Energy conservation is an important consideration today in a world where the competition for energy sources is intensified by rising demand. But making best use of fuel isn't new, and both the Vulcanaire Supertherm and the Airmizer hammers were Vulcan's contribution to energy savings. Both of these products were the original idea of Moses Hornstein, … Continue reading Vulcanaire Supertherm, and the Airmizer Hammers
Note: the field service manual for the 106 can be found in the vulcanhammer.info Guide Volume 1. Creating excitement in a "need-driven" type of equipment like pile driving equipment isn't easy, especially one with as long of a history as Vulcan's. Vulcan tried to do just that with the 106 hammer, a hammer which both technically … Continue reading Vulcan 106: the “Switch-Hitter”
Very few companies can claim even a century-long existence. Not counting the Cari years, Vulcan Iron Works endured for 144 years from its founding by Henry Warrington until 1996. The portion of vulcanhammer.info focuses on the first hundred years "and then some:" the years the company was located in Chicago, 1852-1960. During this time, the … Continue reading Vulcan Iron Works: The First Century
The rest of the 1950's was an era of prosperity and transition for Vulcan. In 1955 Henry Warrington became President; Chester retired to Palm Beach two years later and died in 1961. Building the Interstate highway system was a boon to Vulcan, but it, along with the growing size range of the product line, … Continue reading After the Centennial Celebration
Note: a field service manual for these hammers is available in the vulcanhammer.info Guide, link above. Although the California series hammers were successful and a definite expansion of Vulcan's product line, they suffered from two major weaknesses: They had a sliding valve that was very difficult to manufacture. They were only suited for driving piles, … Continue reading DGH Series Hammers
Most Vulcan air/steam hammers are single acting, i.e., they rely exclusively on gravity during the ram drop to produce the kinetic energy--and thus the velocity--to drive the pile. Before World War I Vulcan had developed the #5 and the California series of hammers that gave the ram "downward assist" during descent, but the Super-Vulcan Differential-Acting … Continue reading “Super-Vulcan” Differential Acting Hammers, Closed and Open
The Vulcan Pile Extractor was the last major design by James N. Warrington (U.S. Patent 1,736,104) to enter production, which it did in 1928. The extractor uses a simple, valveless design where the ram is thrown upward by the incoming steam or air. It strikes an anvil located in the top of the machine. The … Continue reading Vulcan Pile Extractors, and the Wood Pile Puller
From the late 1880's until the end of the "Roaring Twenties," Vulcan prospered with its Warrington-Vulcan steam hammers, supplemented by the California hammers. However, as steam was making its exit as the prime mover of construction equipment, it became evident that the Vulcan product line needed some upgrading. This is a survey of some of … Continue reading A Product Line in Transition
Although not the "flagship" of the Vulcan line, the "California" series pile hammers are an interesting part of the company's story, both in themselves and how they came about. The California series hammers were developed by James N. Warrington. His ill health forced him to leave Chicago and live in Los Angeles, California. It was … Continue reading California Series Pile Hammers
Although Vulcan is best known for its air/steam hammers, out of necessity as much as anything Vulcan produced a line of drop hammers for most of its history. Until the advent of "automatic" hammers such as the Warrington-Vulcan hammers, drop hammers were the only way driven piles were installed. Drop hammers were (and still are) … Continue reading Vulcan Drop Hammers
vulcanhammer.info 