So I have been having conversation with Doug and we have been discussing the history of vacuum cleaners and their power nozzles and he informed me that the airway was one of the first I was just curious to see if anyone here has one of the earlier vacuums with power nozzles upright or canister and maybe I you had some picture that would be great thanks? Zach
First power nozzel invented?
- Thread starter goadie12
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well once again since there was 40something odd views
and no responecs and i KNOW we have posting members that know the awnsers to this....ill take it opon my self to awnser....
yes Air-Way was techneclly the first although it was on a upright...but the first for the cannister was the Lewet in 1958, wich was later recalled due to a electric want system the actually used the wands as the electrical connection, and people kept ketting shocked, then after was Compact with the ABC (Always Beuaty Clean), and the Kenmore was folowed right after and there PN was very simallar to Compacts in alot of ways, then good old Electrolux in 1959 with the classic but not frogotten PN1.
then by the earley 70's or even late 60's Rainbow finally offers the Whirlpool power nozzel,for people with high pile shag carpets, and was no offerd unless that was the absolute case....and Eureka dint come out with a Power Nozzel till 1973, and then Rainbow, private labeled there PN, and in 1978 Compact also used the Eureka nozzel, and airway in the late 60's had a power nozzel called the Don Clarke, wich was actaully a upright F&G Eureka with the bellows and handle turned into a wand sytem, and that was a VERY short lived nozzel due to a lawsiut from Air-Way, then Air-Way in the earley 70's created the Rugmaster power nozzel, a big wide meatal cased nozzel the was alot like the fliter Queen nozzel in alot of ways....then in 1978 hoover finally joined the bandwagon with the Celebirty, and that power nozzel was used under the Fair-Fax name for a while , as well as the rugmaster and the Eureka nozzel.
and thats really the most improtiant of the history.....
and no responecs and i KNOW we have posting members that know the awnsers to this....ill take it opon my self to awnser....
yes Air-Way was techneclly the first although it was on a upright...but the first for the cannister was the Lewet in 1958, wich was later recalled due to a electric want system the actually used the wands as the electrical connection, and people kept ketting shocked, then after was Compact with the ABC (Always Beuaty Clean), and the Kenmore was folowed right after and there PN was very simallar to Compacts in alot of ways, then good old Electrolux in 1959 with the classic but not frogotten PN1.
then by the earley 70's or even late 60's Rainbow finally offers the Whirlpool power nozzel,for people with high pile shag carpets, and was no offerd unless that was the absolute case....and Eureka dint come out with a Power Nozzel till 1973, and then Rainbow, private labeled there PN, and in 1978 Compact also used the Eureka nozzel, and airway in the late 60's had a power nozzel called the Don Clarke, wich was actaully a upright F&G Eureka with the bellows and handle turned into a wand sytem, and that was a VERY short lived nozzel due to a lawsiut from Air-Way, then Air-Way in the earley 70's created the Rugmaster power nozzel, a big wide meatal cased nozzel the was alot like the fliter Queen nozzel in alot of ways....then in 1978 hoover finally joined the bandwagon with the Celebirty, and that power nozzel was used under the Fair-Fax name for a while , as well as the rugmaster and the Eureka nozzel.
and thats really the most improtiant of the history.....
fan-of-fans
Well-known member
Also if you do a search on the forum there are some threads about the early power nozzles and when they were introduced.
eurekaprince
Well-known member
Which came first - Lewyt's power nozzle or Whirlpool's power nozzle? See link below....
http://www.vodhin.org/Vacuum/PN/PNOthers/index.html
http://www.vodhin.org/Vacuum/PN/PNOthers/index.html
danemodsandy
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A Bit of Inaccurate Info:
Vodhin's site has one bit of info that he misinterprets. On the Kenmore machine he discusses last, he states that it must have been made between 1976 and 1980, because it has the Olympic emblem on it. What he's calling the Olympic emblem was a stylized logo representing the rotating brushroll of Kenmore's Powermate. There are four circles in that logo, not five as are found in the Olympic logo. And since the machine is blue, I'm pretty sure it's earlier than '76; if memory serves, Sears had turned its entire vac line Avocado and what Sears called "Lemon Smoke" by then.
Vodhin's site has one bit of info that he misinterprets. On the Kenmore machine he discusses last, he states that it must have been made between 1976 and 1980, because it has the Olympic emblem on it. What he's calling the Olympic emblem was a stylized logo representing the rotating brushroll of Kenmore's Powermate. There are four circles in that logo, not five as are found in the Olympic logo. And since the machine is blue, I'm pretty sure it's earlier than '76; if memory serves, Sears had turned its entire vac line Avocado and what Sears called "Lemon Smoke" by then.
kirbyvertibles
Well-known member
I saw a lewyt's power nozzle with a date stamped into the housing of 1956 and they introduced it to the market in 57 so that leads me to believe the Lewyt was before the whirlpool/kenmore. I believe it was 1958, elux 1959 and compact 1960. Then we did have Rainbow in the late 60's using the whirlpool L shaped nozzle as well as Oreck CVR upright head used as a nozzle only offered to people with shag ( or so i'm told ). Don Clark's first power nozzle was a hamilton Beach upright in 1968 and I believe they experimented on the turquoise 88 before the mark V. Royal, Water Matic, Fairfax, Airway, all used the Royal made big Rugmaster. i've heard it started in 1972???? Also someome on here said at one point that Hoover used one of their coffee can uprights as a power nozzle for early central vacs??
eurekaprince
Well-known member
Thanks for that answer Phillip! 
collector2
Well-known member
I had forgotten about the power heads for the stationary cleaners. I have seen the patent for the Hoover one but, if memory serves, something was said about it not being known if it was ever put into production. At the same time though, someone must have been producing one as the Bessborough Hotel in Saskatoon, which was built in the nineteen teens and included a "stationary cleaning system" which is still in use, has a two prong twist lock outlet beside every vacuum connection. As these arent found anywhere else in the hotel I can only assume it must have been a connection for an early powerhead. Wish I knew what they looked like but all the original parts are long gone.
fan-of-fans
Well-known member
danemodsandy, I believe that blue Powermate nozzle would have gone to a Kenmore canister from the early 1970s. Consumer Reports noted in their 1971 issue that they were available in either the green or blue. I was a bit confused too as I thought the blue ones didn't come out until 1978 or so. I am not sure whether the canister that goes with is the plastic one with woodgrain printed top and attachment caddy that stores on top or inside, or if it was the metal version with the crevice tool slot on the side and tool compartment on top. I think by 1972 or '73 they had the plastic version sold that same Powermate. It's definitely earlier than 1976 though, they had the later Powermates with woodgrain top by then that replaced this one.
powermate1970
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Kenmore blue
Sandy, you are correct. If I remember right, this blue powermate was from 1968/69 to 1973, I think. Avacado debuted in 72 I believe
Sandy, you are correct. If I remember right, this blue powermate was from 1968/69 to 1973, I think. Avacado debuted in 72 I believe
powermate1970
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forgot to mention
The blue you are referring to is alot darker. Like this one. (3rd from left)
The blue you are referring to is alot darker. Like this one. (3rd from left)
briankirbyclass
Well-known member
I know that in 1971 a neighbor of ours had a Sears Kenmore Central Vac installed, and it came with a PN,,the exact same as the green one shown here, only it was WHITE, with a permanently attached white wand. That PN did have the 0000 overlapping rings PowerMate logo on it. I was vacuum crazy by then, and the lady of the house was older, and HATED to vacuum,,so i got to use it many times. It was the first Central Vacuum i have ever used or seen before.
The hose had the cord straps to hold the PN cord on, and the central vac inlets had a little metal tab that you pushed with your finger to activate the system, or turn it off. The door of the inlets didnt activate the system.
The system also came with a white attachment kit that held the floor brush, crevice tool, dusting brush,ect. and it came with seperate chrome wands.
Have never seen a set up like it since.
I do remember it was an excellent Central Vac, and the PN was very powerful when it was brand new.
The hose had the cord straps to hold the PN cord on, and the central vac inlets had a little metal tab that you pushed with your finger to activate the system, or turn it off. The door of the inlets didnt activate the system.
The system also came with a white attachment kit that held the floor brush, crevice tool, dusting brush,ect. and it came with seperate chrome wands.
Have never seen a set up like it since.
I do remember it was an excellent Central Vac, and the PN was very powerful when it was brand new.
collector2
Well-known member
Something like the all metal power head with my Kenmore model Model: 116.4669 from 1964
collector2
Well-known member
or probably more along the lines of the plastic verions with my Model 116.22520C
from 1974
from 1974
briankirbyclass
Well-known member
Yes, exactly. Only this one had the height adjustment pedal and looked exactly like the green one in the above pic. Thank you!,,a blast from the past!
collector2
Well-known member
this was the model 116.22950C put out in 1972 - there was also a two tone blue version of this machine out at the same time which is what the power head on Vodin's site is from.
powermate1970
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forgot about that
Kenmore had a white 12 inch powermate. As I remember, the white was supposed to be for the central vacs! In my opinion, the 12 inch powermate and the later 14 inch were some of the best power nozzles made. As for the OOOO, that was the powermate logo till 1981 or 82.
Kenmore had a white 12 inch powermate. As I remember, the white was supposed to be for the central vacs! In my opinion, the 12 inch powermate and the later 14 inch were some of the best power nozzles made. As for the OOOO, that was the powermate logo till 1981 or 82.
