Joseph Bramah: A Century Of Invention, 1749-1851

by Ian McNeil

216 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1968

Reviews

[Scott Klemm · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was drawn to this book because of my interest in the famous Bramah lock that stood for the highest quality and security. Joseph Bramah’s name has been perpetuated in English literature through the works of Charles Dickenson, Sir Walter Scott and Bernard Shaw. His lock withstood all attempts at surreptitious entry for forty years until finally picked by the American Alfred C. Hobbs in 1851. Yet it took Mr. Hobbs 51 hours spread over 16 days under ideal conditions!

Until I began reading this book, I was unaware of the role played by a young mechanic named Henry Maudslay in assuring Bramah’s success. Bramah’s invention might have remained a mere mechanical curiosity if Maudslay had not made manufacturing improvements that resulted in the Bramah lock coming into general use. Bramah was among the first to use machine tools to produce interchangeable standard components that speeded up production, lowered price and satisfied demand.

The book is not just about the Bramah’s lock. Joseph Bramah was a prolific inventor whose first invention was an improved “water closet” or flush toilet. This was at a time of chamber pots and outhouses. Only a few of the wealthy could afford to install anything that even remotely resembled our modern flush toilet. Bramah’s flush toilet led to his interest in hydraulics that in turn led to perhaps his most important invention – the hydraulic press.

I have to admit that I have no background in mechanical engineering, and I found the author’s detailed description of the workings of various hydraulic inventions tedious and difficult to follow. This is my only criticism. I found myself skimming these parts quickly. Others may not find this a problem.