Coil springs never were a prominent part of most Vulcan hammers, but they did appear in spots and they are an important part of machine design. In this post we'll go over the basics of these, based on Belyaev and Juvinall and Marshek (1985). The basics of spring design and nomenclature. The springs shown in … Continue reading Analysis of Springs with Circular Cross Section
In a recent post I discussed curved beam analysis with a rectangular cross section, and as a follow-up a comparison of that type of analysis with finite element results. Many curved beams, such as the lifting hook shown above, do not have rectangular cross-sections. This is an interesting topic, not only because of the engineering … Continue reading Curved Beam Analysis on a Hand-Forged, Non-Rectangular Cross Section
One interesting device people use to estimate the output energy of a diesel hammer is the Saximeter. Originally developed by Pileco, it's a quick way to estimate the output energy based on the blow rate of the hammer. The operating cycle of a diesel hammer, in this case a Nilens hammer. The Saximeter takes advantage … Continue reading How the Saximeter Works, and Why You Can’t Use It on a Vulcan (or any other External Combustion) Hammer
Our government moves to mandate them: The new proposed rule, announced by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) yesterday, would require that gas-burning residential furnaces achieve 95 percent energy efficiency by 2029. The stated goal is to lower consumers' energy bills in the long run and limit harmful emissions...The DOE press release says that homeowners … Continue reading Condensing Gas Furnaces: the Vulcanaire Supertherm of HVAC
As sort of a "postscript" to the earlier post Stresses for Curved Beams with Rectangular Cross Sections, let's compare these results with those from finite element analysis. For the example we'll use the example from Belyaev shown below. For this example we'll stick with Those Pesky Kilogram-Force Units that he uses. We'll use an old version of … Continue reading Comparing Curved Beam Analytic Analysis with Finite Element Results
As was the case with the previous post Tapered Keys and Their Use In Vulcan Hammers, the topic of interference fits between machined parts doesn't get that much coverage these days. In spite of that it's an important part of machine design in general and Vulcan in particular, especially with the ram points. Before we get … Continue reading Interference Fits and Vulcan Ram Points
Vulcan's hammers have been successful because they are simple and reliable, using very basic technology to do the job. One of those elements has been the use of tapered keys. Although keys have their problems--and both Vulcan and others have laboured to replace them--it's an interesting fastening method that doesn't get much coverage these days. … Continue reading Tapered Keys and Their Use In Vulcan Hammers
Any piece of construction equipment has to be picked up to be used, and picked up on a repeated basis. To do this requires lifting eyes, which in turn mate to either shackles or cable fittings. A good example of this from Vulcan's product line can be seen above. You can see the two cables … Continue reading Lifting Eye Design and Contact Stresses
We've featured ads that Vulcan put in Engineering News-Record, but this one was a flyer that Vulcan put out about a successful application of a Vulcan #2 in Memphis, Tennessee. The hammer was run using a Littleford Tank Heater to generate the steam. Vulcan flyer for a #2 driving piles in Memphis, Tennessee, in the … Continue reading Vulcan Pile Hammers: Adaptability, Portability, Flexibility, Sensibility and the Ability to Get the Job Done on Time
In many ways, the world we live in is a different place from when Vulcan went offshore fifty to sixty years ago. Some of the issues remain, such as energy independence and security. But others, in the U.S. at least, have been banished from the public square. One of those issues is smoking. I duly … Continue reading The Smelliest Cigars of Them All
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