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Sir Joseph Whitworth „Whitworth, Vynálezce Meta Řského Vozu a Mnoha Jiných Úžasných Stroj Ů, Je Nikoli Nepodobný Paviánovi; Mluví Nejširší Lankaširštinou

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Sir Joseph Whitworth „Whitworth, Vynálezce Meta Řského Vozu a Mnoha Jiných Úžasných Stroj Ů, Je Nikoli Nepodobný Paviánovi; Mluví Nejširší Lankaširštinou Sir Joseph Whitworth „Whitworth, vynálezce meta řského vozu a mnoha jiných úžasných stroj ů, je nikoli nepodobný paviánovi; mluví nejširší lankaširštinou... ...nicmén ě má talent, jímž m ůže přivést génie k zoufalství, a když s ním člov ěk mluví, má dojem, že hovo ří se skute čně živým mužem.“ Tak je v dobové korespondenci charakterizován britský technik 19. století, jehož zná každý technik pozd ější jako autora prvního standardizovaného závitu. By ť se jedná o po čin vpravd ě p řevratný, má toho Joseph Whitworth (21. 12. 1803 – 22. 1. 1887) za sebou mnohem víc. Whitworth není oce ňován ani tak pro své vynálezy, i když má na kont ě n ěkolik desítek patent ů, jako spíše pro schopnost dovést k dokonalosti stávající principy. Byl perfekcionista, který jen obtížn ě snesl nedokonalost. Jeho nejv ětší odborný p řínos tkví v oblasti obráb ění rovinných ploch, zdokonalení m ěř icích metod, jimiž předb ěhl dobu, a v zmín ěné normalizaci závit ů. J. Whitworth se narodil ve Stockportu v hrabství Cheshire. Jeho otec, u čitel, jej do 12 let u čil sám, poté jej dal zapsat na William Vint´s Academy v Idle poblíž Leedsu. Tato škola získala dobrou pov ěst díky moderním vyu čovacím metodám založeným na praktickém zkoumání jev ů. Po dvou letech byl Joseph dán do u čení ke strýci, majiteli p řádelny v Derbyshire, s vyhlídkou na pozd ější podílnictví. Pravd ěpodobn ě sem můžeme lokalizovat zrození dalšího z apoštol ů strojírenství, protože zde byl mladý muž poprvé doslova fascinován stroji. Brzy je ovládl a již tehdy byl kritický k jejich nízkému stupni p řesnosti. Touha po karié ře v relativn ě stále novém oboru jej p řim ěla v roce 1821 k rozhodnému kroku; proti v ůli rodiny opustil p řádelnu a nastoupil do p řední manchesterské strojírny Crighton & Comp. jako řemeslník. V dalších letech vyst řídal n ěkolik jiných firem a v roce 1825 zakotvil u Maudslaye v Londýn ě. Henry Maudslay, vynálezce moderního soustruhu, výrobce prvních jednoú čelových stroj ů pro hromadnou produkci, vynálezce obráže čky, mikrometru, v ěrozv ěst vym ěnitelnosti a standardizace pat ří k nejv ětším postavám po čátk ů strojírenství. V jeho dílnách pracovali krom ě Whitwortha i mnozí další auto ři vynález ů, bez nichž si moderní výrobu nedovedeme představit. Whitworth zde odstartoval svou úsp ěšnou kariéru, jejímž jedním vrcholem bylo práv ě dotažení a prosazení Maudslayových myšlenek vysoké p řesnosti, standardizace a vym ěnitelnosti sou částí, nezbytných p ředpoklad ů sériové a hromadné výroby. Po p ůsobení u Maudslaye zakotvil Whitworth u dalšího velikána strojírenství Josepha Clementa, kde se podílel i na vývoji mechanického po číta če Charlese Babbage. V roce 1833 se vrátil do Manchesteru, kde si založil vlastní dílnu pod názvem „Joseph Whitworth, Tool- Maker from London“ (J. W., výrobce nástroj ů z Londýna). Byl úsp ěšný, Vintova akademie jej vybavila dobrou znalostí obchodu, pravým požehnáním pak pro n ěho byl rozvoj železni ční dopravy. V roce 1834 m ěl 15 d ělník ů, v roce 1854 jich bylo 368, v roce 1874, kdy se z jeho podniku stala Ltd. (s.r.o.), 750 a v 80. letech p řes 1000. Za čínal drobnými opravami, výrobou píp (inu Anglie...), razidel, sv ěrek, vinných lis ů, kompas ů. V roce 1834 obdržel první patent na šroubo řez, do roku 1878 pak dalších 47 patent ů. V roce 1842 vynalezl výše zmín ěný stroj na čišt ění ulic. Poprvé automatizoval p říčný a podélný posuv u soustruhu, vynalezl d ělenou matici vodicího šroubu (umožnila zrychlený návrat suportu bez nutnosti zp ětného chodu). Zdokonalil hoblovku, základní stroj pro obráb ění rovinných ploch, už u Maudslaye p řišel s myšlenkou zaškrabávání na barvu jako dokon čovacího obráb ění rovinných ploch vysoce přesných. Zdokonalil m ěř icí metody, svými m ěř idly a koncovými m ěrkami p řekonal p řesnost Maudslayova mikrometru. Whitworthem dosahovaná p řesnost, postupn ě až milióntina palce (asi 0,000025 mm!), byla v dobovém tisku nazvána „kuriozitou a nadbyte čností“. Whitworth dále p ředvídal výhody decimální soustavy. Od t ěchto pokus ů byl už jen kr ůč ek k nejslavn ějšímu jeho dílu, závitovým normám. O sjednocení závit ů, které p ředstavují asi nejpoužívan ější strojní prvek, se pokoušel už Henry Maudslay, ale narazil na odpor výrobc ů, p řestože jeho soustruh s vodicím šroubem k tomuto kroku p římo vybízel. Whitworth shromáždil r ůzné závity (d ůležitým východiskem pro n ěho byl i pokus o standardizaci závitu J. Clementa) a v roce 1841 p ředložil rozm ěrovou řadu jakéhosi „pr ůměrného“ univerzáln ě použitelného závitu. Whitworth ův závit m ěl vrcholový úhel 55°, jeho velký pr ůměr za čínal na 1/8” a byl dále odstup ňován v řad ě, kdy pro každý pr ůměr byl stanoven po čet závit ů na palec. Polom ěry zaoblení r činily 0,1373x P (stoupání) a nosná hloubka závitu d = 0,6403x P. Whitworth nejprve za čal novou normu používat ve svých dílnách, definitivní vít ězství p řišlo, když závit akceptovaly britské železnice. Skoro soub ěžn ě p řišel v USA William Sellers s rozm ěrovou řadou závit ů s vrcholovým úhlem 60°. Sellers ův závit se stal pozd ěji USS (United States Standard), v roce 1948 pak vznikla soustava závit ů Unified National Series. V Německu, Francii a Švýcarsku vznikaly koncem 19. století vlastní metrické závity. Systém závit ů British Standard Whitworth vládl p ředevším britským výrobk ům až do p řelomu 60. – 70. let 20. století, kdy British Standard Institution doporu čila p řechod na metrický závit ISO s vrcholovým úhlem 60° (p řijatý hned po založení ISO – International Organization for Standardization v roce 1947). Od Whitworthova profilu byly dále odvozeny soustavy závit ů British Standard Fine (BSF), British Standard Parallel Pipe (BSPP), and British Standard Tapered Pipe (BSTP). Standardizace nejen závit ů, ale i dalších opakujících se prvk ů se stala základním kamenem p řechodu k sériové a hromadné výrob ě, podpo řila vym ěnitelnost sou částí a výrobu zrychlila a zlevnila. Whitworth ův závit dnes nevymizel, dob ře jej znají fanoušci starších britských vozidel, nalezneme jej nap ř. na fotografické technice, na závitových trubkách (kde je ovšem jinak ozna čován) i jinde. Poslední Whitworthovou zájmovu oblastí, o níž se zmíním, byla zbrojní výroba. Přesv ědčený pacifista Whitworth snad v ěř il v odstrašující p ůsobení dobré výzbroje. Po vypuknutí Krymské války v roce 1853 obdržel zakázku na vývoj a výrobu stroj ů pro výrobu pušek Enfield. Problém řešil od podlahy. Za vládní peníze provedl náro čné zkoušky (postupn ě mezi lety 1854 – 1878 obdržel 20 patent ů ve zbroja řin ě) a vyvinul vlastní pušky Whitworth Rifle o menší ráži a v lepší kvalit ě než Enfield. V Anglii byly odmítnuty, zato zaujaly francouzskou vládu... Anglie paradoxn ě pozd ěji akceptovala pušky Martin-Henry, které využívaly Whitworthovy principy a m ěly také menší ráži než rifle Enfield. Doma není nikdo prorokem. Posledním Whitworthovým p řísp ěvkem byl vynález tlakového lití oceli pro výrobu děl s cílem dosáhnout vyšší homogenity a zbavit se nebezpe čných plynových bublin v Bessemerov ě oceli. Sir Joseph Whitworth (od r. 1869 baronet), nositel mnoha univerzitních i státních ocen ění, k stáru milovník procházek, jezdectví a biliáru, zem řel v požehnaném v ěku na francouzské Rivié ře. Použito: Sir Joseph Whitworth. [online]. [cit. 2007-05-15]. Dostupné na WWW: http://www.whitworthsociety.org/content/view/25/44/ REILLY, R. The Whitworth Screw Thread System. [online]. [cit. 2007-05-15]. Dostupné na WWW: http://www.jag-lovers.org/xk-lovers/library/whitworth_system.html USHER, C. Engineering Thread Data. [online]. [cit. 2007-05-15]. Dostupné na WWW: http://www.colinusher.info/Livesteam/mewdata.html Josef Gruber Publikováno ve Zpravodaji SPŠS, Plze ň v kv ětnu 2007. .
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