Lewyt Model 40

[mk2tkd]

I picked up a Lewyt Model 40 today and I know that they are uncommon, but just how uncommon? It came with a number of attachments and is quieter and works better than my wife's.

Any information you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

 

[human]

We had a Lewyt like that when I was a little kid; in fact, it's the first vacuum cleaner I remember. Ours had a rolling base and was charcoal gray on the bottom and bubblegum pink on the top. The tools were also pink. It was retired from regular service in the mid '70s but I remember using it to vacuum cars well in to the '80s. Eventually, the hose just had too many splits to be useful. I assume it got tossed in the '90s when my parents moved.

 

[kenkart]

IF that isThe original rug tool,

It is VERY rare, if it has a moveable comb valve on the bottom it is a newer one, the model 40 is the only one that didn't have the comb valve.

 

[mk2tkd]

Best I can tell, there is no comb valve on the bottom. It looks like the comb simply moves up and down.

 

[dysonman1]

Your Lewyt has the original hose, which is very rare. That means, it has three wands, one curved, and two straight. The model 40 was Lewyt's first vacuum cleaner. They stole the design from Health-Mor Inc. of Chicago, it was a fairly poor copy of the Filter Queen. Health-Mor sued Lewyt and won enough money to build their own factory and eliminate Royal as the manufacturer of the Filter Queen. The court ruled in 1953 that the model 40 and 44 Lewyts were in violation of patents held by Health-Mor and gave Health-Mor a huge settlement.

Lewyt took out the filter cone and cyclonic dirt separation, and put in a bag. It was the beginning of the end for Lewyt.

The manufacturing date of the motor is stamped into the bearing bridge, which you can see when you remove the exhaust cap and look.

 

[n0oxy]

how were Lewyts sold

Were the Lewyt machines sold in stores or were they sold by in home demonstration, similar to the Compact, air-way etc. Didn't they have another model called the big wheel that came out before the zappers?

 

[kenkart]

The big Wheel

Came out in 55, it was model 77, the round ones were 40, 44, with the cone, 55 and 66 with the bag, 55 came out in 52 and 66 came out in 54,I think.

 

[dysonman1]

They were sold in stores. There was a cardboard display stand with the machine on it. The salesperson would take the prospect over to it and turn on the machine, letting the prospect feel the suction and say "FEEL the suction. HEAR the quiet. No Dust Bag To Empty". That was the whole demo. Lewyts sold very well, as relatively no one had heard of the Filter Queen. The Big Wheel was innovative until they killed people