The Vulcan steam hammer (the use of air came later) began when the company began to manufacture hammers under the patent of Thomas T. Loomis (U.S. Patent 160,781) in 1875. This hammer used many of the main features of the Naysmith hammer (which had been developed in the UK) but used an improved valve gear. Below: Loomis hammer, from its patent drawings.

The success of this hammer led to an improved hammer under the patents of Thomas M. Skinner, who reduced the number of parts and used a steam actuated valve. (The Skinner Hammer is shown at the right.)

The Skinner Hammer's steam actuated valve was a source of difficulties, a problem that did not end with the Skinner Hammer (Menck hammers also had difficulties with steam or air actuated valves, especially when used with rubber-lined hose where the hose pieces would jam the valve.) To address this and other problems, the first "Warrington-Vulcan" single-acting steam hammer, a #2 with a ram weight of 3,000 lbs., was designed and built in 1887. James N. Warrington was granted a patent on this hammer in 1888 (U.S. Patent 378,745).

The success of this hammer prompted the immediate development of the #1 hammer, with a 5,000 lb. ram. This was the progenitor of the "#1 Series," which eventually included the 06, 306 and 506, and was further developed by Raymond with their 1 and 1-S hammers. The #0 hammer, with a ram weight of 7,500 lbs, was introduced in 1912. This was the first of the "#0" series, which included the OR, 08, 010, 012, 508, 510 and 512, and was the inspiration for the Raymond "0" series (0, 2/0, 3/0, 4/0, 5/0, and 8/0.)

Vulcan developed a wide variety of accessories for these hammers. One of the most enduring was the McDermid Base, which enabled the #2 and #1 hammers to drive wood piling without the need for a cushion block. Although the Vulcan hammers were first developed in an age when wood piling was predominant, it was quickly adapted for use with the "new" concrete piles, H-piles and steel sheet piles as well. Vulcan also had many other related products in the early years of its pile hammer manufacture, including pipe followers (for driving piles below the ground surface,) pile points, pile bands, and a pile saw arbor for cutting wood piles off underwater. The company was also active with drop hammers and drop hammer rigs as well.

Below we show some earlier photos of Vulcan pile hammers and related products. Other Vulcan onshore products with pages of their own are as follows:

• California Series Hammers
• DGH Series Hammers
• Vulcan Pile Extractors

We also have photos of a Vulcan #2 which was featured on The History Channel.

At the seat of power: a Vulcan #0 driving 12" pipe piles for an addition to the House of Representatives in Washington, DC. The Capitol dome itself can be seen in the background. The contractor was McCloskey Enterprises of Philadelphia. (Photo by Adams Studio, Washington)

A skid rig with a Vulcan hammer driving steel Monotube piles for a blast furnace. Skid rigs were the most common way of handing pile driving equipment until the wide acceptance of modern crawler cranes for this purpose. Monotube piles are still in common use.

A #1 Warrington-Vulcan hammer driving long timber piles for a high approach for the D.M. & N.R.R. at Hibbing, MN. A locomotive rig is being used to handle the hammer.

Two rigs at once speed up work for Spencer, White and Prentis, one of the pioneering firms in deep foundations installation. In 1936 Lazarus White reported that "I read some papers last night where some of these pile driving formulas were derived, and the result was that my sleep was very much disturbed." This didn't stop Vulcan from putting Engineering News charts in their literature for many years; an interactive version even appears on Vulcan Foundation Equipment's website.

A Vulcan Mariner hammer driving piles underwater. The Mariner series of hammers was related to the first differential acting hammers Vulcan put out, which were closed type (U.S. Patent 2,000,908.) Although the downward assist, simple valving (the same as the Warrington-Vulcan hammers) and the faster blow rate were popular with contractors, the invisible ram and the expense of manufacture forced Vulcan to produce open type differential hammers (the "C" series) after World War II. (An example of an open "C" hammer is shown at the right.) A closed hammer is still generally necessary for underwater use, as evidenced by those of IHC and Menck, but Vulcan actually commissioned a design for an open underwater hammer, the Sea Water Hammer, in 1994.

A Vulcan differential acting hammer driving sheet piling using the staggered procedure, i.e., driving alternating sheeting and then coming back and driving those skipped. Note the use of stub leaders. Merritt-Chapman-Scott was the contractor.