Vintage Electrikbroom

[henry200]

I stopped at the vac shop this morning to pick up some belts and this old Electrikbroom was leaning behind the counter.  I went back this afternoon to offer something for it and I got it for nothing!   It's a model K.  Does anyone have an idea how old it is?


 


Neil

 

[henry200]

nameplate

 

[henry200]

hand grip with hanger and switch

 

[whirlpolf]

not the faintest, but

hey Neil,
while I have absolutely no ideas about any Elektrikbrooms, I find them more than interesting and wow.
(The first one I ever encountered was an 80s model in baby-blue plastic)

But yay! Yours seems to be all metal and those side clamps suggest some canning jar type mechanism to open the fan chamber, is this right?

I love those Regina brooms because of the fact that here in Germany those stick vac types with direct air system (through the fan and up to the bag) were the most commong thing.

Have a pic of my early 70s AEG Vampyrette, but please tell me more whether I am right or not concerning the fan chamber.

Nice machine ;-)
Joe

 

[akabent]

On the early Electrik Broom:

Neil, I think/hope this will help. It is from a former hostorian of the Club:
Rick B


Post# 82174-10/9/2009-23:49 ||| caligula (Allentown Pa.)

Todays History lesson--(HE'S A LITTLE DRAMATIC) The Regina Electric broom.
Before I answer that question, I'm going to give you a little background on the Regina company. This is a hard nut to crack as all my notes on this company are in my storage unit, so I'm going on memory here. The inventors last name was Brathausen (First name unknown). The company dates back to the late 1800's (1890 comes to mind). They were based in Germany and were manufacturers of Music boxes and player pianos. Then they opened a factory in New Jersey and introduced non electric vacuum cleaners in the early 1900's. Starting in 1925 they introduced an(electric) upright. I have one in my collection. They continued to manufacture vacuum cleaners up to the 1970's.

As for the Electric Broom, I believe I have the first model.****** It dates back to about 1945. Mine has a black rubber nozzle, motor housing and dust cup are made of black bakelite, the bag is red cordoroy, and has a wheel thingy so it can slide along the floor.***** I think a hose and tools were part of the machine. Mine has very good suction.

Again guys, don't quote me here, as without my notes I'm taxing my memory. I do know that Brathousen ended up as the night watchmen for the company he started.

Alex Taber

 

[henry200]

Alex, thanks for the info.  I knew Regina had been around a long time but didn't know it originated in Germany.  While mine has the black rubber nozzle and bakelite dust cup, the fan chamber/motor housing is metal so it must be a bit newer.


 


Joe, you are correct about the fan chamber.  Here is a photo with the chamber open.  I'm surprised that the fan blades are in pretty good shape.

 

[henry200]

The bakelite dust cup removed...

 

[whirlpolf]

wow, Alex!

Really Brathousen? (or Brathausen?)

Not that I might know of any of this history, but Brathausen sounds like some very old Northern German name to me. Where were they from, any ideas?

This is really astounding as here some older ideas might have merged into one and then have split again:
The Vorwerk Company has been producing stick vacs for all their life ("Kobold" = German for "goblin/dwarf". beginning their business from weaving carpets, then their son switching to something more profitable (radio at that time) - but when business went down, they turned into re-using old phonograph motors for a little direct-fan vacuum, the "Kobold" was born (today's stick vac by Vorwerk). First sold in shops (wouldn' compete against other companies monstrous machines) but learning from Tupperware in the US they changed into a direct selling company.
This is how it went: The "motor-transforming inventor" (the guy who misused the grammophone motors for a vacuum) showed the first stick vac to his secretary and told her: "here we go!" and she went: "goodness, this some kind of a little helpful dwarf (German = Kobold)". Hence the name.

Can it be there were some coincidences? Are some of the stories not even true?
Vorwerk is well-known for covering up their not-so-pleasant history facts (war time and such, even denying the existance of their very own factory museum!), but THIS seems really too much of the same story, doesn't it? Juke boxes? Piano players? Funny enough. So much of the same background: Music machinery, vacuums...


Very interesting! Have you got more?
Since I personally do not trust Vorwerk anymore (not talking about their high-end products, they are really good) - but personal experience lead me to it: Would you like to share any more details that you might have got?

I am in X-files mood now!
Cheers, Joe

 

[henry200]

I agree Joe, all these common inter-connections are getting very interesting!  I didn't know anything about Vorwerk until sometime in the 70's a vacuum shop here in St. Paul sold their stick vacs and some of their uprights.  During that time the shop also sold another imported vacuum, Progress Mercedes.  I found the Vorwerk vacuums interesting and very unlike any American-made vacuums at the time. 


 


I guess this is all doubly interesting since my ancestry is predominantly German; Pommeranian to be exact.


 


 

 

[collector2]

Hi:

I'm thinking that is a 1952, early 1953 (I have another ad from late 53 that shows a different "new" model) model as it matches the picture in these 1952 and 1953 ads.

Doug

 

[collector2]

the 1953 ad - note the price of $39.95

 

[whirlpolf]

look what I have found!

It seems that there is no real connection between Vorwerk, Regina, AEG and other stick vac brands, but I could find out that the name was "Gustav Brachhausen" (probably the English pronounciation BraKhauen might have turned it into BraThausen accidentially, think of speaking on bad phone lines).

Once you have the name right, you get flooded with information.
The major links for you:

1--University of Leipzig on the "Brachhausen & Rießner" company in Germany. Those made disc operated music boxes, the type where small cogs on a rotating disc or roller snag metal rods. (The lullaby pling-plong tunes, you know them all)
http://mfm.uni-leipzig.de/hsm/detail.php?id=6

1b--Search youtube for these old instruments in operation and enjoy.

2--Some private radio museum on the "Polyphon" company, their new name. They also featured large units with exchangeable discs:
http://www.sterkrader-radio-museum.de/Polyphon Geschichte.htm

2b--More infos on the large models here:
http://www.spieluhr.de/spieldosen/plattenspieldose.htm

3--The Regina Music Box factory, now in the US (with pics!)
http://www.antiquemusicboxes.com/wood.html
Brachhausen lived until 1943, Regina started vacuum business in 1909:

4--More on the Regina history here:
http://www.gameroomantiques.com/Feature/ReginaCompany.htm

5--A Google book about the Regina Co. with a text section about the vacuum business:
http://books.google.de/books?id=qG_...JJZhjT6jUC0ete0pZ6w&hl=de#v=onepage&q&f=false

6--A Brachhausen vacuum patent for an upright with wheel-driven brushroll:
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/1405095.html

And finally a pic of my AEG stick vac disassembled, look how similar the fan, the annular spiral path and the oval upwards chute are!

Funny: Music apparatus seems to get quite numerous people hooked to vacs and funny how similar ideas can come up in different heads on different spots of this globe.

 

[henry200]

Joe,


You're quite the researcher!  That's a lot of information to digest and study further.  The link between musical instruments and vacuums has a long history it appears.  I'm a musician myself and my love for the pipe organ began shortly after my obsession with vacuum cleaners.  The fact that so many vac collectors are also organists is a continual source of amusement.


 


There is tremendous similarity of design between your AEG and my Regina, no doubt because the overall concept is so utterly simple and practical.  A stick vac is truly a handy little "goblin."


 


Neil

 

[henry200]

Regina ads

Doug,


Thanks for posting those ads.  I think you've identified the exact model I have.  I guessed that it must have dated from the 50's and now I now it predates me!   If you would be so kind as to email scans of those ads to me I'd be forever grateful.

 

[collector2]

Hey Neil:

Afraid those are the only pictures I have. I've never had the original ads so I cant scan them. I cant even remember who sent them to me anymore its been so long.

Doug

 

[electrikbroomgu]

Model K broom

1952-54 seems to be the model run for the "K" series of Electrikbroom. 1945-1951 saw the first run of model 1's. Notice the similarities of the model 1 to the "K" if you see the pic that occasionaly appears on Ebay. The black rubber floor nozzle stayed the same and did not rotate. The purple color motor and fan housing and black bakelite dirt cup also remained the same. The bag grew in size on the model K and puffed out noticeably more and the words "Electrikbroom were proudly displayed in white, the black power cord lost 2' in length, the red wheel/cord strap assembly gave way to the metal cord hook and the motor fan was re-designed with smaller blades. The model "L" which debuted in 1955 saw a total color change to tan with a light tan bag. The dirt cup was the same in size but was now brown plastic. The floor nozzle changed to the rotating type and was also brown plastic with an optional clip on set of bare floor brushes if desired. The cord was now tan and the same 23' length as the model "K". The black handle grip was replaced with a new tan grip, the switch was re-located to the back of the handle and the strain relief for the cord was now integrated into the switch for easier service. In 1957 the "L" became the "TL" and it saw the cord length reduced to 18', the upper bagscrew on retainer was painted tan, the switch changed from the toggle to the metal flip type and the motor housing and dirt cup were carry over. From 1958 to about 1961 the model 500 debuted with larger capacity bag and dirt cup but it retained the same brown/tan color scheme as the "L" and "TL" series. Will post pics of these models for fun so the changes can be appreciated in color.

 

[hamiltonbeachbo]

Hey Joel (Mister electrikbroomgu),
I'm a fellow enthusiastic of the Regina Electrikbrooms.
My interests lie with models from the mid 50s to the late 60s.
IMHO, that was the era when they were well built.
When you have a minute would love to see pixs of machines in your collection that reflect that time period, along with history on how the various models changed over time.
Thanks!!
psf