Thread Number: 41898  /  Tag: Pre-1950 Vacuum Cleaners
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Post# 442463   5/31/2021 at 20:58 (1,031 days old) by MadMan (Chicago, IL, USA)        

madman's profile picture
That's its name lol

Success Hand Vacuum Cleaner
Hutchison Mfg. Co.
Wilkinsburg, PA

This was the other half of the auction lot with that AirWay. $10 for the lot. It was full of dirt and the filter was caked solid. It's also torn, I'll need to make a new one, not a big deal. Interestingly the nozzle had a clog. So I fixed a hundred year old clog today lol. But like, apparently somebody'd been using it until it didn't work anymore.

The leather bellows is torn. Not a big surprise given the cow died probably over a century ago. I've gotta find a leather couch to skin.

The wheels are interesting. One of them is stuck solid, nothing a little oxy-acetelyne won't fix. They are steel wheels, and pretty intricately machined for something that could've been plastic or wood. The screw for each wheel is the bearing surface for the wheel, and they also have a grease reservoir, covered by a set screw. Turn the screw in to squeeze the grease and lube the wheel. Also one wheel screw is a left hand thread and the other is right hand thread, presumably to prevent them from unscrewing during use. I'm not a machinist, but I'm thinking each wheel screw needs at least six different machining operations, and that's assuming they started with hex stock. Really kind of ridiculous how over-engineered the wheels are. Hell, it doesn't even really *need* wheels! O_o

The U-shaped handle was bright nickel once upon a time. Replating that will be a big project I probably won't undertake for many years. I think at most, I'll make a new filter, bellows, fix the wheels, and polish the nozzle. Got a lot of projects ongoing, though.

Oh, also, on the top of the bellows there is a bypass valve. So you can just let air in the bellows? No idea why. This whole thing is over-engineered, it's fascinating.


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Post# 442466 , Reply# 1   5/31/2021 at 22:04 (1,031 days old) by Lesinutah (Utah)        
That

lesinutah's profile picture
Is actually pretty sweet. It's moving along towards being fully functional. It wasn't headed anywhere over 100 years.

Post# 442473 , Reply# 2   6/1/2021 at 12:53 (1,030 days old) by OhioVacuums (Ohio)        
Nice !

Nice "machine"....Pretty much everything back then was done with care and attention paid to aesthetics. I also collect typewriters from the late 1800s and early 1900s..all have intricate hand and machine work. Good luck "vacuuming" with that thing !

Post# 442485 , Reply# 3   6/1/2021 at 22:01 (1,030 days old) by huskyvacs (Gnaw Bone, Indiana)        

huskyvacs's profile picture
The wheels are there to prevent it from scraping and tearing the carpet. That's what an ad said for one of the suction sweepers I have. They made special note of the "polished metal which makes no mars, no scuffs, and will not catch carpet"

The bypass valve might be for cleaning out the bellows, assuming there was a device like our modern day air compressors back then.

This one looks a lot beefier than most accordion style bellows sweepers you see around on eBay and antiques shops.


Post# 442504 , Reply# 4   6/2/2021 at 12:37 (1,029 days old) by kirbyklekter (Concord,Ca.)        
Yep

It definitely has that "winners trophy" look going on. Some ice and a bottle of bubbly! Nice addition to your collection.


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