Frantz Premier update with polish job!

In 1910, Jim Kirby's first electric upright vacuum design was put into production, with a General Electric motor, by the Frantz Premier Company. The first one was a very crude affair (I have one) with a light switch bolted to the wooden handle. In 1914, the revised Frantz Premier (like the one pictured) was launched, along with the Frantz Premier Junior (a hand vac using the same motor as the upright). The Frantz Premier Company also launched Jim Kirby's first non-electric production model, the Ezee (also in 1914). Mr. Kirby was the inventor and he licensed his patents to the Frantz Premier Company. For every one of those three machines they made, the Company paid Mr. Kirby a small amount of money. In 1918, the Frantz Premier Company was purchased by their motor supplier, General Electric. It became "The Premier Company". Mr. Frantz started Apex that same year as there was no 'non compete' clause in the sale to GE.

In 1917, Jim Kirby was an expediter for the US government. World War 1 was going on. The Scott and Fetzer Company made pistols, and they were making them for the US Government. Mr. Kirby's job was to find a way for Scott and Fetzer to make them FASTER. It was war after all. He told the two men he had an idea he was going to patent, for a new non-electric cleaner as the Ezee had been taken off the market already. When the war was over in 1919, the Scott and Fetzer Company made the Vacuette, and licensed his patents like Frantz Premier did. The Electric Vacuette came out in 1924.

The "Ezee" Grasshopper does NOT belong on Kirby's timeline as Scott and Fetzer had nothing to do with it.


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Post# 420697 2/26/2020 at 21:05 (1,520 days old) by Hutch4187 (Waseca)
Checkrate/Likes 2 After doing the Westinghouse I just got the bug and just had to move on to this other machine. But what I found was really cool the handle actually has the switch where you rotate the knob on the back of it I didn't realize that when I first picked it up and this one runs very well very smooth running machine. On the original post one of the individuals stated that this machine was designed by Jim Kirby? I didn't realize he had anything to do with any company other than Kirby or Scott Fitzer. Photos... < > Photo 1 of 5 View Full Size

Post# 420703 , Reply# 1 2/26/2020 at 21:28 (1,520 days old) by Hoover300 (Kentucky)
Checkrate/Likes *Daaaaaannnnnnng* I have never seen a polished one. Great job! Several machines has a switch similar, like the early Apex and Torrington uprights, but they were not full size knobs like that. They were more like caps. What does that little circle in pic 5 next to the bag outlet do?

Post# 420708 , Reply# 2 2/26/2020 at 22:07 (1,520 days old) by Lesinutah (Utah)
Checkrate/Likes *Premier* You do realize a Kirby vacuette is a frantz premier? Lamb, black and decker, geier (royal founder), all worked together in tandem helping each other. Black and decker became black and decker. Geier became i may be wrong royal appliance company. Lamb made motors ametek lamb as we know it today. Kirby well scott and fetzer you know the rest. Very nice polish job. You have these super rare machines. You haven't posted here to my knowledge. You have a very nice collection. Les

Post# 420725 , Reply# 3 2/27/2020 at 09:52 (1,520 days old) by dysonman1 (the county)
Checkrate/Likes In 1910, Jim Kirby's first electric upright vacuum design was put into production, with a General Electric motor, by the Frantz Premier Company. The first one was a very crude affair (I have one) with a light switch bolted to the wooden handle. In 1914, the revised Frantz Premier (like the one pictured) was launched, along with the Frantz Premier Junior (a hand vac using the same motor as the upright). The Frantz Premier Company also launched Jim Kirby's first non-electric production model, the Ezee (also in 1914). Mr. Kirby was the inventor and he licensed his patents to the Frantz Premier Company. For every one of those three machines they made, the Company paid Mr. Kirby a small amount of money. In 1918, the Frantz Premier Company was purchased by their motor supplier, General Electric. It became "The Premier Company". Mr. Frantz started Apex that same year as there was no 'non compete' clause in the sale to GE. In 1917, Jim Kirby was an expediter for the US government. World War 1 was going on. The Scott and Fetzer Company made pistols, and they were making them for the US Government. Mr. Kirby's job was to find a way for Scott and Fetzer to make them FASTER. It was war after all. He told the two men he had an idea he was going to patent, for a new non-electric cleaner as the Ezee had been taken off the market already. When the war was over in 1919, the Scott and Fetzer Company made the Vacuette, and licensed his patents like Frantz Premier did. The Electric Vacuette came out in 1924. The "Ezee" Grasshopper does NOT belong on Kirby's timeline as Scott and Fetzer had nothing to do with it.