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A trip hammer is a machine that uses gravity to exert force over a small area. It was used in ancient China and Europe for various purposes, including mining and paper-making. It can be manually or automatically triggered and was historically powered by water wheels, animals, windmills, and steam. Electric hammers evolved from trip hammers and are still in use today.
A trip hammer is a type of machine used to exert a large amount of force over a small area. Use a heavy weight lifted with a lever. When the device is “triggered,” the weight falls cleanly to a predetermined point. A travel hammer can strike with more power and accuracy than a portable hammer because it is mechanically driven and powered by gravity. This machine was in widespread use in the ancient world, including China and Europe.
Up and down are the only two motions a travel hammer makes. It can be raised in several ways. Some are mostly manual, raised by pushing down on the opposite side of a fulcrum. Most commonly, hammers are raised by the action of gears, powered by an external machine. Historically, water wheels were the primary power source for hammers. Sometimes animals were also used, and during medieval times windmills were harnessed for the same purpose. At the time of the Industrial Revolution steam was used.
Gravity always pulls a trip hammer down. The trigger for this movement can be manual or automatic. A simple device might have a manual unlock, allowing for one-time or occasionally repeated uses. More sophisticated machines, used for large-scale purposes such as pulverizing grain, are more automated.
Trip hammers served many functions. They were some of the most powerful machines available to Ancient China, Ancient Rome, and Europe in the Middle Ages. The earliest uses, in China, were generally related to the production of edible grain and may have occurred as early as 1000 BC The trip hammer was not described in writing, however, until 40 BC The Romans used these machines for the same purpose, but they also applied them to mining. Trip hammers could crush large chunks of ore into smaller pieces, making it easier to mine gold and silver. They were also used for other processes, such as treating wool and making paper.
Electric hammers, still in use today, evolved directly from traveling hammers. They were invented soon after steam was first used in the hammer lifting process. The next logical step was to use steam to add extra force to the downstroke of the hammer. Electric hammers now use additional power, compressed air, and other mechanisms to optimize energy use and maximize force. Trip hammers are not currently in widespread use, although they are still sometimes constructed.
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