A History Of Machine Tools

Traces the development of machine tools and workshop techniques and highlights the contributions of various toolmakers.

This work was originally published as four separate books; their titles, and reviewers' comments, are given below: History of the Gear-Cutting Machine: A Historical Study in Geometry and Machines "The book represents an overwhelmingly well-done job of reducing a great mass of material—scholarly references, patents, catalogs, engineering and trade journals, and machines themselves—into a logical story of development. Written with zest and relish, this vivid account presents a wealth of unusual information. The illustrations are particularly good, for many of them come from previously untapped sources." —Technology and Culture History of the Grinding Machine: A Historical Study in Tools and Precision Production "From the polished artifacts of prehistoric times Mr. Woodbury traces the development of methods, abrasives, and the machine tools which interdependently contributed to the advanced grinding techniques used today. Many fine illustrations." —The Tool Engineer History of the Milling Machine: A Study in Technical Development "Mr. Woodbury traces the evolution of milling machines from Eli Whitney's machine (circa 1820), the first miller ever built, to numerical controlled milling machines.... presented cleanly with ample detail. Fine illustration and complete bibliography are provided." —The Tool Engineer History of the Lathe to 1850: A Study in the Growth of a Technical Element of an Industrial Economy "Woodbury, who teaches the history of technology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is at work on a history of machine design which promises to alter our perspectives not only in his special field but in general cultural history.... His present history of the lathe (to about 1850) absorbs the entire previous literature and goes far beyond it." —Lynn White, Jr.

At the beginning of the twentieth century Britain was amongst the world leaders in the production of machine tools, yet by the 1980s the industry was in terminal decline. Focusing on the example of Britain's largest machine tool maker, Alfred Herbert Ltd of Coventry, this study charts the wider fortunes of this vital part of the manufacturing sector. Taking a chronological approach, the book explores how during the late nineteenth century the industry developed a reputation for excellence throughout the world, before the challenges of two world wars necessitated drastic changes and reorganisations. Despite meeting these challenges and emerging with confidence into the post-war market place, the British machine tool industry never regained its pre-eminent position, and increasingly lost ground to foreign competition. By using the example of Alfred Herbert Ltd to illuminate the broader economic and business history of the British machine tool industry, this study not only provides a valuable insight into British manufacturing, but also contributes to the ongoing debates surrounding Britain's alleged decline as a manufacturing nation.