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Thread Number: 21502
Royal by P.A. Geier Co. Clevland, OH |
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| Post# 240715 , Reply# 1 7/17/2013 at 22:03 (3,935 days old) by caligula (Wallingford, Connecticut) | ||
Hi copeiam welcome.
I'm the man who founded the Vacuum Cleaner Collector's Club (V.C.C.C) Perhaps I can help you. My interest is the non electric and early electric vacuum cleaners.
Royal started out as a non electric upright pumper and dates back to 1905. The P. A. Geier company was founded around 1895, and was in business to the 1950's. Many upright vacuum cleaners, as well as parts like wands, motor housings, handles and so on were made by the Geier company. They were also the parent company of Royal. In addition, they made Health-Mor, and a myriad of others. Most of the brush rolls for everybody from Kirby to Royal were made by the Cleveland Wood cpmpany, and the cords were made by the Belden wire and cable company of Chicago. (In later years this company would move to the Chicago suburbs.) The Royal shown here looks very old, and I would guess around the 1920's. Please post pictures of the motor unit so I can help determin the age. I'm checking my records on the early Royal's to see what year this one is. Thanks for sharing. Alex Taber. | ||
| Post# 241164 , Reply# 2 7/21/2013 at 01:25 (3,932 days old) by hygiene903 (Galion, OH) | ||
Hi Copeiam,
I believe your model 65 Royal is one of their first revolving brush models, probably made in the mid to late 1930's. Prior to that, all Royals were straight suction machines, and eventually evolved into 3 models, the Standard, the Super, and the Purifier. In 1934, the Purifier became a brand in itself, the Electro-Hygiene, and remained a wholly owned subsidiary of P.A. Geier Co. until 8/19/1941, when it was incorporated as a company in its own right, with Arthur Frankenfeld, F.J. Gottron, and James Farrell as the incorporators.
And Alex, may I make a few corrections? The P.A. Geier Co. was founded in 1905 by Philip A. Geier, originally as a job order machine shop. When he started in manufacturing, the original products were parts for punch presses. He didn't start building vacuum cleaners until 1910 or 1912, and built his first one himself, by hand. The Royal hand pumper was actually built by a different company, but when P.A. Geier started building vacuum cleaners he bought the rights to the Royal name. Here's a pic of a 1926 Royal and the first model of Electro-Hygiene, the model 80. Jeff 
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| Post# 241872 , Reply# 3 7/24/2013 at 10:29 (3,929 days old) by dysonman1 (the county) | ||
The Royal model 1
This is the first model Royal electric vacuum ever made. This one is from 1910. The nozzle is not removable, the cord slips through the handle, and the switch is part of the cord. This allowed the cord to come out through the handle, and the handle (removed from the cleaner) became the cleaning wands for the attachments. Very advanced, considering the crude machines being made at that time by most of Royal's competitors.
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| Post# 241896 , Reply# 4 7/24/2013 at 14:05 (3,929 days old) by caligula (Wallingford, Connecticut) | ||
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Thakn you Tom.
In a very early newsletter I published a picture of the non-electric Royal when it was in upright pumper style (circa 1905). I know very little about Royal, only that it's parent company was P.A.Geier. I have a smattering of information, but am really interested in learning more about Royal, Eureka, Health-Mor (before Filter Queen) and others.
Thanks again. Alex Taber. | ||
| Post# 264045 , Reply# 5 1/19/2014 at 08:13 (3,750 days old) by ornery (Northeast Ohio) | ||
Cleveland Ohio And Its Vacuum History
Just thought I'd add an article I stumbled across. Posted from the heart of the vacuum world! :)
Cleveland Ohio And Its Vacuum History by: Claude Whitacre In 1905 the Royal Appliance Manufacturing Company opened its doors on Cochran Road in Solon Ohio, selling the Royal sweeper. This upright sweeper was and is all metal and remains offered by retail sweeper sellers. Initially, these vacuum cleaners ended up being sold door to door. Your Filter Queen canister sweeper is manufactured by HMI Industries on Perkins Avenue in Cleveland Ohio. The Filter Queen vacuum offers a metal casing and makes use of a system of filters instead of a bag. These canister vacuum cleaners are offered by an army of door to door sales people. And editions of the Filter Queen have been available from local retail store merchants. The Kirby upright sweeper was initially made in 1914 The first Kirby vacuum sweepers were designed by James Kirby for George Scott and Carl Fetzer after World War One the Kirby brand wasn't used on a sweeper until the 1930s. James Kirby developed the "vacuette" around 1920. Around 1970, participation from Kirby distributors, merchants, administration and purchaser participation guided Kirby engineers in developing the Kirby Classic. Their model was an immediate sensation, with elevated sales, forcing the company to increase its manufacturing facilities beyond Cleveland for the first time. In 1972, Kirby started manufacturing in Andrews Texas. Their facility doubled the company's manufacturing power. First the Kirby sweeper looked quite comparable to the metal Royal upright sweeper. Finally, the Kirby added numerous tools, made the Kirby self-propelled, and then the difference between the metal Royal upright and the Kirby vacuum is now pronounced. The Kirby, Royal, and Filter Queen have all of them metal parts, and the vacuums keep going for many years. Within Ohio you've the Kirby vacuum cleaner, the Royal line of metal vacuum cleaners, the HMI Filter Queen, and in Canton Ohio, you have the Hoover Company. In fact, the Hoover Vacuum Cleaner Museum is in Canton Ohio. The Kirby and Filter Queen machines are offered door to door. The Hoover and Royal vacuums are available by independent retailers. Every time buy from a merchant who can honor the manufacturer warranty. Shopping for a sweeper from an unauthorized supplier voids the warranty, despite what the supplier claims. Vintage PA Geier Co Super Royal Upright Vacuum Cleaner No 1033063 HTF CLICK HERE TO GO TO ornery's LINK 
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| Post# 264076 , Reply# 6 1/19/2014 at 10:55 (3,750 days old) by caligula (Wallingford, Connecticut) | ||
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Hi ornery. What that article does not say is that the first Royals made in 1905 were non electric one person operated pumpers like the Lawton and Grand shown here with the rug beater above them. The first electric vacuum cleaner was in 1899, and it was called the Pneumatic Renovator, invented by John S. Thurman, of St. Louis, Mo.. James first vacuum cleaner, the Domestic Cyclone was also non electric, and introduced in 1906, however, in 1907 he added an electric motor. Interestingly, it was also in 1907 that Murray J. Spangler, invented the Electric Suction Sweeper, which became the Hoover model O in 1908.
Alex Taber. 
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| Post# 264090 , Reply# 7 1/19/2014 at 13:56 (3,750 days old) by caligula (Wallingford, Connecticut) | ||
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Hi ornery. The Filter Queen started out as an upright called the Health-Mor, which looked a lot like the Royal you posted in reply #5 and was made by the P. A. Geier company in the early 1920's (perhaps even before that) but around 1935, became the canister called the Filter Queen. I believe that was model 200. I also know that Filter Queen had it's corporate offices on Wabash Avenue in Chicago, but don't know where the actual machines were made.
As for James B. Kirby, he tried dozens of ideas, and helped many people get their start in electrical companies. People like Bill Orr of the Fort Wayne Electrical company in 1910, Clarence, Ed, and Walter Frantz, who went on to manufacture the Frantz Premier, three men named Black, Decker, and Lamb who went on to form Black & Decker power tools, and we all know about Lamb motors. But Jim Kirby was not only into vacuum cleaners, he perfected radio parts, washing machines and dishwashers to name only a few. Scott/Fetzer were the men to manufacture his vacuum cleaners, and Apex made his washing machines, though he experimented with as few vacuum cleaner designs there too.
The history of Hoover is far too complicated to mention here, it's enough to say that it was originally a leather company making horse saddles and so on. Janitor, Murray James Spangler turned a carpet sweeper into a crude vacuum cleaner with a window fan, and pillow case. A year later, he'd created a hundred working models, and sold one to the wife of Boss Hoover. With the automobile industry advancing rapidly, the need for saddles was becoming passé, so boss Hoover bought out Spangler and the rest as they say is history.
This is but a tidbit of the history the V.C.C.C. has spoken about in numerous newsletter. | ||
| Post# 264192 , Reply# 8 1/19/2014 at 21:47 (3,749 days old) by hygiene903 (Galion, OH) | ||
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Health-Mor
Here's a pic of the Health-Mor upright. It was built by P.A. Geier and is almost identical to the early straight suction Royals except for the nozzle, foot switch, and bag. P.A. Geier continued to build vacs for Health-Mor up to and including the model 350 Filter Queen. After Health-mor won their lawsuit against Lewyt, they used the proceeds to set up their own manufacturing plant.
Jeff 
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| Post# 264193 , Reply# 9 1/19/2014 at 21:59 (3,749 days old) by hygiene903 (Galion, OH) | ||
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| Post# 264291 , Reply# 10 1/20/2014 at 18:56 (3,749 days old) by ornery (Northeast Ohio) | ||
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Awesome Thread
Thanks so much Alex & Tom. Your passion is just a passing interest to me, but I still find it fascinating. This single topic covers most of what I wondered about the early Royals relative to Kirby. The Filter Queen and Hoover history is icing on the cake.
I can see where there would be a thrill to owning a piece of that history. If I came to own any of them, I doubt I'd give them up. That would make me a collector, wouldn't it? I guess for now, I'm just a user, and admirer. Thanks Again, John | ||
Post# 324623 , Reply# 12 5/11/2015 at 10:02 (3,273 days old) by clothbag  (West Springfield, Ma.) |
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Royal 189 bag Hi Glenn, I own two Royal model 189's and both of them have the black and red bag, though one is quite faded. When I bought the first one, it was because I liked the colors as it looked so cool when the vacuum is running. The second one was from someone in Oregon that wanted to give it to a good home, so I bought it from him. Edward | ||
| Post# 324670 , Reply# 13 5/11/2015 at 23:33 (3,272 days old) by hygiene903 (Galion, OH) | ||
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Hi Glenn,
That is a nice 189 you have there. It was built between 1945 and 1952. As for the bag, either it's a replacement bag, or this was a private labeled machine (made by P.A. Geier for someone other than Royal). I'm thinking towards the private label idea, due to the S in the serial number. A Royal from that era would have a serial number like 189-2335. And if it is a private label machine, that may well be the original bag. And by the way, the bag is on backward. Printing always faces the front. Here's a pic of my 189 Royal.
Jeff 
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| Post# 324671 , Reply# 14 5/11/2015 at 23:37 (3,272 days old) by hygiene903 (Galion, OH) | ||
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