The three-tone steam whistles were characterized by a strong and pleasant tone. They are harmonically adjusted and differ clearly from the standard steam pipes. The three-tone steam whistles are particularly useful as fire alarm signals, as well as for all signal applications where a striking and widely reverberating signal was needed.

The three-tone steam whistle installed here sounded for nearly 90 years on the Kremper Lederwerke, not only at the beginning of work, but also in case of fire in Krempe and in war as an alarm signal. Condensation must have broken the cup several times. It was carefully welded and served until the company was closed in the 70s.

In the port it was generally said with the small ships: "Stop the boat, the captain wants to ring the whistle". An indication that the pipes were often oversized. A deep tone should signal, here comes a big ship, although it was nevertheless only a small boat or a small tugboat.

History of the "Hafenkonzert life":

These steam organ whistles were characterized by a deep, broad and full tone. They were particularly suitable for ships, factories and all purposes in which a full, audible sound was required.

The manufacturer A.HEUGKE (Dampf-Pflug-Lokomotiv-Fabrik) also used steam pipes by Leser for its plough locomotives.

More information about steam whistles and plough locomotives:

More modern than the steam pipes were the steam sirens. These were characterized by a particularly strong and loud sound at a long distance compared to bell and tube steam pipes due to their design. The tone can be tuned high or low, depending on how you open the steam valve (by pulling the lever) less or more, shorter or longer time. Because of that device the most different signals could be given with one instrument.

These signal equipment had to be lubricated additionally, which is why a Stauffer bush was also fitted. Steam sirens were also more susceptible than steam pipes.

Wilhelm Leser jun. was able to gain his first design experience with the model shown here.

The restarting injector made of gunmetal exhibited here was installed on the steam boiler of the Deback company in the Wendenstraße. The restarting injectorwas named after its ability to self-adjust in the case of a temporary lack of feed water during operation. This feature made it particularly useful where the installation of an standard injector was impermissible due to a sudden shortage of water or strong vibrations of the supply water.

The internal parts of an injector are quite complicated. The adjustment of the dimensions of the individual components and their distances from each other required a great deal of sensitivity until it was possible to design the production so precisely that there was no need to test and readjust the injectors. The testing and readjustment was done on the steam boiler.

Further background knowledge on the development and installation of injectors by Leser:

Steam engines require constant lubrication due to the large number of moving parts. This was done by oil with a drip oiler system or, as with the steam grease gun, with an oil graphite mixture.

The flow of the drip oiler was regulated by the tap according to the favoured "good judgement" or in the case of the steam lubrication press depending on the number of revolutions by an articulated linkage.

Further information on the “Unikum” Drip Oiler:

Steam jet pumps were used to fill water tanks of all kinds, as ship bilge pumps, as well as for lifting muddy liquids such as mash, tap water, stillage and lyes. Therefore, a jet pump requires no mechanical drive, i.e. no moving parts.

The suction height was approx. 4-6 m and the pressure height was approx. 10-40 m depending on the steam pressure.

Graphic of the functional principle: