A hammer break is a historic type of contact breaker where a spring-loaded armature (the hammer) is pulled by an electromagnet, breaking the circuit that powers the magnet itself. This causes the hammer to spring back, remaking the circuit and repeating the cycle rapidly. It was widely used in early induction coils, spark transmitters, and electric bells to generate high-voltage pulses or continuous buzzing.
Heard on the job
The old induction coil uses a hammer break to pulse the primary winding, so you'll see some sparking at those contacts.
Also heard as
- trembler
- vibrator