A power hammer, also called an open-die power forging hammer, is a mechanical forging hammer that uses an electric power source or steam to raise its hammer before letting it fall and accelerating it onto the workpiece. Power hammers have served blacksmiths, bladesmiths, metalworkers and manufacturers since the late 1880s, when they replaced the trip hammer, already live on this atlas as an earlier stage of the same forging-hammer lineage, as the preferred forging equipment.
Facts
Disputed
Introduced When (Circa)The earliest power hammers were steam-driven forging hammers, credited to the Scottish engineer James Nasmyth and the French engineer François Bourdon, who probably reinvented the device independently around 1839; the two later disputed priority. 2 Sources differ on priority between two near-simultaneous inventors, not on the approximate date: the Scottish engineer James Nasmyth and the French engineer François Bourdon are both credited with reinventing the steam hammer, the earliest form of power hammer, around 1839, and an 1843 dispute between them over who invented it was never conclusively settled. OriginPower hammers of this kind have been used by blacksmiths, bladesmiths, metalworkers and manufacturers since the late 1880s, having replaced the earlier trip hammer. 1 Sources
1. Power Hammer (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundationlead paragraph, adoption sentenceQuote, lead paragraph, adoption sentence
They have been used by blacksmiths, bladesmiths, metalworkers, and manufacturers since the late 1880s, having replaced trip hammers.
2. Steam Hammer (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationHistory section, 1843 priority dispute sentenceQuote, History section, 1843 priority dispute sentence
In 1843 there was an acrimonious dispute between François Bourdon of France and James Nasmyth of Britain over who had invented the machine.
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