Cleaveland Browns Dirt Devil Hand Vac

[lux1521]

I got this on ebay a few weeks ago. Until today, this is the only one I've ever seen. It's probably the rarest of my Dirt Devil models. I suspect that Royal was supporting their local team when they made this. Based on the paperwork, it was manufactured in the late 1980s.

 

[lux1521]

It's never been used and is perfectly clean. The only time I've run it is for this picture.

 

[lux1521]

Lots of papers back in those days. Includes full schematic and the Royal full line booklet. There were no promotions for a full Dirt Devil line. The probably didn't have a full model line yet.

 

[super-sweeper]

the only vacuum

a husband would use!ha ha!

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

Royal Household Cleaners Brochure

@lux1521
Could you please upload scans of the entire "Household Cleaners" brochure? You can also e-mail them to me via [email protected] or [email protected].

Thank you,



Ben (KirbyClassicIII)

 

[lux1521]

Scans

Front:

 

[lux1521]

Back:

 

[lux1521]

Back page of owners guide:

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

The low-down:

881 is the basic model with the cast headlight. 4.5 amp motor. Replaced during 1988 by model 883, with a 5.0 amp motor.
884 is a step-up, similar to models 886/887 w/ square headlight less deodorizing chamber. Has the 5.4 amp motor from previous models 608/880/903.
886 is the most-popular model, with same headlight as 884 but also has deodorizing chamber. 6.0 amp motor. Replaced model 880 in mid-1987.
887 is similar to 886, but also includes attachment kit.
404 replaced the model 401 Pony in mid-1987.
405 is similar to 404 but also includes the model 598 power nozzle.
411 replaced the model 407/408 Power Tanks in mid-1987.

The cover photo on the back of the owner's manual was a recycled photograph originally used in 1980.

~Ben

 

[lux1521]

Great info. While the 881 is a low end model, I think that headlight style looks better, along with the rounded nozzle casting. Could you give me some info on when headlight styles changed or were introduced?

The models with the simple semi-transparent "Royal" decals on the front (in my eyes anyway) are much more attractive than the later "commercial quality" decals.

As I recall, the 992 combined the simple decal with the later navy blue color scheme, and perhaps a quieter motor compared to the monster 7 amp 996. The 992 would probably be a favorite of mine. The old style headlight and nozzle were probably discontinued by then.

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

@lux1521
The cast headlight models go way back in time, to about the late 1930s. The last ones appeared on commercial-duty (662, 663, 672, 673, 682, 683, 692, 693, 1040, 1060, 7620, 7630, 7720, 7730, 7820, 7830, 7920 and 7930) and the 90th anniversary edition model (89103).

The thin nozzle had historically been used on models 601, 602, 603, 604 and 611. The 611 was a low end yet very popular commercial model sold in the years 1977-87. The last such upright to bear this nozzle design was model 883, which took over for the 881 during 1988. The 883 had a new 5 amp motor.

The 994, introduced in the spring of 1990, was actually the first model with the 7 amp motor. The 992 (993 similar but with dark blue attachments included) had the same 6 amp motor as the 886/887, but it also featured the Au-Toe-Matic toe-touch height adjustment control.

The square headlight assembly first showed up on the model 880 in 1966 (the deodorizing chamber was at first exclusive to the Electro-Hygiene models). The 880 also had a commercial-duty equivalent in the 606A between 1966-76 and the 608 between 1977-87.

~Ben

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

Adjust-O-Rite Plugs Through the Years

From about 1945 to the present, there has been a considerable variety in designs of the Adjust-O-Rite plug.

Circa 1945 to circa 1950 - Red and black, with ROYAL in gold letters.

Circa 1950 to circa 1958 - Black and red, with red R-O-Y-A-L letters seen vertically on black portion of plug, and the words ADJUST-O-RITE on the red portion, below the Royal crown logo.

Circa 1958 to 1975 - Red plug with white R-O-Y-A-L letters seen vertically on left portion of plug, and the words ADJUST-O-RITE on the right portion, below the Royal crown logo. From 1966-75 a light blue version also existed, with red R-O-Y-A-L letters and crown logo. The red plug was used on models 602 and 801 while the light blue plug was used on models 606, 606A and 880. Versions of the logo without the R-O-Y-A-L letters were used on vacuums sold through exclusive distributors and private labels (a rare gold version was used for the Imperial Prestige A880 sold in the early '70s). For the Electro-Hygiene premium models, the word "Electro" is seen above the stub opening, and "HYGIENE" below, with a thunderbolt seen connecting through the lower-case "e" in "Electro."

1976 to 1986 - New design features the words "Adjust" and "Rite" set in Royal's then-current typeface, on the top and bottom of the stub opening respectively. The colors are the same two - red and light blue. This design was also used for Electro-Hygiene models.

1987 to March 1988 - The words "Adjust" and "Rite" are now both positioned above the stub opening. The belt position is now located below the stub opening.

April 1988 to August 2002 - Unchanged from 1987, except for a warning that encircles the bottom half of the plug, which reads: CAUTION: MOVING PARTS - UNPLUG BEFORE OPENING (on units made from April 1987 to March 1988, this warning was represented on a small decal applied below the AOR plug and above the Royal label on the nozzle). Many colors for this design were available: besides red and light blue, we also have dark blue, burgundy and black (the lattermost, so far, was only used on the model 5000NA sold by Stark's Vacuum in Portland, OR). From 1993 on, the metal pull knob version of the plug is discontinued, which left us only with the black plastic pull tab version, initially introduced in 1987 for the commercial models.

September 2002 to present - With TTI's acquisition of Royal, the AOR text gets a new makeover. The red color is no longer used on the commercial models, instead it's black, which ultimately becomes the only color of AOR plug by 2006 (for a few years there was still the dark blue and burgundy plugs).

~Ben

 

[lux1521]

Great info!

So, how about the plain models. When was the new style riveted rubber cover introduced? I've also seen a few models with what appeared to be an oversized hand vac rubber nozzle plug, but they seem rare. I guess my last question on that subject would be about the old plain metal covers. When were they finally discontinued?

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

Plain Covers and Rubber Covers

@lux1521
The plain metal plugs ran from the time of the first motor-driven brush models of the 1930s up to about 1989.

Models 153, 601 and 603 seem to be among the last uprights. Model 501 from the mid to late 1950s also had this same metal plug, as did the prior 157. From 1958 to 1996, the 501 used a plastic plug similar to the Dirt Devil hand vacs.

From 1946 to circa 1950, it was the same as the AOR plate: red/black graphics with gold ROYAL name and crown logo.

From circa 1950 to circa 1958, it again was similar to the AOR plate: black/red graphics with R-O-Y-A-L letters on black side of logo and the crown on the red side.

From circa 1958 to circa 1985, it was a pressed plate which had the Royal logo (in some electric-looking font) in the center.

In 1985 it was just the unfinished version of the plate used prior to 1958. Models with this style of plug were 153 and 607.

The hinged rubber plate first showed up in 1989 on the commercial uprights, models 661, 663, 681, 683, 7610, 7630, 7810 and 7830.

The first consumer model to don the rubber plate was the model 882, which was introduced in April 1990. The trim was green and gray.

~Ben

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

I was going to add that in the early 1990s, Dirt Devil also endorsed NASCAR and one of its key participants, Kenny Wallace. Hence his name appeared on both the 120-volt and 12-volt (for automotive cigarette lighter) versions of the Dirt Devil hand vacuum.

~Ben