Question about an antique Royal vacuum cleaner

[gmerkt]

Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of the machine. It was shown to me in a driveway with only illumination from a nearby street light.

It was what I would call an antique-appearing machine. It had a metal tag on the top of the fan housing that said Royal and the number 130-3842. It was a straight suction machine.

From the number I've given above, can you tell me what the model designation is and approximate vintage? Thanks.

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

Gary,

From what I know that machine was probably made in the 1930s or 1940s. It seems to be a pre-war machine due to the straight suction nozzle you mention, and such models were rendered obsolete after the end of World War II. Revolving motor-driven brushes were much better.

~Ben

 

[hygiene903]

Gary,

A picture would be helpful, but the number you gave indicates the model would be 130. For many years up until the late 60's or early 70's Royal incorporated the model number into the serial number. In your number, 130 is the model, 3842 is a sequence number. And I agree with Ben, it is most likely a pre-war machine--and a model that I haven't heard of until now. I do have an early straight suction Royal built in April of 1926, with no model number but a 6 figure serial number, also a couple post-war straight suction Electro-Hygienes, model 230 and 2-230. Here's a pic of the Royal--does it look like this?
Jeff

 

[hygiene903]

Model 230 Electro-Hygiene

Royal was still building straight suction machines for Electro-Hygiene until 1954. The deodorizing crystal chamber was such an important part of Electro-Hygiene that EH stayed with straight suction until they came up with a workable solution of where to put the crystal chamber on a revolving brush model. Here's the 230.

 

[hygiene903]

And Here's The 2-230

Not much different than the 230 except for bag color and a more streamlined motor housing, which is not visible in this pic.

 

[kirbyfan99]

it's weird that the bag is on the right not the left (like a kirby). Usually direct front suction nvacuums have the bag on the left side and not the right. so i'm wondering, why would they build the royal model 130 with the bag on the right and not the left?

 

[kirbykid]

normaly they are older vacs that have the bag on the right

 

[hygiene903]

Don't really know why, just where the designers placed it. Royals were on the right from the beginning until about 1928, when they redesigned it & moved the outlet to the other side, as seen in the 2 Electro-Hygiene models shown above. This also necessitated changing the fan and the direction in which the motor turned. Early Eurekas and Regina uprights were also the same way. Here's an early straight suction Eureka.
Jeff

 

[hygiene903]

And a model G-2 Eureka with revolving brush.

 

[hygiene903]

A couple Reginas, model 39 and 59.

 

[hygiene903]

And Last But Not Least,

The Rotarex, made by Apex.

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

gmerkt

Gary,

I also noticed this to be Royal's first commercial duty upright cleaner. Take a look at the ad at the top right.

~Ben

 

[vintagevac]

Royal 230

Good evening! Does anyone have access to the manual to the model 230? My Royal is on the way!