Lux model 30/XXX tools

[caligula]

The Ejection process.

While I know this rather well I'm not an engineer. Can you discribe what causes the LX to eject, and what all those springs and levers do in that 5 second process. A lot of Electrolux buffs out there don't have a clue.

Thanks again,

Alex Taber.

 

[caligula]

Hi s31463221.

Thank you for the great Electrolux hose. Suction is great! Guess who will be doing a good housecleaning tomorrow.

I'm very happy.

Alex.

 

[caligula]

Spray gun question.

Do any of you find it odd that the top to the model LX's spay gun is blak bakelite? That looks of strange! I mean, it should have been the same color as the polisher attatchment. Perhaps the engineers thought this was not going to be used, but even so, it should match the machine. What do you think?

 

[aeoliandave]

It would probably be easier to explain in a hands-on demonstration with props...or you could wade through the Engineer-speak on the patent applications or the Serviceman's Manual.

But I'll give it a KISS shot. (Keep it simple, stupid)

When the bag spring and attached bag 'sled' are folded and latched against the back of the bag chamber with a genuine Electrolux bag with sealed edge inserted, the bag/hose door is latched closed against its spring catch.

According to pre-set launch settings, when the pressure differential created when the motor and fan are spinning suction between the bag chamber and the bleed hole inside the hose coupler intake goes past a certain balance point due to accumulation of dust within the bag closing up pores, this differential exhausts enough air from a large rubber diaphragm that pulls down a floating lever connected to the bag door latch and the launch sled rail.
The door opens first on its coil-sprung hinges and drops flat to the floor at the same time that the interconnected power switch is flipped to OFF by a toggle wire.
The dust-clogged bag now being sealed by residual suction to the rubber seal bag compartment rim, as the motor winds down the suction holding the bag in place lessens to the point that the spring latch, now in a half-cocked position, releases the powerful flat folded spring and shoots the bag support sled down the rail to its stops flinging the loose bag out of the machine.

My record fling was achieved by filling a dust wrapper with a carved styrofoam block, btw)

Each of these automatic actions has a external mechanical override lever so that the door can be opened or the bag ejected with the LX unplugged from the wall socket.

On the first generation LXs without the control dial the single setting was established at the factory then fine-tuned in the purchaser's home.
It was found that different above sea levels and particulate size of the household dust environment could cause the ejection to happen prematurely - Oh My! - before the bag was at full capacity, or not at all after the bag was beyond full.
The quick-fix solution from the Factory or Dealer was the Attic & Cellar Key that jammed the release lever to maximum bag fill.
These keys are scarce as hen's teeth but that's ok since most early LX's were retrofitted by the Servicemen with the control dial mechanism.You were advised to store the key under the power cord plug door on top of the machine. Not all LX's came with the cord re tractor - it was an up-sale option.

The 2nd generation aluminum (later plastic) rotation dial addressed this failure to adapt to the various dust properties throughout the same home so that bags were not wasted unnecessarily and Milady could adjust the trip action as she pleased, from outdoor to basement to main floor to attic, from sea level to Denver heights.

The final version of the LX (model 60), the LX1 (model 61), added features such as rear wheels on the runners and a flip sideways cord winder so that one didn't have to unscrew & remove the cordwinder to access the blower port.

Whew! read over several times.
Dave[this post was last edited: 1/18/2013-17:17]

 

[caligula]

Thanks Dave.

In all my years of working with the model LX, I never knew the term for that flat thingy coiled up, and used to push the wrapper out of the dust chamber. Now I know, it was a 'sled!' There are so many terms not know by most of us, and yet, we know the machine better than the backs of our hands.

As for the picture, yes, I have this, and am glad you shared it with those who don't know the model LX like we do. However, I find it a bit disapointing that the person responsible for this photo shoot used this model which is a LXI (61) and did not use the LX which had the name Electrolux in red lettering on a yellow background, far more impressive from an advertizement point of view.

And you can teach an old dog new tricks, because I never knew the winding down of the motor caused the rubber gasket to trip the latch under the diaphram, and activate the sled.

Do I have permission to use this discription in future referances to the LX updates of the History of Electrolux? I'm planning a much longer version in the near future.

Thakns again.

Alex.

 

[caligula]

What were they thinking at Electrolux?

Wouldn't it have looked more impressive if that model LX had been outfitted with the companion and all the attatchments? This was for Good Gousekeeping, Life, and Look magazines. Shouldn't they have shown the LX in all it's glory?

 

[caligula]

Fine tuning process.

Dave' you mentioned that the first generation LX's were fine tuned in the customers home. My model LX has a tiny belly button like thing just below, and slighly left of the lever to open the front cover. Was this were the salesman pre set the mchenism, or is that just a nick in the front cover?

I've read your discription over several times. Awesome! Thanks for wording it so well.

By the way, do you know the history of the Electrolux Corporation. I've written several versions of it, but the earliest is on of the best, as i also follow the k.i.s.s. metheod. If you want a copy let me know.

 

[aeoliandave]

It might have looked more impressive but Electrolux Marketing chose to show the concurrently available bare sleek machine tossing out a bag. That was the focus of this expensive advert. The ad dates from 1954 and the coloured plastic inserts were no longer available.
Resides the Companion was an up sale option.
I don't believe I've seen a color print ad for the first LX other than the 1952/53 Owners Manual.
Remember also that this double page print add was for the second edition LX with plain stainless steel trim plates, another bean counter directive in exchange for the dial, I'm sure.
Dial-less LXs are the hardest to find because of Electrolux's diligence in hunting them down and fitting the dial.

The model LX Model 60 was introduced in 1952, the plain side LX appeared new in 1954 with the control dial (which was widely retrofitted to the early models, and the LXI was introduced in 1955 with wheels on the runners, a newly designed rug nozzle that was partly made of blue plastic, and the very last of the LXIs had blue-plastic dusting brushes and upholstery nozzles. The LXI was produced for less than a year as the lightweight Model E came online with the same new tools and the combo upholstery/dusting brush.
That's what the decades of research tells me and that's good enough for me.

I simply cannot call a 2nd generation LX a model 61 LXI - it's not stamped under the strap handle trim piece plates of either of my 3 nor have I seen the stamping on anyone else's unless they are genuine 1955 LXIs...

Dave

(My apologies for hijacking the original Lux model 30/XXX tools thread but after Crevicetool's contribution it seemed fitting to do so. I had no idea it was going to gallop to such length for what should have been a separate LX/LXI thread.)

This is the Service Technician's Kit for adjusting the first version dial-less LX in the customer's home or on the bench. It requires the unbolting of the pneumatic unit with the door attached. 3 bolts, iirc.
The 14 page illustrated booklet is excruciatingly comprehensive.
[this post was last edited: 1/19/2013-01:31]

 

[caligula]

The vacuum cleaner that started my collection.

Many times over the years I've told the story of how it was the Electrolux model LX of a dear friend that started it all. But I've never told the full story.

As I've often said the lady who owned the Electrolux was Jeanette Pletincks, and she was like a second mother to me. I've also told how I made a pest of myself, waiting to see it 'pop.' When I started working for Electrolux in 1968, my first demo of the new 1205, was to Jeanette. My secret hope was that she'd buy the 1205, so I could keep her LX. No way, she did not buy. She kept that Electrolux to the day she died, which was in 1985. By then I'd moved to Naperville, Illinois.

One day, a few months after her death, there was a knock on the door, and there was a UPS driver. "I have a delivery for you" he said as he handed me a huge cardboard box. "You must have the wrong house, I didn't order anything" I said. Then he said, "It says Bobby Taber!" I was only Bobby to a few people, so I took the box. Inside was Jeanette's LX, the only thing not original was the cord winder, seems the original's spring had sprung and was replaced. But there it was What I did not know was that back when I was a kid, Jeanette had told her husband that this LX would be mine.

Needless to say it went into my display, but befor that I used it to create my own version of the inside of the instruction book. See what you think.

 

[caligula]

Awesome!

Thanks for the explination of the magazine ad, that makes sense, but I still wish it had the fancy nameplate, and tools.

And thanks for showing the adjustment kit.

 

[rugsucker]

-LX-

There is an early magazine ad(and this is when Elux just started using magazine advertising after much study according to an advertising textbook I have)showing only the 'see no,touch no,breathe no dust'lady and directing reader to set up a demo.It is somewhat like the Duesenburg ads showing elegant,wealthy woman(or man)and stating"She(or he)drives a Duesenburg"without feeling the need to show the product.--I have heard that at one time Elux had the idea of adjusting the LX to the region they were shipped.That is shipment to sandy beach areas would be adjusted differently than shipment to dusty desert states.I wonder how long it took to realise that each house and even each room can have its own dust conditions?

 

[aeoliandave]

Jimmy, likely as soon as the LX complaints started rolling in for premature ejaculation.

Dave

 

[caligula]

Hi rugsucker.

I've addressed this subject in detail in my article 'The History Of The Electrolux Corporation,' which was published in several newsletters. However, here is a brief excerp telling about the minor repairs in the field.

'There were problems right from the start with this Electrolux, though they were minor, they were numerous enough to force the engineering department to improve the machine. The ejector worked as intended, but all too often the front cover didn't open fast enough, or not at all, and this caused the bags to burst under pressure. This sent dust and dirt into the motor chamber and had to be repaired, or replaced at the expence of Electrolux. It was decided to put a retard dial on the front cover in order to slow down the ejection process.' I have since rewritten this article, and go into far more detail. If you want a copy let me know and I'll get it to you.

Alex.

 

[smith]

Wow, awesome thread. The LX has always been one of my favorite Luxes. Very nice examples in this thread!

 

[crevicetool]

Here's a blast from the past.....

Some of the devices talked about in the following archived thread about the automatic control can be seen in the pictures above. Please pardon the sad attempts at humor within my portions of the thread. I thought I was funny back then.....

http://www.vacuumland.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?1152

 

[caligula]

My Thanks to everybody who has posted on this thread..

This has grown like a weed, and I love it. Big Fred said it so well, this is what the club is all about. There can be no doubt that the Electrolux model LX in any form,, from first generation to the last LXI that rolled off the assembly line at the factory in Old Greenwich, Connecticut was the most advanced vacuum cleaner of it's time.

And I hope this thread continues, as there's a lot more info on Electrolux models as well as the XXX and LX.

Alex Taber.

 

[aeoliandave]

Fun Things to do with your Lux...

I'll say! No machine is foolproof and at times I am the most maniacal cackling mad scientist fool in the room.
Great to hear from you, Rick. I've tried to keep my humour quotient up to your lofty standards but, well,
Nobody does it better
Makes me feel sad for the rest.
Nobody does it half as good as you
Baby, you're the best.

Dave

 

[aeoliandave]

Here we go again some more, just can't help myself.

The Electrolux Engineers began working on the prototypes for the LX perhaps as early as 1948/49. By 1950 they were applying for patents of the various mechanisms under development, although, as is the practice the Patent would not be officially granted until 1955, three years after the debut.

Several bag ejecting solutions were tested, such as this scheme to use a 'scissors' rack to thrust and guide the sled forward. Note that at this early juncture the exterior shape of the LX was not locked in.

 

[aeoliandave]

The pneumatic control had been established and for those who love to read Patent-speak, here is the salient section concerning this action.
I term the 'ejector plate' a sled because it acts like one.

 

[aeoliandave]

The spring loaded scissors were designed to pull the sled forward while guiding it's trajectory with a geared connection of the arms at one end.[this post was last edited: 1/19/2013-20:31]

 

[aeoliandave]

Unfortunately the integrated spring proved too weak to push out a heavy full wrapper.

Another means of propulsion was considered - a tempered steel coiled watch spring under the sled (this same principle used in post LX cord-winders to this day).[this post was last edited: 1/19/2013-20:32]

 

[luxman107]

You all are amazing with all these pictures, engineering diagrams ,patents and history. Thanks for posting. This thread is priceless. Thanks

 

[aeoliandave]

A variation on the coil spring application.

 

[aeoliandave]

In the end, tho', keeping it simple and less prone to maintenance of the various levers & hinge points it was determined best to use a single rail to guide the sled reliably down the bag chamber.

Even then a more powerful spring was desired.

As highlighted in red, the solution was found in a 4" wide tempered steel band spring folded double and hinge-attached against the sled and back wall fan case. It took up less space than the coil, was reliable for long service and allowed the bag to be larger and the vacuum body to be shorter.
Fully deployed it is the exact length needed to run the sled to it's stops when released negating any further metal fatigue stress at the attachment points.
I have never known one of these band springs to either snap in half or become deformed from decades of folded & cocked inaction. Brilliant engineering.

 

[aeoliandave]

The final configuration of the pneumatic system and the exterior sculpture of the LX is locked in.

The tubular rod guide rail is #57 in this cross section.

Dave

 

[aeoliandave]

This idea from 1945 is too groovy to leave out. Eject the bag with a diverted blast of exhaust.

Here an excerpt from a communication from Alex Taber providing even more food for thought in the early genesis and development of a self-ejecting Dust Wrapper:

"The Jack-in-the-box canister, XXX side ejecting, lofting top (like a cannon) design, the one with the exhaust tube resting atop the main housing, and the one where the housing lifts off the runners, pops the front cover, ejects the wrapper, and unlatches the hose coupling, and the most odd designs that I think the club will find interesting"

 

[caligula]

Thank you powermate1970.

All because of a simple question about an Electrolux attatchment, this wonderful thread has just gon on and on. Everything from basic tools to some awesome patents have graced this thread. By now it's clear that I'm not alone in the love of the model LX, and as I have a lot more to share, this thread will continue.

Just wait till I get my book 'Electrolux, the first 40 years 1924 - 1964,' as it's full of info like Sarah the cat.

The 'Companion' is boxed, along with some history on the vacuum cleaner, especially about Electrolux' that I think you'll enjoy.

Once again, thanks for starting this thread.

Robert Alexander Taber

 

[caligula]

'The little tin can with the motor.'

Here's the vacuum cleaner that started it all. The Swedidsh export called the Electro-lux. Today we know it as the model V (5) and it was introduced to American housewives in 1924.

The rest, as they say, is history!

 

[powermate1970]

Alex, here it is!

I guess we can turn this thread from a 30 to a 60, and beyond! LOL Here is my acquired 60 that I broke the corner on. From reading Dave's comments, I'm going to try to replace the tube and clean out the bleed hole to see if that gets the bag eject working. I'm going into this one kinda blind as I've never actually seen one of these in action, live.

 

[powermate1970]

and another

backside