Wm. Knaust
The company Wm. Knaust was an Austrian company that was engaged in the development and production of extinguishing devices and was a leader in the area of the Austrian crown lands at the time. The company existed from 1822 to 1938.
history
The company founder was the mechanic Heinrich Ludwig Fricke (* 1793), who immigrated to Vienna from Braunschweig . On May 22nd, 1822, he opened the kk priv. Fire engines and hydraulic machine factory in Leopoldstadt near Vienna. He was able to record his first successes with the use of rustproof metals in fire extinguishing fittings, which were previously unknown. As his successor in the company, Fricke brought his nephew Wilhelm Knaust, his sister's son, to Vienna because his son died prematurely. He completed an extensive internship at Fricke.
After Fricke's death, the company was continued by his widow and Knaust, but soon moved to another address, also in Leopoldstadt.
Through numerous pioneering inventions in the field of fire extinguishing, he was able to establish what is now the company WM. Make Knaust one of the leaders in the monarchy. In 1852, for example, he came onto the market with the new type of valve taps for hand power syringes , which he patented.
The coming time fell at a time when the first voluntary fire brigades were founded in Austria and developed in large numbers. The name Knaust can be found in numerous chronicles of today's fire departments. This resulted in a good order book. In 1852 he was still producing 175 fire extinguishers ; by 1870 there were already 1,000. However, fire extinguishers were also exported. At that time the Carl Metz company was on the market in Germany as a major competitor . In 1867 Knaust developed the first steam fire sprayer "Danube" with two vertical cylinders. With the help of close contacts with the professional fire brigade in Vienna , a steam fire sprayer with two horizontal cylinders like those built in the USA could be produced in 1874. The first customers were of course the fire brigades, but the customer base soon extended to the Kuk military. Standard pumps were also used on irrigation systems by estate administrations or on the railroad. Emperor Franz Joseph awarded him the Knight's Cross of the Franz Joseph Order for his achievements .
Another development was the combination of a steam fire pump and a locomobile . Such a steam syringe could be put into service at the BF Vienna in 1878. From 1883 only three-cylinder types were produced.
Another milestone for the Austrian fire brigade was the development of the "Knaust hose coupling with equal halves" .
In 1899 Wilhelm Knaust handed over management of the company to his eldest son Gustav Knaust because of his serious illness. The senior died in 1901.
In 1903 a carbon dioxide pressure syringe was built on an electric vehicle for the Vienna fire brigade , making it the first automotive device. Within a short time 40 pieces of this type were built for the professional fire brigade.
In 1906, the K 52 knuckle coupling was selected as the standard coupling in Austria-Hungary, on condition that the patent was canceled. Before the First World War , Gustav Knaust withdrew from the company and it was only continued by the younger brother Wilhelm. During the war, the company experienced an increase in production due to the increased demand.
After the war, the company merged with the wholesaler Boschan. In the course of the global economic crisis in 1929, however, Wm. Knaus had to register compensation. The subsequent bankruptcy was filed in 1929.
Another attempt to save the company was the re-establishment under the auspices of Austro-Fiat , but this also failed, so that the company was finally closed in 1938. Plans and constructions, as well as personnel, were partly taken over by the Rosenbauer company.
swell
- Report on the activities of the Viennese professional fire brigade 1920–1929
- 100 years of the Knaust company, 1922
Web links
- Company Knaust / Vienna 1822-1938
- Steam syringe Knaust model Danube