chicagomike
Well-known member
Hi, can anyone tell me about this vacuum - i.e. model number or name, date made, what looks like it is original to the vacuum - any info you can provide would be appreciated.
Help Identifying Westinghouse Vacuum
- Thread starter chicagomike
- Start date
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hygiene903
Well-known member
Hi Mike,
From looking at the pics it appears to be all original except for the cord. Also I believe it to be a pre-war model, as post-war models had the bakelite motor housing. There should be a data plate on the bottom with the model and serial numbers on it. Here is a pic of mine to show you what the post-war models looked like.
Jeff
From looking at the pics it appears to be all original except for the cord. Also I believe it to be a pre-war model, as post-war models had the bakelite motor housing. There should be a data plate on the bottom with the model and serial numbers on it. Here is a pic of mine to show you what the post-war models looked like.
Jeff
vac-o-matic
Well-known member
Wow, nice machine, I'm sure you can work wonders restoring it! Is it in running condition?
chicagomike
Well-known member
Jeff - thanks for sharing the picture and some info on the bakelite and non bakelite era Westinghouse vacs. I dont own the vac yet but hope to meet the seller tomorrow to buy it from him, then I will see if there is an ID plate on the machine.
Rick - if all goes well and I do get to buy the machine, I will definitely be polishing it and hopefully it runs as I would guess if it is a pre-war machine parts for it may not be available.
Rick - if all goes well and I do get to buy the machine, I will definitely be polishing it and hopefully it runs as I would guess if it is a pre-war machine parts for it may not be available.
chicagomike
Well-known member
New pictures might help someone tell me about
New pictures might help someone tell me about the vacuum
New pictures might help someone tell me about the vacuum
portable
Well-known member
<span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Thanks for the great pictures of your Westinghouse. I am going to go through my ad collection. I believe I have something about that model. It is, I believe, 1930's. I'll get back to you. </span>
<span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">John</span>
<span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">John</span>
portable
Well-known member
Here are some pictures of a similar model
<span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">What I found were two references to what appears to be the same model (#RDA-3). One is a Crisco sweepstakes contest, which gave away 1,200 Westinghouse upright cleaners (!). This contest ad was dated April, 1938, and appeared in the Better Homes and Gardens magazine. </span>
<span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">The second item is an article that appeared in The American Home magazine, dated May, 1939. I believe these are both the same model vacuums. A few interesting variations: This model looks like it has a side-clipped bag; the bag stretches across the front of the machine, tucked behind the motor housing. The bag has a clip in the lower right-hand corner of the bag that clips to the motor housing to hold the bag in place as it inflates; this feature appeared on some Eureka models, also, and on some Westinghouse models, especially in the 40's. I'm not sure if you can see this in the Crisco sweepstakes ad. Your cleaner, which apparently has a catalog number of RS-3, may have been a variation of this model RDA-3.</span>
<span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's the first, the Crisco ad: </span>
<span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">What I found were two references to what appears to be the same model (#RDA-3). One is a Crisco sweepstakes contest, which gave away 1,200 Westinghouse upright cleaners (!). This contest ad was dated April, 1938, and appeared in the Better Homes and Gardens magazine. </span>
<span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">The second item is an article that appeared in The American Home magazine, dated May, 1939. I believe these are both the same model vacuums. A few interesting variations: This model looks like it has a side-clipped bag; the bag stretches across the front of the machine, tucked behind the motor housing. The bag has a clip in the lower right-hand corner of the bag that clips to the motor housing to hold the bag in place as it inflates; this feature appeared on some Eureka models, also, and on some Westinghouse models, especially in the 40's. I'm not sure if you can see this in the Crisco sweepstakes ad. Your cleaner, which apparently has a catalog number of RS-3, may have been a variation of this model RDA-3.</span>
<span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's the first, the Crisco ad: </span>
portable
Well-known member
Here's the cleaning article, showing the Westinghouse
<span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">There's also a shot of the Hoover Model 26, and the General Electric DeLuxe, and a Cadillac upright.</span>
<span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">There's also a shot of the Hoover Model 26, and the General Electric DeLuxe, and a Cadillac upright.</span>
portable
Well-known member
<span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">As the cleaning article details, there is an indicator bar on the Westinghouse that warns you of problems with the bag. Does yours have anything like that? In the Crisco sweepstakes ad, it is called the Servi-Sentinel, a device that warns when the nozzle needs to be adjusted or the bag needs emptying. </span>
<span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">On the Hoover 150 of the day, it was accomplished by a suction sensing valve that sensed when suction was being reduced, and it moved a red disk into a window to show that there was a problem.</span>
<span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">On the Hoover 150 of the day, it was accomplished by a suction sensing valve that sensed when suction was being reduced, and it moved a red disk into a window to show that there was a problem.</span>
chicagomike
Well-known member
portable
Where is the item located at you are referring too? I can take more pictures of the vacuum and post them. "As the cleaning article details, there is an indicator bar on the Westinghouse that warns you of problems with the bag. Does yours have anything like that? In the Crisco sweepstakes ad, it is called the Servi-Sentinel, a device that warns when the nozzle needs to be adjusted or the bag needs emptying."
Thanks for the ads, those are nice references!
Where is the item located at you are referring too? I can take more pictures of the vacuum and post them. "As the cleaning article details, there is an indicator bar on the Westinghouse that warns you of problems with the bag. Does yours have anything like that? In the Crisco sweepstakes ad, it is called the Servi-Sentinel, a device that warns when the nozzle needs to be adjusted or the bag needs emptying."
Thanks for the ads, those are nice references!
portable
Well-known member
<span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I am not sure where that device would be located on the machine - maybe down on the motor housing near the wheels? I've never seen either model in person. Does anyone else have any knowledge of either model?</span>
