I was looking around at steam hammer related patents and came across this combination steam hammer forging press. The person who patent this hammer appears to have worked for Niles-Bement-Pond. I wonder if any of these hammers ever went into production?

http://www.google.com/patents?id=fNhUAAAAEBAJ&pg=PA1&dq=959094&source=gbs_selected_pages&cad=1#v=onepage&q&f=false

brad

If there are they're probly as rare as the Erie self contained hammer.....As in hen's teeth.........
I can think of one reason It wasn't produced en mass........steam/air isn't all that great for a press.

NG,

An interesting more contemporay adaptation on this same theme was produced by Ralph Sproul in New Hampsire, .http://www.bearhillblacksmith.com/ Ralph was an officer and strong supporter of the NEBA for many years and I believe he still operates a shop and metal fabrication business in NH. I am sure he would entertain any questions you might have concerning design issues.

He designed and built a single pedistal air hammer and hydraulic press. He traveled and demonstrate at various NEBA functions. The unit seemed both compact, functional and somewhat portable. Although, Ralph does have a converted pulp truck with a boom that makes for easy rigging. The hammer/press combination is certainly versitle.

Peter

If there are they're probly as rare as the Erie self contained hammer.....As in hen's teeth.........
I can think of one reason It wasn't produced en mass........steam/air isn't all that great for a press.

There are two separate circuits one for steam and one for high pressure water ... at least that is how I read the text of the patent.

brad

There are two separate circuits one for steam and one for high pressure water ... at least that is how I read the text of the patent.

brad

Oh yeah.........The text.......If I'd bought one way back when I probly would have skipped the directions too..... .....Too bad they don't get into tons, psi or even the size of the thing. It's efficiency as a press or lack of would speak volumes as to why or why not it wasn't widely adopted.............The T slots on the anvil are a cool feature, dovetails...............

I've seen several of those in different books. Seen to have been made in the range of 50 - 200 ton. Came into their own for navy ship-board use. They ran on steam and used an steam over water hydraulic system for the pressing strokes and rapid advance. Straight steam was used for planishing.

I like the t-slots as well, I wonder how well they would hold up after prolonged periods of heavy hammering. Dovetails seem to be the tried and true method for holding dies.

brad

They weren't used for heavy hammering. The heavy work was done by pressing and the hammer mode was just for planishing.

I like the t-slots as well, I wonder how well they would hold up after prolonged periods of heavy hammering. Dovetails seem to be the tried and true method for holding dies.

brad

I had to retro fit this Beaudry cause the sow block was toast, The T's held up with no problems. Probly not a great idea for an upper die..............

I'm wondering how well this work when translated into hydraulics with oil in it ? How would you get around the viscous oil slowing down the air ram ? Could you get away with huge ports and check valves ? Its a neat idea for sure.

I'm wondering how well this work when translated into hydraulics with oil in it ? How would you get around the viscous oil slowing down the air ram ? Could you get away with huge ports and check valves ? Its a neat idea for sure.

Good question indeed. Yes, I think porting would help, also a larger steam/air cylinder would probably be enough to overcome the extra resistance too.

I really like this idea, I'm wondering if it would be worth the extra effort though. Opposed to just building a separate hammer and press. You would save in materials me thinks, but there would be a fair bit of work into it. With the larger air cylinder comes the need for more air comes a bigger compressor. Maybe you could just have a smaller press ? Just use a really light oil ?

A picture is worth a thousand words, here's my idea. The air cylinder ram goes all the way through the cylinder. The two rams don't touch until you want to bring the hydraulic ram down and then the air cylinder ram just acts as an extension of the hydraulic ram.

Interesting idea, keep thinking! Recognize that one of the advantages of the the above systems is the rapid advance/retract the steam/air gives when pressing.

If in 1910 you could have maybe sold it to Davy and they could have developed it as a C frame type self contained forging press, maybe even use the C frame its self (being hollow) as the water resiviour maybe put like 5psi of air onto it so as it will help pre feed the water into the press when it is moving down under infuence of the steam cylinder before it comences its pressing stroke. Or maybe not.