Ping Thing

[paulg]

Do any of you recall the "Ping Thing" ?
If I recall correctly it was a disc incorporated into the handle of a Kenmore canister that "ping-ed" whenever debris was picked up. When the pinging stopped your rugs were clean.
I'm thinking this attachment was announced in the 1970's.

 

[dysonman1]

You are correct:

Sears offered two different versions. One for "power-mate" models and one for suction only models. They were listed with the accessories like bags, filters, hoses, etc. in the catalog. One nice by-product of using a "Ping Thing" was the added length to the wand of the Power Mate. Many 1970's Kenmore's, especially the earlier ones, had fairly short single-piece power nozzle wands. It was the first 'vocal' dirt finder.

 

[rugsucker]

Ping Thing

Tom is right. There was also a clothes nozzle with an air turbine rotating brush that I have found. But never the Ping Thing which is on my short list of wants. If I recall there were replacable discs that the dirt hit to make noise.

 

[kloveland]

Picture of the ping thing.

Just ran across this on Google books.

http://books.google.com/books?id=Wt...CEgQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=Kenmore vacuum&f=false

 

[papasvacs]

Ah, yes, I remember it well.....

<span style="font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif;">Did it work?  Was it a "flop"?</span>


<span style="font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif;"> </span>


<span style="font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif;">How was it received by the general population of Kenmore owners?</span>


<span style="font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif;"> </span>


<span style="font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif;">Just wondering..............</span>


<span style="font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif;"> </span>


<span style="font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif;"> </span>


<span style="font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif;">Greg F.</span>

 

[dysonman1]

They did have them hooked up...

In our Sears store, attached to (as I recall) their 'sale' model Power-Mate canister. I remember my mother saying she thought the sound was annoying. We didn't have a Kenmore vacuum (I was 12 years old then) so we never owned a "Ping Thing". The only ones I ever saw were at Sears. I never saw one actually owned by a customer. But they were sold, so they do exist.

 

[paulg]

That was the article I remembered

You nailed it! That is exactly the article I read many years ago.
Thanks for the info!

 

[oreck_xl]

Whoever invented the "Ping Thing" was a marketing genius! I'd love to know what the replaceable disks were made out of? Perhaps some type of aluminum foil?

- Hershel

 

[kirbyvertibles]

OMG that's what that thing is!!!! I have the one that went to the power mate model. It's packed up with the attachments at the moment. Man I always wondered what in the hell it was for

 

[tolivac]

Metal direct air vacuums make the "ping" sound when something hard goes thru the fan.Plastic fans go "clack".The "ping" thing for the canister sounds sort of interesting.Good for folks that like hearing things being picked up.Otherwise canister users have to be happy with things rattling up the wands and thru the hose-to the "thoop" into the canister.