Lewyt model 55

[laundromat]

A few months ago while I was minding my own business at work, A stranger came in from outside asking specificaly for me. Ash,one of my managers,brought him to my desk and he said he had something for me. I asked who he wqas and he said that didn't matter but he had a gift for me from a mutual friend but that person asked to stay annonymous. I don't knoww why and still have no clue who it is. Anyway,I followed him to his van where he removed a brown vinal hassik. He asked me to open it up and inside there was a complete Lewyt cannister vacuum model number 55 with all the extras including a moth chaser!!It has all the paper work,instructions,warranty card and needs nothing but bags(which I found 2 10 bag packages of at a local service ctr. $2 each!!)but the previous owner left 1 unused bag in the package( made by Glamorene Style#210.This vacuum works great! it'a quiet and has strong suction.The only thing it needs is a new power cord.The one it has is all dry rotted and breaking apart. I think this was made around 1947???? Any input is greatly apreciated.

 

[collector2]

Hi:

The information I have says the model 55 was made from 1952 to 1954 (see my web page - www.dkas1.50megs.com)

Great find. They are a nice machine.

Doug

 

[laundromat]

manufacturing date

I am not sure how true it was but I was told that Lewyt had gone out of business in 1949 via a suit filed against them by Filter Queen for copying a pattent from them. Is that true?I vaigly remember seeing models back in the 1960's that said "Shetland-Lewyt" on them.Did Shetland buy the license to just use their branding or the entire company??Some of my paperwork that came with this model has the year 1947 date stamped on it in ink.

 

[aeoliandave]

L:ewyt copied the entire Filter Queen design, a definite no-

Lewyt did get their wrist slapped by the Filter Queen suit. Consequently, the wire frame supported tented cloth motor filter cone on the 'bagless' tub Model 40 & 44 - which supports a paper cone the same size as FQ's - was eliminated and replaced with a paper bag that fitted to the inside intake pipe (like a Fairfax) and a flat circular cloth motor filter insert on the 55 onward motor unit...and then came the superlative Big Wheels!

Lewyt did file for bankruptcy in 1962 (?) after settling lawsuits over the shocking disaster of the 1958-1961 Electronic Big Wheel models 107/111/121 with the electric hose and powernozzle.

Perhaps because of this potential for Consumer backlash, Hoover unfortunately abandoned further development its Constellation model 87, although in their case on this one and only model it was to put an on/off switch on the hose handle. It could have led to a powernozzle option but the hose wiring scheme - a single copper strand bonded to the single spiral Ultraflex hose spring coil - carrying 120 VAC - was prone to failure. Duh.

Shetland bought the Lewyt name and assets at auction.

Doug Smith will have to chime in with the full history and the European Big Wheel clones but this has all been posted in Forum Threads past. The problem with bookmarking them is the link goes dead when they are archived. There's no thread subject in a bookmarked heading to search with. In the Archives you just have to settle in and scroll through every thread heading til you find what yer looking for :-(

I did however find this Lewyt December 5 2006 thread from Charles:




http://www.vacuumland.org/TD/ARCHIVE/VINTAGE/2007/534x10.htm

 

[collector2]

Lol - guess that means its my turn.

Filter Queen did sue Lewyt in the late 40's which led to the change to bags in the model 44 from filter cones. That didnt break the company though which continued till about 1962.

Around 1959 Lewyt came out with their second and third powernozzle machines (Model 111 and 121). The powerhead had a low voltage motor with the power being supplied by a secondary winding on the motor. It featured the revolutionary idea of a power hose but used the metal body of the machine and wands as part of the circuit. The problem came when the windings in the motor started to short out and feed 120 volts to the handle etc - giving the owners bad shocks. This started a series of law suits which eventually bankrupted the company (1962).

After the bankruptcy Lewyts assets were sold off and the Shetland Manufacturing Corporation (SMC) in the US bought the rights to the name and accessories. Holland Electro (In Holland) bought plans / machinery to make the big wheels machines and sold them as the Toppy model in Europe for almost 20 years after that.