half-ounce weight would balance a thousand. Securing the patent, he sold the right for five thousand dollars to a company who went extensively into the business; a slender compensation considering its importance, but small as it was, it relieved him of embarrassments, and placed him some thousands ahead.

Mr. Blanchard being a practical operator in all branches of machinery, and possessing also economical habits, together with an unwearied perseverance, was enabled to execute his plans at a comparatively small expense. The success of his tack machine inspired him with.new confidence, and a greater desire for improvement in the arts.

About this time, attempts were making in the various armories under the patronage of government, to turn musket barrels with an external finish, instead of pursuing the then common and very imperfect mode of reducing them to a uniform thickness by grinding. In accordance with the advice of a friend, possessing great confidence in his skill, Blanchard was induced to invent a machine for turning the cylindrical part of the barrel. There was then remaining about three inches at the breech, requiring to be cut in a different figure, with two flat and oval sides, and, finally, finished by chipping, filing, and grinding. He undertook, with perfect success, the construction of a lathe to turn the whole of the barrel, from end to end, by the combination of one single, self-directing operation. To effect this, it was placed in the lathe, and the process commenced at the muzzle, in the ordinary way, turning the cylindrical portion first; but as the cutting instrument approached the breech, the motion was very ingeniously changed into a vibrating one, so as to cut the flats and ovals perfectly parallel with the calibre of the barrel. This was effected by a cam-wheel placed in the arbor of the lathe, and operated by a lever. A knowledge of this important improvement coming to the superintendent of the United States' armory at Springfield, a contract was made with Blanchard to erect one at that establishment.* While the workmen were gathered around to witness its operation, an incident occurred which finally led to the truly wonderful invention for turning irregular forms. One of the men, addressing himself to a companion, says, "Well, John, he has spoiled your job!" "I care not for that," was the reply, "as long as I can get a better." One of the musket-stockers, with a confident shake of the head, then boastingly exclaimed, "that he (Blanchard) could not spoil his, for he could not turn a gun-stock!" This remark struck

*This armory is by far the most extensive in the Union, furnishing employment for three hundred men, who annually manufacture fourteen thousand muskets.

Blanchard very forcibly, and in answer he observed, “I am not so sure of that, but will think of it a while." The idea of turning by machinery such a long irregular form as the stock of a musket, seemed absurd, but he could not banish the subject from his mind. After remaining a few days longer at Springfield, he left for his residence in Worcester county. While passing in a one-horse vehicle, in a state of deep meditation, through the old town of Brimfield, the whole principle of turning irregular forms from a pattern at once burst upon his mind: the idea was so pleasing and forcible, that, like Archimedes of old, he exclaimed aloud, “ I have got it! I have got it!"-Two countrymen, overhearing this, sud. denly started up from the way-side, with countenances expressive of wonder; when one of them, addressing his companion, said, "I guess that man's crazy."

In a short time, Blanchard built a model of this machine, and so exact were its operations that it would perfectly turn a miniature stock.

This machine is represented in the engraving in its most simple form, for turning shoe-lasts; and is so constructed that, from one as a pattern, an exact facsimile can be formed from a rough block of wood. Both the pattern and block are fixed on the same axis, and are made to revolve around their common centre, in a swinging lathe, by a pulley and bolt on one end of the axis, as shown in the engraving. On a sliding carriage is attached three posts, through which are fixed pivots, to which are suspended the axles of a cutting and a friction wheel. The cutting wheel, which is about one foot in diameter, turns on a horizontal axle, and to its periphery is fixed a number of crooked cutters to act like a gouge when the wheel is put in motion. This cutting wheel is placed opposite the rough block. The friction wheel, which is of the same diameter as the cutting wheel, is placed opposite the pattern, so as to press against it when in motion. These two wheels are in a line with each other, and are attached to the same carriage. On the axle of the cutting wheel is fixed a pulley, around which passes a band which puts the cutting wheel in motion by a large drum revolving under it. A crank, or first mover, communicates motion to the drum, which in its turn transfers a rapid motion to the cutting wheel; while a band which passes from a small pulley on the drum-shaft, puts in operation a feeding screw-pulley, which moves the sliding carriage horizontally from left to right. Another pulley on the drumshaft gives a slow rotary motion both to the pattern and the rough block, in a direction opposite to that of the cutting wheel. The friction wheel is turned by the pattern resting against it.

During the revolution, the pattern, being irregular in its surface,

causes the axis to approach and recede from the wheel. Thus it will be seen, as it presents its whole surface to the friction wheel, so in like manner the block presents its surface to the cutting wheel, which being in rapid motion cuts away all that part of the block which is farther from the common centre than the surface of the pattern, and thus forms, from a rough block, an exact resemblance of the model.

To form a facsimile in reverse, as a left foot shoe-last, from a right foot shoe-last, it is only necessary that the pattern should revolve in an opposite direction from the block. A whole sett of lasts, both right and left, can be formed by one pattern, either larger or smaller than the model. This is done by changing the motion and speed of different parts of the machine. To form an object longer than the pattern, the cutting wheel must travel in its right-angle movement faster than the friction wheel, or vice versa. To form it larger in diameter than the pattern, the axis of the cutting wheel must be kept at a greater distance from the axis of the block than the axis of the pattern is from the axis of the friction wheel. Thus it is plain that an article can be formed by this operation larger or smaller than the model, and still be of the same proportions.

This machine can be applied to turning many different articles with great facility and perfection, such as shoe-lasts, gun-stocks, spokes of wheels, hat-blocks, tackle-blocks, wig-blocks, and any other objects, no matter how irregular their forms, provided their surfaces can be brought in contact with the periphery of the friction wheel.

While at Washington, securing the patent, Blanchard exhibited the machine at the war office, where most of the heads of the different departments had assembled. Among the rest was Commodore R, then one of the navy commissioners, who, after witnessing its operation and listening to the remarks made, as to the various articles that it could form, jocosely says to the inventor, "Can you turn a seventy-four ?" "Yes!" was the reply, "if you

will furnish a block."

The secretary of war was so well satisfied with it, that an agreement was entered into with the inventor to build one immediately for the national armory at Harper's Ferry. He subsequently put one in operation at the Springfield establishment. This opened the way to his other important improvements in the stocking of arms, since universally adopted, consisting in the cutting in the cavity for the lock, barrel, butt-plates, and other parts of the mounting, comprising, together with the turning the stock and barrel, no less than thirteen different machines. Mr. Blan