RG Ross & Sons Steam Hammer

sketchfab

This single-column steam hammer was constructed in 1907 for the inauguration of the Clyde Port Authority's (Clyde Navigation Trust) repair workshops in Renfrew. Upon the works' closure, the hammer was relocated to the Scottish Maritime Museum along with other machinery. It serves as a representative example of a steam hammer created according to Rigby's patent by RG Ross & Sons, a renowned manufacturer of such machines at their Greenhead Engine Works in Glasgow. The hammer was utilized to forge replacement components for the Clyde Navigation Trust's fleet of dredgers and hopper barges. A steam hammer consists of a cast-iron base plate and the hammer body that houses a steam piston and hammer head. It was operated by pulling on the long metal lever situated on the right-hand side, releasing steam into the piston which caused the hammer head to descend with immense force. A skilled operator could adjust the pressure applied by the hammer head - some chose to demonstrate their expertise by placing a watch under the hammer and halting the hammer head just above the glass face.