Volume Eleven - Pre-Victorian to the Present Day - some more aspects - Large Testing Machines in South Wales, 1829-1906 . . .

But, before describing this machine, which illustrates the most recent development in testing-machines, it will be interesting to place on record a description of the very first testing-machine ever constructed, which combined the same essential principles as the most approved modern machines, namely, hydraulic power for straining the specimen and dead-weights acting through levers with knife-edged fulera [honest and true?] for measuring the load.

It is remarkable that this earliest machine was started in 1829 in the county of Glamorgan where the present latest and largest machine has also found its home.

Figure 4 - shows the machine of 1829.

It was made at Cyfarthfa Iron Works, Merthyr Tydvil, from the design of Mr. William Williams, then engineer to the works. The original working drawings were preserved by his son, the late William Williams, civil engineer, of Merthyr Tydvil, who, in succession to his father, also held for some years the post of engineer at Cyfarthfa.

It happened a few years ago that the author was making a research into the history of testing-machines, and through his friend and partner, Mr. Christopher James, he was put into communication with the late Mr. Williams, and therefore is now able to produce authentic drawings, which have never before been published, of this interesting historic machine.

It will be seen that the machine is made with two columns, the upper part of which form hydraulic cylinders, and a crosshead raised by these cylinders carries the top shackle for straining the specimen. The bottom shackle lifts a lever of the second order connected to a steelyard on which dead weights are loaded.