Book Description

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1905 edition. Excerpt: ...school. He first took up architecture, but his natural taste soon led him into the working of metals, and he secured a situation in the Springfield Armory, where he remained a number of years. Through the influence of his brother-in-law, Mr. Stratton, he secured a situation with Dennison, Howard and Davis in 1853, where he first worked on fitting trains and was afterwards given steel work, such as regulators, hair spring studs and what is termed flat steel work generally. In the making of regulators, great difficulty was experienced in securing flatness during the tempering, and Mr. Shepard introduced a system of straightening by pressure while the temper was being drawn. He also introduced the use of pulverized Arkansas oil stone for grinding purposes, which proved far better than any grinding powder that has ever been used. Mr, Shepard moved with the company in 1854 to Waltham and for a number of years had charge of the flat steel work. In fact, from the time when only one boy was employed on the job until 1893. All the stem winding and all the flat steel and regulators, clicks and click springs were made in this department, also the damaskeening on the steel work and the fitting of the stem winding of all grades of watches and the gold wheel finishing. Before the factory had adopted the better methods of machinery building, Mr. Shepard developed many crude devices, which were afterwards worked up in machinery of.a better class, such as machines used for rounding regulators, etc., and being a man of good taste in the matters of finishing, he showed a great deal of skill in finishing and polishing steel work, raying and combinations of polish, etc. Mr. Shepard severed his connection with the Waltham factory in 1893, and is now living...