A Chrome and Candy Apple Red Jewel From The 50's.....

[electrolux~137]

I think the designers were smoking some funny stuff when they put that one on the drawing board!


heheh, along with the designers of the Haley's Comet, Sunbeam "Flower Power" tank, Bison, Royal PowerCast, etc etc etc

Hey, here's a fun topic (I hope!) ... we've talked to death our "favorite" machines or the ones we consider the most beautiful ... how about the ugly ducklings?! What's your vote for the ugliest vacuum cleaner of all time? The strangest? The worst-performer?

"Discuss."

 

[crevicetool]

The Atlas in it's final form (as above) is really just a chromed up version of the Jet99. While I'm very partial to the manufacturer, honestly - it's really just a novelty. It's completely designed for a GUY too! Which is strange...unless I'm wrong, they were badged Atlas for the Atlas sewing and vacuum centers, and if I'm not wrong again those are all gone now.

Perhaps the little woman felt that she could sell the idea of a new vacuum to the old man if she drug him down to Atlas's and he saw the fins, the chromed exhaust pipe, the sleek fenders over the wheels, etc. It really looks like the car he wants but can't afford because the wife is constantly wanting a new this or that.

One trick I have learned with the Jet99/Atlas machines to improve "suction" - shorten the cloth bag. When I restored both of my machines, I took some measurements and shortened the bag by about 1 1/2 inches. I think the bag covers the inlet when only just beginning to fill. These machines actually had good suction. They pulled something like 1145 on the vacutronic thingy. But unlike say - Electrolux where the airflow is channeled all around the bag on all five sides, (paper bag machines), these fed from the bottom only. Shortening the bag doesn't allow it to cover up the inlet and the bag is drawn tight within the chamber and air can flow through much more area.

As far as ugly, can't say. Most new stuff to me is. I will comment on the Lux AF though. They had the AE which was quite stylish in blue hammertone, then the AF, then of course came the super-fantastic gorgeous G. With it's metal weird (to me) anti-tip over device, and plain paint job...the AF is kinda a step backwards styling wise.

 

[crevicetool]

Disclaimer:

The above opinions are mine and should not be considered as anything but opinions. One may or may not agree with the aforementioned opinions. They are only opinions.



Except the part about the super-fantastic gorgeous Lux G.

That is a fact.

Rick

 

[aeoliandave]

I absolutely concur with everything you are saying Rick, but do you mean the Atlas/Jet99 cloth bag touches bottom in some kind of inner chamber 'can' with a bottom central duct leading back to the fans??? Does the Atlas also use paper liner bags?

Never having seen one I always figured it was configured like a Compact, with the bag hanging suspended in a large open chamber with the fan inlet off to the side (since the Compact motor/fan unit is mounted deep in the posterior region of the pig, facing the back end exhaust) with no possibility of the suspended bag contacting any surface. Indeed, the Compact - and Haleys Comet - legendary no loss of suction is achieved exactly as you describe - airflow passing through the paper liner and cloth bag from all sides. One important function of the cloth bag is to keep the paper liner from rupturing under the +80".

Most vintage cylinder vacuums with circular cloth bags such as Lux 30s, Westinghouse, Hoover, Filtex, Monitor, Kingston, Mayer, GE, Premier, and so on have chamber interiors larger and longer that the bag which under power keeps the bag 'inflated' from touching any of the walls.

A picture down inside the Atlas bag chamber would be ever so helpful in learnin' me sumthin' new.

Dave

 

[crevicetool]

Yeah, they were quite different than the compacts....

Here's a picture of the bag chamber inside my Jet99, showing the bag still filled with Kapok from the 2008 Convention!

 

[crevicetool]

In this view, you can see the ribs intended to direct air around the bag - provided the bag didn't cover up the filter and suction inlet at the bottom.

 

[aeoliandave]

Wonderful and revealing explainatory photo, Rick.

Mm, those shallow softly rounded ribs can't make much of an impression since the cloth bag would hug them with ease. Oh wait, the kapok stuffed bag appears to taper away from the sides? Nevermind the ribs but obviously if the bag touches bottom yer right back where ya started.

Now, if that can was perforated like an Air-Way...but I suppose that would have gotten them into patent infringement territory.

Dave

 

[electrolux~137]

Now, if that can was perforated like an Air-Way...but I suppose that would have gotten them into patent infringement territory.


Do you think so? I wonder, since Electrolux bag cages were made in the same way from the LX to the G -- perforated with many holes to distribute airflow all around the bag.

Too bad the idea worked better in principle than in actuality -- all Electrolux users know how quickly the bags (especially paper) clog up very quickly because the dirt clumps together at the bottom of the bag nearest the suction fans.

 

[petek]

Heartless

Poor little Kapok, killed to illustrate a point

 

[crevicetool]

Pete,

I didn't kill the Kapok, I hope you know that. It was smeared all over the test carpet at the convention. People were laughing and pointing at it. THAT was heartless. I felt it was the most humane thing to do....vacuum it up and put it out of it's misery.

There was also some rice on the test carpet. I vacuumed it up just to show my impartiality. But really....who cares about rice? I threw that away....

Rick

 

[collector2]

Hey Guys. The Canadian version (Viking) had a red fiber crevice tool. I havnt seen what the dusting brush was like though.

Doug