With these facts in mind it does not require very much courage to go ahead with an imperfect design, but unfortunately these thoughts will not stay in the mind of the average designer.  They are crowded out by the flood of ideas for still further betterment.  That is why it is just to give high rank to the man who had courage to go ahead and build, even when he realized the faults of a design.

Perhaps one of the aids to this action is the knowledge that the apparent opportunity to improve a design may only be apparent.  In reality the change is only a change, and is no betterment, a very common outcome of such ideas.  The knowledge of the great array of failures of such “improvements” is wholesome and helpful to bear in mind.

The Inventor Sees Opportunities to Improve.

The inventor, from his point of view, sees the great need and opportunity to improve the design of the machine being manufactured.  He sees that the big machines are nothing but enlarged editions of the early and smaller ones.  He knows that with a change of size there should be a change of design.  He knows that although a granite rock weighing a few tons will not be kept suspended in air by a heavy wind, a small part of the same rock will be carried away by a breeze, and may be kept suspended by a very slight current of air.  He knows that the small particle of granite has a greater superficial area in proportion to its weight.  He sees on every hand that a change of dimensions frequently entails a change of design.

He also sees the opportunity to effect a great saving by building the large machine for its special service, and not on the exact lines of the smallest model.  The failure of the management to adopt his plans seems nothing less than unreasonableness to the inventor, for like other mortals he is a trifle slow at grasping the fact that no two beings have exactly the same point of view or the same quality of sight.

Another inventor sees a chance to make further improvements and he is disturbed because there is a ban on changes.  He feels that the mechanical success of his previous work should be a sufficient guarantee of the economic advantage of the last proposed plan.

If an attempt is made to show him that the ban on changes is absolutely necessary from an economic point of view, it is found that the reasoning does not get the same reaction in his mind as in that of the manager.  To him the great advance of the new scheme fully warrants the temporary expense.

Improvements May Be Disasterous.

Improvements should be sparingly made.  Any improvement that requires a change in construction or operation may be disasterous financially.

This may all seem extremely pessimistic.  But it is only seemingly so.  Experience shows it to be the true view.

If it is true, then the machine designer should know it.  A mere knowledge of mechanism is insufficient for him.  A large business experience cannot be purchased, and his success should not be contingent on the business ability of another.  He should know how a machine should be designed, and should not depend too heavily on the views of the business men who have not a clear knowledge of the technical problem.