luand-tools. In the liuilding of 

 an engine, they hold the same relation to the foundry and the forge, that 

 the clock and w.atch maker (properly "finisher") does to the cslahlishnient 

 that su|iplics him with his wheels and other works in the rough. 



'I'he .Model or l'o//erii-Maier.i' Room. — These rooms arc extensive, and 

 many first-rate workmen arc ciii|doyeil, the greatest exact iiess liciiigiT(|iiired, 

 otherwise the castings would be unavailable. The timber used is alimist 

 wholly well-seasoned deal. Many of the patterns are complicated and beau- 

 tiful, a great deal of taste being displayed ju the mouldings and Other ilecora- 



