ROBBINS 6 LAVRENCE ARMORY AND MACHINE SHOP 1946 Windsor, Vermont ‘An International iatorie Mechanical Engineering Heritage Site and ‘An International Historie Mechanical Engineering Heritage Collection ‘THURSDAY, MAY 28¢, 1987 o.. Ys echnical EgretCopy for dnerican Prectston Museum brochure The artifacts at the Anerican Precision Muscun are designated the first International Mechanical Engineering Heritage Collection, and the Robbins and Lawrence Armory is designated the first Intersatioaal Mechanical Engineering Heritage Site in the ASME History and Heritage recognition progran.” Ta fddition there are two national mechanical engineering heritage sites, 22 international mechanical engineering landoarks, 865 national landmarks and 9 regional landaarks. AciOULEDGNENTS The American Sockety of Hechanfcal Engineers Paul F, Allmendinger, Executive Director Nancy Deloye Fitzroy, President Dr. Wellen G. Davison, Vice President, Region I ASME National Hstory and Herftage Coamiteee Dr. R. Ceraon Dalzell, chairman Gurator Robert M. Vogel, Secretary Dr. Richard 8. Hartenberg De. J. Poul Hartuan Dr. Robert B. Gaither Dr. Buan F. C, Sonerscales ‘Carron Garvin-Donohue, Staff Latson ASME Upper Valley Section John 8. Teslfe, Chairman Dr. R. A. Liston, Vice Chairman Peter Sucllidge, ‘Treasurer-Secretary Roscoe E. Perhan, History and Heritageee Wedge, a local mechanic with several other patents to his credit, in 1827.) “rotative piston" pumps to town.” This in turn sparked the invention of gear pump by Ashael Hubbard, another of the local mechanics, in 1828.? Teatacrats eoetllt use bnay tie. i precision metalworking plant in the world, vhich soon found iteelf out of orders due to the end of the war with Mexico, This triumph w ime in the asking, and hundreds ‘of minds contefbuted to it. The stimulus came from governaent support and partly from the contract system that gave a long, ‘an incentive to all parties to produce accurately and quickly. Briefly: Military enall arms were scarcely made in this country until 44 lot of 300 modeled on the British Brova Bess musket wore made for the Province of Massachusetts Bay by Hugh Orr of Bridgewater, Mags. in 1748- 1750.4 Prom the completion of chese to che outbreak of che Revolution in 1775 military arms making was not encouraged, but beginning then of course there was great demand. Far nore of this demand was met by iaporte than by native made products. What native industry did develop during the Revolu- tion in the various colonies ebbed svay for vant of support when peace returned, ‘The Firat efforts to revive native arms manufacture on @ astional scale Were inittated by Thomas Jefferson. Hey in 1765 was our Minister to the Preach court and participated in @ denonstration of interchangeabs1ity made with cadet muskets Just produced in @ French Arnory.° The tools for theveROBBINS & LAFRENCE ARMORY Pace 2 were prinative and tremendously expensive, still such success as the project had depended on the use of superlatively trained craftsmen. Jefferson sent sist of these muskets co our War Department vhere they served au au idesl devoid of any ueans of implementation. Jefferson had been unsuccessful in indveing any of the French worknen to eanegrate. Following adoption of the Constitution in 1789 and the consequent strengthening of the national goveranent, Congress, in 1794, established an arnory for sual farms at Springfield, Mage. ,oae husdred miles dovn the Connecticut River from Windsor.° The next year 245 muskets were nade, encouraging, but in view of the wars in Europe and the insecurity of transport from there, prudence Asctated that quantities far in excess of this capacity were needed for secursty. Contracting seemingly offered government the only hope of quickly Aeveloping an adequate domestic industry. At one and the sane ime this wae @ challenge to the abilities of eraftenen and = prospect of asking a ood thing sf they wore successful. ad co relate many of the were never able to fully complete their contracts snd few indeed had ony concept of the inepection standards that their product vould have to past Jefferson's proposal that the arms be made interchangeable vas not 4 part of these contracts either. Each contractor received @ sample gun to reproduce, there were ao drawings and the idea of dimensioned dravings was even more remote, There were 0 measuring instruments that could have accurately reproduced dimensions if they had been specified. Host of these contractors were scattered around New England, all of the states being vell represented except whet {s now Maine, then a part of Massachusetts.” In general, the contracts were for small quantities varying from 200 co 2,000 ‘asong those vho actually got into production. One brash contractor, E1< Whitney, promised 10,000 in two years, all co be made by inproved machinery. By his ow admisoion this vas an act of desperation: : "Loaded with # debt of 3 oF 4000 Dollars, without resources and without any business that vould ever furnish me a support, T knew ot which vay co cucn. An opportunity offered to contract for Manufacturing Muskets for the U. States. I embraced it... By this coneract I obtained sone thousands of Dollars in advance vhich hag saved me from ruin.” Thus did Whitney rescue himself from che collapse of the cocton gisning business and che debe incurred io defending tis cotcon gin patent. BulROBBINS & LAMRENCE ARMORY still far from hone safe Whitney requéred ten years inscead of two co complete ‘his 10,000 musket: and wader threat that his contract would be cancelled, no guns vere ready When the 2 years of his contract were about co expire for delivery and alt of the monay advanced would have becone due for repay rect. In this desperate situttion Witney prepered 10 musket Jocks to ft one stock, called this interchangesbility and denonstrated it ro the Secretary of War, President John Adéas, Vice President Thomas Jefferson, and other suchoritative figures in the War Depértment, thus saving his contract. Fortusately for hin there appear to have been no practical and critical observers foniliar with the conditions prevailing in actual use.” Many complaints were lodged against Wnteney muskets bofore the contract woo finished ao well #8¢{"FScer contracts, hes this coutract was completed a further contract was desired onder the recently péssed authorization by Cougress of an annual spproptiation of to million dollere for arning the atlitia, but vaa not granted. Thie 4n epite of euch contracts being let to ninteen other bidders, There were two obvious reasons for this. The government had slready discovered what Hhnny could do oth ip seepect to quHliyandalivecr, and he offered and discover vat they could deliver. The United states declared war on Great Britain on June 18, 1812 and Uuteney:damadiately sought # second arae contract for hie non-conforaing rodel, and on July 18th received » contract for 15,000 muskets. All of these concracte of 1808 and Whitney's of 1812 were troubled by quality probleas and poor guidelines at the tine the contracts vere node. Feu contracts were completed. Whitney, who wee to deliver at not less than 1,500 per year, comencing on May 1, 1613, and completion by the elose of 1820, finally completed his delivery in July, 1822, of sbout one od a balf yetrs beyond the dus dace, Taflation and poor goveraaent inspections were complicating factors in ll of these contracts.!! MeanshEle, Whitney's contrenporary, Simeon North, born only five months before hin, wos voll established in Berlin, Coaa., about twenty miles from Mttney, aa a pistol contractor. Pistole vere Just hand held versions of the muskere and North had completed four goverment contracte so satisfactorily that soon after declaration of the Var of 1612 he was given # contract for 20,000 pistols. For this rush of business he moved to @ new locacton and equipped a new factory. This was the First contract to specify the interROBBINS & LAWRENCE ABHORY PAGE 4 changoabilizy of parts and included extra parte of chose most comnly broken for use as replacements. > Hxanination of pistols made under this contract reveale thet the critical parts of the lock, hertofore alvays fiteed together soft and marked so chat after hardening they could be reunited in assenbly, was eliminated. Inspection procedures were also improved in this perfod. The best thing about this new inspection progran was that it was armory based. At Springfield Armory this meant chat che New England area inopectors vere working closely with a very able and dedicated Superintendent, Roswell Lee. The attitude of government was chat all manufacturing improvenents developed in the armories of the contractors were government property available to all others in the industry. The inspectors, noticing improved quality, often came to know of these improvements and some of the contractors, interested in improving cheix statue, brought cheir improvements to the attention of governneat. Such was the case with pistol maker, Simeon North. In 1816, vhen he choughe his new factory w fully implemented (two years Later he was to introduce the firet milling machine) he requested that his achievenents and Harper's Ferry.!? Right after chio was done we find Roswell Lee of Springfield armory ordering a “cotton manufacturers tursing engine” for corning. musket barrels, and an improved water wheol, obviously on the basis of what had been seen at Norch's Armory in Middletown, Cr. North w Jonger marking the parts of his pistols because he wae aot fiveing the parte Individually. Paste were not aa closely £4teed under this aysten, but a Lane danaged are could be sepatsed in the field ataply by the ceplacenent of{fmaged parts by ready-made replacements. It would be many years before radeon U.S. smell aims, with che excapeton of North's piatole, would ecbie deitesble end, Thete uta, however, 4 soo-teaditional arm, the — sil breechelonding rifle, thet wee interchangeable fron che firet thousand conplated in 1824, hie atm sonblowd the Igck and chanber 10 one piace snd these had to be sovesble in relation tofody of the rifle for Zoading Porpones and must return Go coetect alligneest with the batrel before firing Te took considerable welling on the past of Hall and those in favor of hin rifle, tut he was eventually allowed ro proceed with 1,000 pieces. The fovernnent, which sale bad made advances to conerectore, hed LearnedROBBINS 6 LAMRENCE ARMORY PAGE 5 by this time the more or Jess Futility’ of ehie method in the sense that in the cage of marginal or unsuccessful contractors all the return to government as in the form of unsatisfactory products. If the contractor uae successful he ouned the means of production! To the case of Hall, who was from New England, they required him co perform his work in Harper's Ferry, Virginia, where the governaent had estab Lished Harper's Ferry Armory in 1799. Thousands of Hall rifles and Later carbines, wore nade with complete interchangeability, although the ficeing was probably not closer than North's. Iuportantly the shape of the parts were much better adapted to machine production and Hall spent much time in producing machines before production of the rifles. te undoubtedly knew of all the latest achievements by others before commencing his own machines. Much to Hall's chagrin when he had well denonstrated the qualities produced by his system the government, against his will, took the next logical step, to determine if another armory could make the same rifle with parts that would interchange with Hall's. This opportunity fell to Simeon North, who in 1830 delivered arms that were acceptable although later improved in quality and interchangeability, but using somevhat different and advanced methods and machines. /* At this time the seaxch for better manufacturing methods came nearly to rest and Little was done again for a décade, except to improve armory equipment. With che abandonment of che flint lock and the introduction of percussion Jock suall arms, a new Level of precision was required. At this time also various contractors for flint lock arms, men well advanced in years, had no interest in the large investment necessary to conform to the new designs and new objectives in nsnufacturing standards. The two national armories at Springfield and Harper's Ferry were outfitted with the inproved machinery a8 then known. This work was greatly facilitated by the introduction of the iron planing machine into American machine shops so that both the accuracy and economy of machine tool building was tremendously enhanced. Until this time Linear surfaces such as guides and work tables had been produced by hand £1Ling. The first of the new arms in production was the U.S. Model 1841 rifle. Achough the desi, originated with collaboration between the Harper's Farry and Springfield Armories, production was another matter, even though theROBBINS & LAWRENCE ARMORY PAGE & national ataories had acquired aymerous modern basic machine cools and vere noking and having made the special machines needed. One inportant inpedinent to converting the national armories was the resistance, both organized and tacit, co change on the part of the enployees. To facilitate production contracts ware let in late 1842 to £11 Whitney, I1, who was opersting the armory inherited from his father nearly twenty years before, and to John Criffich of Cincinnati. Griffith eransfereed his contract to Remington of Ilion, NY in 1845, as did N. P, Ames for the residue of a Jenks carbine contract and the machinery for making it. Before this Remington had been makers of sporting rifles and supplied barrels co many custom gunsmiths. ona. these From this date Remington was # U.S. contractor on many occ contracts were snall and in view of the slow delivery the war department ‘opened up bids for 10,000 more of these rittes.!> ‘The successful bidder at 10,90 each vas Robbins, Kendall & Lawrence of Windsor, Vermont. Nicanor Kendal and Richard S. Lawrence had experience custom gunsmiths while Semel E- Robbins vas a vealthy retiree from the lumber business and a recently arrived local resident. They received their contract on ¥ebruary 18, 1645, ehe Work co be completed an five yeurs ae the rate of 2,000 per year. Their first move was to buy and/or build the necessary machinery. Tn Apri1,1846 construction commenced on theit chree land one half story armory and machine shop, now dedicated by che Anerican Society of Mechanical Bagineers as an International Historic Mechanical Engineering Heritage Site. Thie is said co have been the Largest armory 4m the country at the time, with the excepefon of the government arnories. As events developed this was probably an injudicious investment considering the sporadic natureof the arms business. No doubt this investment also contributed to the achiovenents made.'® ‘These are considerable: Delivery, which could have extended into early 1850, wae completed 44 1847, the only dates found on the rifles being 1846 and 1847. Ta 1647 this vas the only Gun Contract finished wichita the contract tine." Most iaportantly however, the quality of the work surpassed that of all others, including the sational armories- None of the lock parts, always the most difficult to make interchangeable, vere aarked, yet ficted closely ag required by the new and stricter stendards. This achievement exceeded that of Springfield Armory here individual fitting of che Lock 7 components was continued into early 1843ROBBINS & LAWRENCE ARMORY Pace 7 The clam has been made chat Anes, in what is now Chicopee, Mass.» hhad made Jenks carbines interchangeably as estly as 1842. Examination of th machinery to Remington along with the unfinished contract.!® while they developed other products.1? pr Oa Sa RRR IER in OF ao stock in various pioneer railroada vae taken in paysent, which 20 eventually proved to be worthless. Bur Robbing & Lawrence were out of their elenent in building railroad ears, When they first bogan che gun business they also began building "aice” machinery, principally for other gun makers. By the eatly 1850'e, and no Aoubt earlier, "Robbins & Lawrence were the foresost builders of gusmalking equipment in the world") 1 geened obvious that ehey should acay in this busin and thie meant contracting co make some of the aunerous arms being Anvented for the burgeoning market Largely based on westward expansion, bur there was always hope of further goveranent contracts.ROBBINS 6 LAMRENCE ARMORY PAGE & Their Eirse venture ia this Line vas the Leonard revolving hasmer pistol, of pepper-box, as such aultiple bareledims were popularly called. The First part of this underteking was @ conplete redesign of the pistol, both the general configuration and the operating mechanisn. Thousands of these Were made Sn two aizes, and several minor variations involving very slight tooling changes, In contract work {t wae normal to have a representative of the omer at the contractors factory ae inapector. Ia the case of the Leonard pistol chis representative was Daniel B. Wesson, later to become welL known ae the Wesson of Smith & Keason.?? hile work on these pistols war in progress Robbing & Laurence were also contractors €o make 5,000 of @ repeating rifle with a cubular magszine. This developed around a bullet containing the propelling charge within it and fired by # percussion pellet supplied automatically froa separate magesine, Both the bullet and original rifle vere patented by Welter Hunt, inventor also of the conmon safety pin. The rifle had enough defects to bbe unworkable, but was much improved by Lewis Jennings. At this stage sl1 patents were sold to an investor, Courtland C. Palmer, for $100,000, vho engaged Robbins & Lawrence as makers. Before the contract was coapieted At becsne obvious from trials that the transfer mechanism from the tubular uagaine wae not eatiefactory, The rifle was redesigned at this point by Horace Smith, vho eliminated @ rack and pinion sechanisa in favor of a lever system, Still the rifle did not sell as hoped. The project did apparently bring D. B. Wesson and Horace Smith together under che Robbins & Lawrence roof and expose then to the finest preeseion work extant. They went on to fora the famous firm of Smith § Wesson, long fanous in che aras field for the very high quality of their product.” an even greater outcone of this contract wae the Javention of the lubricated bullet. This was the concept of Richard §. Lawrence, the techaical lesder of Robbins & Lawrence: It uae one of those inspirations born of desperation. Ee came about in the winter of 1850 when Mr. Lawrence wee called on to denonstrate the speed and accuracy of the Jensings rifle in the hope of selling rifles to Louse Kossuth, the Hungarian patriot and leader tn a struggle for Hungarian freedom. Up until this time all breach-Losding arms were plagued with the problen of the lead from the ualubricated bullets butlding up so badly in the barrel that “ia fixing eventy ehots from a 50-100 calibre bore there would be a hole in the barrel lese than 25-100." Faced with this challengingROBBINS & LAWRENCE ARNORY PAGE 9 problem Lawrence was inspired to turn grooves in the bullets which he filled with common tallow, This lubrication made bieech-loading guns successful.” The great © nove nade by Robbins & Lawrence in this period hovever was to exhibit their Model 1841 U.S. Rifles at the world's first great inter= notional exhibit, "The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of ALL Nations", commonly known as the "Crystal. Palace Exhsbition in London, but chia was in 1851 Following earlier more localized exhibite in France. At che London Exhibition there were other and wore atrident exhibitors of arms, Dbut none chat showed the superb asss-produced interhchangesbility of the ten arny rifles exhibited by Robbins & Lawrence. This exhibit received fan avard and was subsequently to besr unforseen fruit of saternational sig nitseance.?> Meanwhile, also in 1851, both Robbins and Lawrence, as individual investors, ach acquired 250 sharep of the Sharps, Rifle Go. stock, their combined holding representing shout 13z,omership. Whether chis represented cash paid in or services to be rendered is unclear, Most likely the latter ie correct and vould account for the tvo separate organizations, Robbine & Laurence, partnership, and the Robbing & Laweence Cou, # Varmont Corporation. The Sharps Rigle Manufacturing Compasy vas founded at Hartford, Conn. fon Oct. 9, 1851. Plans were rather fluid during 1851, but it is clear chat the first 5,000 rifles vere to be made in the Windsor Arwory of che Robbing 4 Laurence Co. However, @ aew contract of Jan., 1852 obliged Robbins & Lawrence (the partnership] to build and equip an aruory in Hareford. changes vere found necessary to adapt the rifle to practical machine production. These changes were mide at Windsor by Lawrence and 2 Willian Jones. Although Sharps was in Windsor at the tine, he played no part in making che changes, no doubt because he was unfamiliar with che problems related to mass production. ‘The First rifles produced vere called Model 1851 and the first delivery was made Oct. 5, 18525 pare of # lot of 200 for the U.S. Ordnance Departments ordered fof, erial, purposes. A total of only 2,050 out of a total of nearly 2,7odjeien Sharps production was halted st Windsor in Apri2, 1835 and production shifted to the new Sharps factory in Hartford, Conn. on che failure of the Robbins & Laurence Co. in 1856. Laurence continued with Shaxpe in Hartford until Leaving the company in 1672 when competition from repeating rifles Dogan co seriously interfere with sharps business. © But aone of the above is getting ahead of the great criumph af the Robbing & Lawrence Co-y and indeed 9 great eriuaph for the United StatesROBBINS & LAVRENCE ARMORY Pace 10 ‘ap a manufacturing sation, @ triuuph for Living standards in all those nations here the "Aneriean System vias adapted. coled te, ERIS of interchangeable manufacture, ap the English ten being the use of premanufactured parts in aasexbly and repair work, and the lowering of costs through mess production. This developed from the exhibit by Robbins § Lawrence Go. at che "Crystal Palace" Exhibieion in Loadon in 1851, but it took the Crimean War and che Givsl War to promote this. Te 0 happened chat although the atteape sade in France in the 18¢h century to produce interchangeable arms was knowa to many nations, and chese nations mide trials, none were successful. England, in 1853, was etill having various omall arms componente aade by different contractors to approx imate size. These were all brought together in assembly workshops where the completed guns were made up by individual Fecing as had been true in the United States until Simeon North's contract of 1813, xentioned earlier, and not finally discontinued at springfield Armory until early 1849. This system also prevailed in other developed countries.”7 Te was also in 1853 that trivial international incidents involving Turkish Expire ivolved Britaia, France, Turkey and Russia in the Crimean Wer. Britain had exaditéonally relied on the aras aokers of Liege, Belgium for extra arms, but to meet the pressing needs of the Aray in the Crinea the contract system was greatly expanded in Birmingham and Belgium. At this sane time it was also renombered that there had been evo impressive exhibitors of mass produced Anerican made arms at the 1851 Exhibition. This ead to sending out a Comittee on the Machinery of the United States. This Jed to £15,000) for the proposed Small-Arm Factory to make che Model 1853 Enfield rifle, and 5,000 for the Royal Laboratory snd Royal Carriage Department. ”® committee was empowered to spend £10,000 (Later incres Arriving at Springfield Amory they spent come days exanining the machinery, particularly that for woodworking. From Springfield che Comittee proceeded to Wartford where they ealled on Gol. Colt at bis pistol factory believing chat he might be willing to make machinery to produce somo of the metsl parts of the rifle musket. He declined "on account of the prese of buisiness. "29 Le appears chat they spent Little tine at he Golt Armory and ware probably disappointed after the great build-up Col. Colt hed given his factory and his methods at the Crystal Palace. Actually then, and for somo years atcer, Colt did not produce work of the quality the Gomictee was Looking Cor The true level of Cole's work was revealed in testis ny given before theROBBINS & LAMRENCE ARMORY. PAGE U1 Select Committee on Small Arma [England] by his former armory eupertintendent, fan Averican, Me. Gage Stickney: [Q] "Atcer using machin: you find it necessary co use skflled labor to Finish the articles, do you aot?” [A] "ves, always; first clase labor, and the highest price is paLd (@) "Do you consider it posable to interchange the parts of ene pistol with another, as made by Gol. cole?" [A] "I never saw a case of the Kind. It have heard of it, bat I defy a nan to show me 8 case.” [Q],"when 1 vas there, 1 ww @ man fitting the parts up put a punch upon each part, what vas ehat for?" [A] "So that each pare may go vhere it 1s designed to go as you put then together. The parts are given to the fitter and he fite thon as he goes along. They get mixed in promiscuously [during subsequent operations], but are numbered, and chen we pick them fourt they are kept ia separate boxes, oF canes, thar thay may not be tose." ‘The next stop of the Committee was at the Shexps Arsory, where the Feception and the prospects were more in Line with their assiganent. "ke Hartford the Comittee went over ‘the Arsory belonging to Messrs. Robbins & Lawrence, of Windsor, Vermont in which they axe manufacturing Sharp's [sic] Breech Losding Carbine and Rifle for the company who holds the patent on it. The factory is oaly just established, and all the machinery wae aot complete at the tine the Comnittes visited ty but St seemed to be conducted on the best manufacturing princsples, fnachinery being applied to every part of the arm. The Committee were 0 struck with the besuty andefficiency of the machines here used, that, finding they vere nade by Messrs. Robbins § Levrence at their machine shop at Windsor, Vernont, they entered into the subject of the manufacture of fire arms by machinery with Nr. Laurence, who accompanied then over the works, and who proved to be perfectly convergent with this branch of trade, and having showed him the different perts of the musker required to be produced, he undertook to make out and forwardROBBINS & LAMRENCE ARNORY Pace 12 to chen « tender for the aacessaty machinery, on bbtlf of the fem tn Thay aleo vont over Sharpe's [ate] rifle manufactory again with brs Lawrence, and were mach struck vith che nestaaas snd etey working of the rough boring machines as compared with chore they had asen An Englana."91 Fon Hereford the Comittee traveled to How Haven, He York, Westpoint, Puiladelphio, Washington, Harper's erty, Wheeling, Piceeburg, Bufalo, ica, Albany, Windsor, and back vo Boston. During this cour @ great veriory of intuetltEE,“EERI'SP cheee in o disect wy related to are ettutacturing. Thus after their thorough examination of Springfield Areory and the fledgling Sharpe Rite Factory of Robbine & Lawrence, thay vielted my private armories, the U.S. Araory at Harper's Ferry aod other industries ae diverse ae clock, fngine, careiage making, MAE aking, a pall £4sCory, nail factory, «stove factory, soving machine factories, and a biscuit Eactory. th allthis background they arrived at Robbing & Lavrence Go. in Windsor, Ve. able co sake Jodgenente in a cool way conpared with ohat must have Been # dazzling Windsor. ~- Hore they {iret vieited the ichise abep and armory of ieers. Robbins & Lawrence, in company with the proprietors, uho at thets roquest eubuitted « formal tender for the atchinee which bad been strock out of their ftret tender by the Goumlstee, to which was sdded an estimate for additional wachnery for producing different parte of the musket, which tender the Comittee accepted on the 24th saly. Thay sleo oubmitted an eatintte for sone aAchiney adepted Go the work carciad on in the Royal carriage Deparennt, wich the Comnistee outed to be coaverted into a tender and aeceptade Tascing chat there was o fism vio nemactuced chines weed ta tin work, at a tom called Woodstock, in the neighborhood of Windsor, the Gospany [Gomictee] accompanied by HE. Robbins, went there and visited tha vorks, and at thelr requst ME. Whitssy, the preptieter, fornishod thon a List of the prices. Oo thefe return co Windsor shey fnked Mesere, tobbine and Lavrence to tender ¢o then for these machines, tnd peocute then fron the mésatecturer. The oone day they vent vith HF. Hobbine to Lebsnon to sce Nessce Buck § Co-, makers of ood michinary, with a viow to purchasing someROBBINS & LAMRENCE RORY Pace 13 of his machines for che Royal Carriage Department and at their request 1s formal tender was made out which reached thea at Boston, and which 32 they accepted.’ The Committ + during the course of their tour, ordered some of the faany novel and productive machines and tools discovered by thea, since theit mission wis to introduce the "American Systen" as they called it at Enfield Armory, From Robbins & Lawrence of Windsor, Vt. they purchased 152 metalworking tools and associated apparatus. Pron the Ames Manufacturing co. sa Chicopee, Maga. 23 woodworking machines, in 15 varieties, for stock aking. These were improved models of the machines developed at Springfield Arnory by Thomas Blanchard in the 1820's. Anes also furnished 113 smal tools consieting of gouges, Jige and patterns These constitute the major purchases and provided the transfor of AnoricanpFecision, high-production machinery to Enfield Armory near Londan.?9 This of course was all being done while the Grimeaa War was in progress and che need for omall arms was great. The Robbing & Lawrence workmanship being much adaired and realization existing that delivery of the nachinery logical to Look to the United States for rifles too, The British govermment hhad Robbins & Lawrence alteratheir U.S. Rifles to Enfield bore. Before these could be received ia England the Board of Ordnance received an offer in February, 1855 from Messrs. Fox, Henderson & Co. to supply 25,000 P53 “pafiele” pattern rifle of Robbing & Laurence make. This offer w taken typ March 8, 1855. On April 3 report was issued on the sanples which vare apparently made up from parte left over from the U.S. Rifle contract completed im 1852, possibly reject parte.°¢ In July, 1655 2 contract was made to supply the British government with 1,000 of Sharps rifles. This vas incressed sin August to 6,000. The sachinery order occupied auch of the Windsor factory 40 the making of the B53 pattern rifles was partly being done in the Sharps Factory at Hartford, vhere the 6,000 Sharps rifles would also be made vhen design modifications were worked out. ALL of this work was taxing burden on the Windsor and Hartford factories ‘To complicate the problen black walnut for gun stocks was not obtainable in the market which retarded deliveries sand then on March 30, 1856 the ‘Treaty of Paris ended the Crimean War. cancellation of the contract for the P53 rifles ensued, Both the Robbins 6 Lawrence Co. and the partaership of Robbins & Lawrence Failed. the Sharpa RLEle Co. cook over che RobbinsROBBINS 6 LAWRENCE ARHORY PAGE 14 tmvrance Go. and completed the Sharperifle coutr4ce vith ingland. ‘The Windsor scwoty finished up all or pare of tho 753 British vifles under che sane Union Aras Go. and ceving machines were also made, but the Armory and Machine Stop stood lasgely idle watil che beginning of the Civil wer- ‘mn auction of the contents of the armory at Windsor was Relé in 1859 the purchaser, Mrs H+ Gy anton also Leased the buildings. During the Civil Mar vhere was @ great dentnd for michinery for gun work and chis kept the machine shop busy unttl this nacket was largely supplied, Tho speciet nodel Springfield Rifle of 1861, baved on the "Enfield" P59 rifles made at Windsor fn the 1850's, utilized cooling otili existing tn Windsor and perhaps Hartford. The most important carry-over from the Enfield to this aodel wae the stirrup betwocn the aain spring and vubler. This becaoe a standard design feature cf the lock wsed by ToSr rifles uneSl adoption of the bolt-action Hotel 192 Keag-Jorgensen rifle. the fivae delivery of this sodet' as mage by tanson, Goodaow & Yale tstising che Bafteld tooling acqutted vith purchase of the Robbing 6 Laveence richincry. This delivery was nade Septeaber 24, 1862 and vas folloved by deliveries fron other contractors, Colt of Hartford, and Anosteag of Hanchoster. Ni, a covet of 50,000 were produced at Windsor and a total for this nodel of 132,000, Final dotivery by Tanson, Coodney & Yale was made in Decesbery 1364. During this perfod aachine toots and tooling #e=enale for ocher shops tnd aroortes including Galt and Anoskess during work onthe special: model Springfield rifle contcact, The armory willie work on two rifled carbine coneractoot 1,000 each. One was the Palacr, a single shot, bolt action, netatite cartridge ara, the first accopted for 0,5. service. The other was the invention of Albert Dall. Te aloo wed a wetallte cartridge tut was a lever action repeater with a tubular aigezine under the bereel. Delivery on these was s0 late n the apring of 1865 that they éid not see service {the fleld due ro the close of the var, but “they were the most advanced forn of military wespon produced by the 37 U.S. Ordnance Department to that dace Thus what wes Eo be the last product of the armory was on che cutting edge of technical development as hal’the first product, the new cechnology introduced in the Model 1841 U.S. rifle. on the conclueton of the war the arms market changed in favor of civilian and sporting arns on inproved and patented desigas. In this field Winchester cook the Lead, but although thedr rifte had developed from che Jenntos:ROBBINS & LAVRENCE ARNORY Pace 15 rifle made by Robbins & Lawrence, much evolution had subsequently taken place. The Ball and Palaer rifle actions vere not competative with the Winchester rifle action, but in order to control the tubular magarine the Bali patent rights were purchased. They had pioneered the adoption of aelf- contained metallfe cartridges tn the Ordnance Departuent. This of course depended on the absolute tnterchangeability of millions of duplicate cartridges fitting thousands of rifles ‘The specialized gua and pistol machinery of Robbins 6 Lavrence, as ell as the machinery for making seving machines, ues sold to various purchasers ‘The denand for thie was excellent snd new machine tools became the dominant product, particularly turret Lathes with a vertical axis turret. these had been old as early a5 1854 under the nane "screw milling machines” as part of the equipment for Enfield Armory. Possibly they had been sold elsevhere even earlier. The leadership of American manufacturing methods of accurate, high production was based in part, not on machine design, but on the general climate of working conditions. But the general atmosphere in Anerican industry bbe seen asong the new nations Leading in machine tool production and as exporters to the United States. These American conditions are well stated by the Committee of three, Robert Burn, Licut.-Colonel, Royal are‘llery; Thomas P. Warlow, Captain, Royal artillery of Machinery. Their summation of these conditions supplencntary co the ‘and John Anderson, Tnspector nachines ond tools follows: ‘Before bringing this Report to a conclusion, the Committee venture to offer a few observations on several subjects which strictly speaking do aot fall within the province of their mission, but from thesy inpor tance and bearing upon the general interests of che Departments at Woolwich, i is hoped that they may aot be considered as stepping beyond their legitimate bounds in so doing. One distinguishing feature of menufacturing eatablishsents tn the United States, boch public and private, is the ample provision fof workshop room, in proportion to che work therein carried on, arising in sone measure from the foresight and speculative character of the proprictors, who are ontious thus to secure the capabilities for future ‘extension, and in a greater degree with a view co securing order and systenatic artangemane in the manufactureROBBINS & LAWRENCE ARWORY Another ceriking foature is che adnirable eysten everywhere adopted, leven on those branches of trade which are not usually considered of much importance, this applfes aot only to the selection and adaptation of cools and machinery, and to the progress of the material chough the manufactory, but also to the discipline and sobriety of the enployed. The observations contained in the Report upon Auerican tools and achinery, will best explain the nature and adaptation of special tools to minute purposes, in order to obtain the article at the smallest possible cost; for this end capital is borrowed to a great extent and sunk in ectablichaents not only adapted to a peculiar manufacture, but where 4 departnent is sot apart for the exprese purpose of making the special tools and contrivances required in order to obtain that end in the most economical and effectusl manner. , This at least applies to establishments of any importance. The contriving and making of machinery hes become 0 common 4 this country, and co many heads and hands are at work with extraordinary onorgys that valess the example is followed at howe, notwithetan ing the difference of wages, it is to be feared that American manufacturers will before Long become exporters not only to foreign countries, but nvfacturers| even to England, and should this occur, the blane mist fali on the of England, vho [sic] for want of energy in improving their machinery and applying £¢ to spectal purposes. The advantages in a manufacturing Point of view are all on the side of our countrymen, and there 42 nothing made in which they ought not ¢o be able to undersell their Anerican 7 competitors either in England or on the continent. Another poine, bearing on this important subject, is the dissatisfaction frequently expressed in America with regard to present attainment in the manufacture and application of labour-saving machinery, and the avidity with which eny new idea is laid hold of, and dnproved upon, @ spirit occasionally carried to excess, but upon the whole productive of more good than evil. ‘The care almost universally bestowed on the coafort of the workpeople, Particularly attracted the notice of the Comittee; clean places for washing being provided, presses to contain thasr change of clothes, ‘and an abundant supply of good dréaking water, in sany cases cooledROBBINS 6 LAWRENCE ARMORY Pace 17 ‘The Comnittes also renarked with satiefsccion, the regular attendance and cleanliness of the workmen, and the rigid exactness with which the Work is continued up co the last minute of the working A renarkable feature ia the charscter of the native American Worknen is their sobristy, water 1s chetr usual beverage, and this they use inordinately in hot weather, but rarely anything stronger, clear headedness results from this and gives then a poverful advantage over those who indulge in stronger potations, which will eventually Produce its effect on the nations] sansfactures, as it now does on the intelligence and character of the individual workman. Ia the Government and private manufactories in the United States, iscowork ven applicable is universally preferred to day-work, as this arrangement yields the greatest amount of work at the least cost to the employer, at the sane time paying the best wages co the individual ceuployed, and che Gomittee trusting the Honourable Board will not think then presumptuous, beg most respectfully to subatt it as their by the piece {¢ that on which, after ite machinery 4s in full operation, the proposed Manufactory of Small Aras, could be best conducted so 49 to reduce es much ae possible, the coate of the arms made, and yet pay good wages to the workaen enployed. The following are thete reasons for coming to this conclusion. 1, In a manufactory where payments are made by the piece, it is the interest of those enplayed co turn out as many as possible of the article they work upon, and to suggest any Labour: wving device, that may occur co then as likely to increase the production of the machines they attend. 2. Because where work is conducted in this plan, the supervisors nay be lesa nunerous, as any tine the workman may waste by decreasing the quantity of the article produced by him, affects his vages and entails no loss upon his employers. 3. When sen are paid by the piece chey can be held financially responsible for any work they may spoil through carelessness, which ‘cannot be done where the payments axe made by the day; thie is particularly important when che parts made are required to beS 6 LAMRENCE aRNORY PAGE 18 Adencscal, €o insure interchange, and any worknan who may be employed sn sone trifling operation on an article that ie alnost Fintshed, by carelessness in looking after hie sachine may spoil and render usels a large number of parta on which a great deal of careful Labour hee beoh already bestowed. The Comittee are also of opinion that in order to kesp the proposed establichnent sa a high state of discipline, which ss absolutely necessary to enable it to work vell, the superintendent should have absolute pover over che nen employed, as it is by this means only that combinations can be effectually checked, che contagion of dissatisfaction and idleness on the part of a fy individuals prevented from spreeding through the ase and vitally affecting the syste of the whole manufactory. ‘his system Le puroved in all the best Goverment and private works the Committee have anywhere seen, in which the order and regularity of the workmen was most observable, and they consider it their duty ‘a9 they hold these opinions, formed after having seen so many first rave manufacturing eotablishents at hoae and abroad, and after auch careful inquiry as to how these works were conducted, to express then freely to the Honourable Board. Owing to the difficulty of geteing special machinery constructed, ‘aid the high price necessarily scked for it by the fixet rate machine makers, who are frequently unwilling to undertake it at all on account of the trouble ic entafie on thes, in devising and making models, the Committee beg to subait co the Honourable Board as their opinion, that 4 great saving would be effected co the Government, and the service would be much benefited by the establishwent of @ machine shop in the Royal Arsenal at Woolwich, for the manufacture of epectal machines and only, the systea of contracting for machinery in ordinary ust which 49 one of che staple manufactures of the country being still adhered to. a all the United States" armories and arsenals, Sc, and most of the Large private manufactories of Anerics, chis aysten is pursued wich great advantage." 78pant 2 Pace 19 ‘THE COLLECTION ‘The evolutionary davention of the machinery to make precise elements fat small cost in any quantity for averything fron scientific instruments to household appliances owes its development to the "Anerican Syste", as the British Commissioners called 1t. If was a system that evolved not from great publicly aupported "Think Tanks", auch as we have today. Instead st evolved in tiny increnents within the contract systes which gave the contractors and, (under the piece-wark ayetes) the workmen, incentive to thsak of incronentel changes that continued the development of enduring predictable accuracy and productivity. Not every change proved to be enduring, and ao doubt many blind alleys, now forgotten, were explored experimentally. The result could have ¢aken place long centuries before if the incentive syoten had been instituted ‘and gustained. Ia this country vas evolved a system of patronage, the patron age of a stable forward looking goverment instead of one encumbered by tradition where progress depended on the interest of individual rulers or wealthy enthusiasts. Hunta nature is the sane today as before interchangeable manufacturing vas developed. The unaided individual in che population 9 Workaen whose accomplishaent Thomas Jefferson examined in 1785. The difference Drought about aince then <9 that the akill of chose with outstanding absLity wae used to conceive and then build this skill inte tizeless machines that could work all twenty-four hours if necessary and that were not encumbered by recreational excesses or other distractions. The skill needed to tend ‘these machines was obviously far below che Leval of skill needed to create and aaintein them or to make the sane quality product with hand tools. ‘Thus employment at good and predicable wages indoors out of the sun, ain, snow and wind vas provided for thousands who would otherwise be cking out some precarious existance on the land at substatance level. This explains why machinery fs 20 eagerly adopted by developing countries end why old countries must maintain better work, design, and investment ethics than ‘what vo presently have. ‘The machine design ideas that were produced by the “American Syston” Wore to & substantial extend reinventions. The much toured invention of the slide rest generally attributed to Henry Maudslay in England ie found 4 its moge eloneatel form, sow denossteable, in che gay aill draving of 1235 A.D. by the French architect Villard de Hounecourt. There the log betng cut inco strips ov boards serves as the slide moving though guides lagsine the tool, in this case a sav.39THE COLLECTION Pace 20 How many of the vast store of mechanical drawings that form part of our heritage from Leonardo da Vines aré representative of concepts of bis, or even original ¢o his period, are now uncertain. owever, the very close correspondence between some of Leonardo's drawings fang those of planetary dials on the clock driven astrseium of Giovanni de Dodi, completed in Italy between 1348 and 1364, are oo important to be overlooked or brushed aside. These dravings suggest chat Leonardo sau and copied from thie or a similar instrument.“ we con't be sure what he and other engineers may have copied because the Dark Ages and centuries earlier are largely shrouded in mystery except for vhat can occassionally be deduced from the examination of surviving objects. The abilicy to curn metal te well shown to have been practical in Ronan tines by Alfved Hunts in his gue the turning and fitting together of surfaces is 20 accomplishment at all compared to the fanous Die Kunst des Netalldzenens bie den Romer. Gresk Antsaythera Mechanism of c-80 B.C., a very complex geared mechanism even containing 4 differential. This vas used to calculate che calender and to show star positions at any time, including past events and future predicetons. ALL of the fev encient mechanions that survive, and all of the mechantone and machines that we know of by Literary descriptions and draviags, of which many more exist than those of Leonardo only, vere very expensive to build with hand cools. If these were built and were later sketched by axtsst/engin- ny be that these dravings include a record of machines and ideas far earlier than the sketches representing then. That these complex machines never becane widely used appears clear, and that they vere not supplanted by improved varieties seems to indicate that they were Coo expensive to construct ia relation to chetr utility. Jie have bean speaking so far of the most sophisticated aschines of their tines partly because, being of metal, we have detailed surviving evidence. They may be looked vpn ae the scientific instrumente of their day. There wore countless repetitious examples of Lesser machines well known co everyone, uch se gristmille, Less well known vere saw and fulling mille, alehough hey 00, through the application of wind or water power, greatly reduced the heavy physical burden on the muscle pover of man and beast. Such machinery 41s best understood by che {Llusrrared engineering and text books of che Renaissance, such books as the lavishly illustrated books on mining, refining, pumping techniques, and the art of war, The sost genera, influential, and