Amazing find.
I can't give you an exact year, but it looks like early to mid 1920's. As to the bag, I doubt you can locate one.
Now here's the interesting part, that long handle is hollow for a reason, above the floor cleaning. Yes there was a hose and attachments, but the idea was to lift the machine and direct the suction where it was needed. The dial was used to transfer the suction from floor through the handle. But here's the really interesting feature, a disposable filtered bag. That's right, Air-Way was the first to invent and patent them. As to the name Replogle on the dial, that was Doctor Danial Replogle, the man who designed this vacuum cleaner around 1916. As for the Air-Way Electrical Appliance Corp., that was founded by Clarence and Pratt Tracy of Toledo, Ohio, and their first vacuum cleaner, which this might be, debuted in 1920.
I have two of these, pictured here along with the hose, assorted outer bags, and various attachments. The Air-Way Chief, pictured with the outer bag on the floor dates to 1937, and had a rotating brush. The problem here was it also had a beater bar which put Air-Way in direct competition with Hoover. Eventually these uprights gave way to a canister design in the mid to late 1940's.
To zero in on the possible year look at the series of patent numbers and find the last date, that should give you a ballpark year. But one thing is certain, this is a rare find. The downside is that very few people want these, which is a shame as they are definitely a piece out of history.
Alex Taber.
