Trip hammer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For the Dan McCall novel, see Triphammer (novel).
A trip hammer (alt. helve hammer) is a massive power hammer, usually raised by a cam and then released to fall under the force of gravity. Historically, trip hammers were often powered by a water wheel, known to be used in China as long ago as the Han Dynasty (202 BC–220 AD). During the Industrial Revolution multiple hammers were powered via a set of line shafts, pulleys and belts from a centrally located power supply.
Trip hammers were of three kinds. All require artificial power to lift them:
- The tail helve hammer or 'tilt hammer' has a pivot at the centre of the helve on which it is mounted, and is lifted by pushing the opposite end to the head downwards. In practice the head on such hammers seems to have been limited to one hundredweight (about 50 kg), but a very rapid stroke rate was possible. This made it suitable for drawing iron down to small sizes suitable for the cutlery trades. There were therefore many such forges known as 'tilts' around Sheffield. They were also used in brass battery works for making brass (or copper) pots and pans. In battery works (at least) it was possible for one power source to operate several hammers.
- The belly helve hammer was the kind normally found in a finery forge, used for making pig iron into forgeable bar iron. This was lifted by cams striking the helve between the pivot and the head. The head usually weighted quarter of a ton. This was probably the case because the strain on a wooden helve would have been too great if the head were heavier.
- The nose helve hammer seems to have been unusual until the late 18th or early 19th century. This was lifted beyond the head.
 Metalworking:
|
|
|---|---|
|
Smiths | Blacksmith | Coppersmith | Goldsmith | Gunsmith | Locksmith | Pewtersmith | Silversmith | Bladesmith | Tinsmith | Whitesmith |
|
|
Metalworking tools: |
Anvil | Forge | Forging | Fuller | Hardy hole | Hardy tools | Pritchel | Slack tub | Steam hammer | Swage block | Trip hammer |
|
|
|
|
Casting | CNC | Cutting tools | Drilling and threading | Fabrication | Finishing | Grinding | Jewellery | Lathe (tool) | Machining | Machine tooling | Measuring | Metalworking | Hand tools | Metallurgy | Milling | Occupations | Press tools | Smithing | Terminology | Welding |
|
