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Thread Number: 19319
What was the strangest thing you found stuck in a vintage vacuum |
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| Post# 213853 1/13/2013 at 08:44 (4,114 days old) by superj (cos cob,ct) | ||
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what was it? lets hear your responses | ||
| Post# 213862 , Reply# 1 1/13/2013 at 09:30 (4,114 days old) by caligula (Wallingford, Connecticut) | ||
Great question!
Well I don't know if this fits the catagory, because it concerns a non electric, two person pumper, but here goes.
Back in 1972 I acquired my first non- electric pumper, from Elderbery antiques in Claremont, New Hampshire. That machine, called a Lakeside, circa 1890, is a great machine. It has strong suction at the suction port. As for the hose, well, that's another story, it's utterly useless! No, not from leaks, but because it was packed with acorns! It seems that the vacuum cleaner had been in some farmers attic, or barn for 50+ years, and the mice, squirels, etc. had made it their home. Aside from a useless hose, (not needed as it would be on display) the machine was complete. Two wands, and two tools, a wide carpet nozzle, and a smaller one, (upholstry tool). Back then only the extremely wealthy could afford these machines, so it must have been used until the electric machines came out, then retired to the barn. Now it makes a great display machine. | ||
| Post# 213867 , Reply# 2 1/13/2013 at 09:50 (4,114 days old) by caligula (Wallingford, Connecticut) | ||
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Hi superj. Where is Cos Cob, Connecticut?
I was born and raised in Wallingford, about 30 miles from the Electrolux factory in Old Greenwich. I know the state of Connecticut, and most of New England very well, but I can't place Cos Cob, where is it?
My hobby is vacuum cleaner collecting, but my strongest interest is the history of the vacuum cleaner. As you know from my last post, I collect the non-electric, and early electric machines. If you want to learn about the really old stuff let me know, because I have a lot of info to share and a lot of stories to tell. Alex Taber co-founder of the VCCC. | ||
| Post# 213880 , Reply# 4 1/13/2013 at 11:26 (4,114 days old) by dysondestijl (east midlands, UK) | ||
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Things I've found: pens, pencils, paper clips, coins, a sock, shoelaces, and a load of other stuff but I can't remember | ||
| Post# 213887 , Reply# 5 1/13/2013 at 11:58 (4,114 days old) by sebo_fan (Scotland, UK, member AKA ukvacfan, & Nar2) | ||
The strangest thing I found in a Hoover Senior that I eventually gave away to another collector was a birds nest! The original outer bag had a hole in at the side near the top of the central bolt of the metal spine and the nest took up one quarter of the bag at the bottom. There was no dust bag inside though, but the nest was intact when I took it out. Senior fired up no problem though once the bag was removed, new outer bag put on and a dust bag inside.
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| Post# 213890 , Reply# 6 1/13/2013 at 12:19 (4,114 days old) by BriankirbyClass (Eudora Kansas) | ||
A friend who sells and installs Central Vacs told me once that a customer called him all irate and upset because of poor suction at all of her inlets. Wasnt just a few, but all.
So he went over to her house to find out what the problem was. Ha, well, turns out the woman's grade school age children had been jamming up the inlets and the inner wall plumbing of the system for several months with little plastic ARMY MEN, and other small toys, And, not just a few, but HUNDREDS! It took many hours of hard labor to clear it all out, as it was a large home, with many inlets. What was funny was that the woman ANGRILY INSISTED that it was my friends's fault and HIS system that was the problem. Once he showed her that the problem was infact what HER bratty kids had done, all she could say was that it must have been some other kids that did it, and that HER little darlings would NEVER EVER do something like that. HAHA He was sure to get the payment for his services right then and there! | ||
| Post# 213891 , Reply# 7 1/13/2013 at 12:20 (4,114 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland) | ||
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| Post# 213904 , Reply# 8 1/13/2013 at 13:33 (4,114 days old) by caligula (Wallingford, Connecticut) | ||
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The Cleveland vacuum cleaner.
I'm not 100% certain, but it looks like an early design by James B. Kirby. Jim was well known as experimenting with a number of styles, especially in the 1920's. Some of his early prototypes were given names like 'The Cleveland,' and so on. I won't know for certain till I get access to my book of Kirby patents. Look on the nameplate, and find the first and last numbers. The first numbers, and year, will tell you how far back the company goes. Then check the latest. If it says 'patent pending' then the machine, or part, be that the cord, bag, housing, wheels and so on has not been issued a patent yet. It's a lot more complicated but that should give you a ballpark time frame.
In April I plan to go to Indiana, where all my electric vacuum cleaners, and club related paperwork is in storage, and bring it here to Pa.. Starting in 1905, ther was a company called P. A. Geier, which was located in Cleveland, Ohio that made a whole host of vacuum cleaner parts. This was also the place where Royal got it's start. (Royal began in 1905 as a non-electric upright pumper, and was outfitted with an electric motor a few years later.) The P. A. Geier company made the parts for Health-Mor, (Parent company of Filter Queen) Bee-Vac, Hotpoint, Torrington, and so on. Jim Kirby also made a number of designs that became Apex. His association with Scott & Fetzer went back to 1918. This was during W.W.1, and he worked as what was called a dollar a year man. His assignment was the Scott & Fetzer company. Years later, he had them manufacture his Vacuette. So, that 'Cleveland' could be an early Kirby design, or a early Royal. If you want to learn the history of the Kirby, let me know. By the way, here is a bit of club trivia. My username is Caligula, that was the name of my pet cat, 1984 - 2004. Caligula is a Roman term which means little boots. He was a cream colored cat with gold on his paws. That cat was also our club mascot. From 1985 -1993, all club meetings were held in my home in Naperville, Illinois. We had our first outside meeting at Hoover in 1994, and I moved to San Diego, California in 1995. Alex. | ||
| Post# 213907 , Reply# 9 1/13/2013 at 13:59 (4,114 days old) by caligula (Wallingford, Connecticut) | ||
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Took a good look
at that Cleveland. Nozzle looks like it's held with a latch thingy that rotates, (like a Royal) this tells me it's a P.A. Geier machine. My 1920's upright Heatth-Mor also has that type of latch, which rules out a Kirby design. Take a picture of the nozzle conection and also the area of the fan so I can see the way it attatches. Is the handle removable? and is there a handle latch thingy like that on a royal? another P. A. Geier design.
Alex. | ||
| Post# 213916 , Reply# 10 1/13/2013 at 15:28 (4,114 days old) by nubz3760 () | ||
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the cleveland does not have a latch that holds the nozzle on. it is held on by 4 flat head screws around the fan case. The earliest patent is March 19, 1907 and the latest is July 11, 1922 | ||
| Post# 213947 , Reply# 11 1/13/2013 at 18:37 (4,114 days old) by caligula (Wallingford, Connecticut) | ||
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4 screws holding the nozzel.
That rules out Health-Mor, time factor indicates Kirby who's first patent dates to 1906, and Royal, which dates to 1905. So that narrows it down to the P. A. Geier Co. placing the year early 1920's.
I'm now bouncing back to James B. Kirby as the inventor, Cleveland as the location and P. A. Geier as the manufacturer. Rough guess, but without access to US patent info, I can't say for sure! Alex. | ||
| Post# 213948 , Reply# 12 1/13/2013 at 18:42 (4,114 days old) by nubz3760 () | ||
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so indeed it is rare? how much do you think its worth should I decide to sell it? I may put a new cord on it from sundial wire | ||
| Post# 213952 , Reply# 13 1/13/2013 at 19:13 (4,114 days old) by caligula (Wallingford, Connecticut) | ||
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Very rare!
Wish I was still collecting, cause I'd buy it in a heartbeat, but all my electric machines are in a storage unit. What I suggest from a collectors point of view is NOT to replace the cord, (that will decreace the value). Instead, clean it and bring it to the convention this summer. You might get a prize for 'most historic.' Maybe even 'best vacuum!'
No doubt you have a great find. Alex. | ||
| Post# 213955 , Reply# 14 1/13/2013 at 19:44 (4,114 days old) by RainbowD4C (Saint Joseph, Michigan ) | ||
With note to the Central Vacuum Story. 
My brother and sister in law had on and she loved it and used it all the time. My brother at that time had two boa's and from time to time he would let them out for a little bit. The one day Lisa and I were cleaning and the inlets on the main floor were built into the floor and not in the wall, and the one in the dinning room didn't always close properly. That day I went to plug the hose in the living room inlet and when I opened the inlet I saw a snake head looking back at me and it was still alive and pissed. It had managed to go in through the dinningroom inlet and stretched and got stuck. They had to go to the basement and take the trunk line apart to try to get the snake out. Needless to say they had all the inlets fixed or replaced.
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| Post# 213968 , Reply# 15 1/13/2013 at 21:29 (4,114 days old) by BriankirbyClass (Eudora Kansas) | ||
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| Post# 213975 , Reply# 16 1/13/2013 at 22:44 (4,114 days old) by nubz3760 () | ||
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cleveland the cord is unusable. I would really like it in working conditition and was going to replace it with the same twisted cloth cord. I was still going to keep the little bit of original cord thats left | ||
| Post# 213976 , Reply# 17 1/13/2013 at 23:03 (4,114 days old) by caligula (Wallingford, Connecticut) | ||
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That will work, and most likely won't alter the machine.
This way the catagory will be 'restored, but with original parts.'
If you are a full member, then check out the catagories thread, as I talk about the guidelines we set at the first meeting on the weekend of May 5, 1985. Back then, the cut off date for collectable vacuum cleaners within the club was 1960. As I said in that post, there were only 7 members in the club, and we were all into really old machines. Like your Cleveland. Good luck with the restoration. Alex. | ||
| Post# 214004 , Reply# 18 1/14/2013 at 07:32 (4,113 days old) by thermokid (Casper, Wyoming) | ||
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The strangest thing that plugged up my mom's Electrolux G was ME, bet I don't ever do that again. LOL | ||
| Post# 214018 , Reply# 19 1/14/2013 at 09:47 (4,113 days old) by caligula (Wallingford, Connecticut) | ||
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Hi thermokid. | ||
| Post# 214375 , Reply# 21 1/16/2013 at 08:43 (4,111 days old) by geoffrack8 (Connecticut) | ||
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Caligula Cos Cob is Greenwich. It's a suburb just like Yalesville (Wallingford here as well) Geoff | ||
| Post# 214448 , Reply# 22 1/16/2013 at 18:55 (4,111 days old) by caligula (Wallingford, Connecticut) | ||
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The home of Electrolux!
Got it.
The Electrolux Corporation was located in Old Greenwich, Connecticut. The factory was beside the railroad track that went between New York, and Boston. Originally this was the Dalton lathe and tool company, then it was the Welte Tripp organ company (pipe organs), finally, in 1932 it became Electrolux. The model XXX (30) was the first all American made Electrolux. Prior to that they were made in Seeden. As for Wallingford, this is where the school, Choate/Rosemary Hall is located. When I was a kid my grandpa bought all the vacuum cleaners for Choate. They were Electrolux and Kirby. | ||
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