Kirby 1-CR

[Kirby Guru]

Kent D. Oyler

~Ben

That’s what I meant to say. He had the Kirby Needs store. I would get my bags and belts from his store. Very sad news.

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

AJ,

Congrats on finally getting your 1-CR! Looking forward to reading about and seeing your resto projects on it.

While my favorite Kirby is the Model DS50; the Model 560, the Classic 1-CR and Classic Omega 1-CB are also at the top. Regarding the last two, I really like the "wing-tipped" nozzles, color schemes, and bag patterns.

Charles H. MacFarland designed not only Kirby's Classic series but also the 500 and Sanitronic Series (or at least contributed to—I haven't looked at every patent) along with many other Scott & Fetzer products beginning in the 1940s. In the 1930s he designed for The Hoover Company including elements of refrigeration and a suction cleaner in 1939 with Howard A. Shumaker. His last patents were filed in 1976.

Here is a list of some of his patents for The S & F (filed/granted).

belt lifter 1945/1951
hard floor brush nozzle 1947/1952
brush roll 1949/1950
nozzle w/removable brush means 1949/1954
canister vacuum cleaner 1957/1961
crevice tool with removable brush means 1957/1959
Handi-Butler 1958/1960
triangular belt lifter 1960/1962
liquid sprayer 1960/1963
hassock-type vacuum cleaner 1962/1964
hose coupling 1963/1966
Rug Renovator 1965/1968
indicating means for a belt lifter 1970/1972
transparent belt lifter 1976/1978
filter bag assembly 1976/1978


Here's the diagram of his 1970/1971 Classic 1-CR patent (surname misspelled):

View attachment 158875

View attachment 158876

This was the last model Jim Kirby would live to see... he died on June 7, 1971 at age 86.

~Ben