Richmond Vacuum Cleaning Machine 1907-1911?

[chitwj98]

Hi there. I’m not a vacuum enthusiast, but we have a very old central vac system in the home we recently purchased, that I’m trying to find out more about. From the internet research I’ve been able to do, it appears that we have a Richmond Vacuum Cleaning Machine. One part of the cast iron has the name “McCrum-Howell Co.” over “New York - Chicago”. The vacuum portion of the unit has a label on it that says Kenney Patent Number 847947 March 19th,1907. The motor portion of it has a label that says General Electric Repulsion Induction Motor with additional info listed about HP, volts and amps. I’ll include pictures and an original add for the unit that I found on the internet, as well as pictures of the unit that I took today.

I’d greatly appreciate it if someone could provide me with information on the vacuum. Thanks in advance!

 

[akabent]

Richmond Central Vacuum

<span style="font-size: 12pt;">I am unable to help but wanted to say Thank You for sharing this.  I hope someone will be able to provide information that will help you.  It is very, very cool and surely an historic addition to your home.  The home must be quite special as well, and congrats on that!  I'm certain this was quite the upgrade for the house when it was built!  </span>


 


<span style="font-size: 12pt;">     "Historic homes (and antiques) are pieces/aspects of history you can hold!"</span>


 


<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Thank you again for taking the time to share this!</span>


 


RB

 

[kirby519]

Wow that is quite the machine. Is it still operational?

 

[kenkart]

I bet

It can be made to work if it doesent, I would have to restore that!

 

[chitwj98]

I have no idea if it is functional. There is a bit of oil on the floor around it, so I’d imagine it probably needs some tlc.

 

[madman]

The patent paper is quite fascinating. That old machine is definitely a part of the house and should be cherished. If the original access ports haven't been removed or covered up, why, you could even make it a totally functioning system.

Check out the link below for the patent paper. Apparently, yours is not identical to that system, but probably shares enough features to warrant the patent usage. According to that advertisement, which seems to be identical to yours, it's a dry filter setup. As opposed to a water based separator in the patent.

There are actually several google books showing ads for this system, all right around 1910. I'm guessing your house was built in the '10s, then?

http://https//patents.google.com/patent/US847947A/en?oq=847947

 

[collector2]

Something isnt quite right with the wireing on the machine but I cant quite put my finger on it. It looks like there should have been a junction box or something similar between the knife switch and the wire to the motor.

Properly on a knife switch the live wires come in from the bottom (to the knives) and the motor connection is from the top (fuses). In that way when the switch is open the fuses are dead and can be safely replaced. The Knife switch is positioned correctly in that the knives always open down so they cant accidentally fall to the closed position.

 

[chitwj98]

Age of house & ports.

We think the house was built in 1908. The original ports are still in the house and connected. And the vacuum still has an exhaust pipe to the chimney.

 

[human]

I would find it simultaneously really cool and really scary to fire that thing up.

 

[madman]

You know, it sure does look like it's missing a junction/fuse box between the knife switch and motor.

Considering it's been indoors for the past ONE HUNDRED AND TEN years, albeit in a basement, it's probably in fine condition for its age. But it'll need a good checking-over, lubrication, examining of the wires, etc, etc, before a test run. I would find somebody who's willing to prep that old beast for testing. Likely it'll need at least SOME repairs before a real run could be had.

It's amazing that the original ports are still in the walls. If you get the whole setup back in working order... it'll be one of the few (if not the only) working central vacuum of that vintage, that's actually still in the house it was originally installed to.

I'm genuinely curious how it would perform. Probably not very good by today's standards. But it'd still be a great showpiece of your home.

 

[myles_v]

It would be awesome if you could get pictures of the inlets, that would also help someone locate a hose that may work with them if you'd like to make the system functional. I'm not sure whether it would be advisable to use the system for regular cleaning or not, but it definitely is a neat historical aspect of the home and it would be an interesting conversation piece I suppose.

Current central vacs use low voltage wiring connected to the inlets that act as an on/off signal to the motor unit whenever the circuit is completed by either a solid metal band on the end of a 30 ft hose or by wires within the hose that connect to an on/off switch in the handle. I believe machines of the early 1900s used physical buttons located on the walls within the home to turn the machine on, so you may have some of those in your house as well. Possibly near the inlets?