What Kirby was this?

[panasonicvac]

I just saw this from Kirby's social media page. I reconize one Kirby in this picture as a Heritage but the other one looks really different. I'm now very curious to know more about the Kirby with the bag mounted in the rear instead of on the side. Also the wheels and nozzle looks different. I've never seen one like it. Was it a prototype from a long time ago?

 

[human]

There two different machines pictured. The one with the bag off to the side looks like an early Heritage II before they introduced the slightly smaller floor nozzle. I have no idea about the other one with the bag in the back. Maybe it's some sort of prototype that never got past the proof-of-concept stage.

 

[kloveland]

Heritage I. The second don't know. There is a better picture on Kirby's FB page.

 

[convertible18]

i think this is a

heritage and a classic omega...correct me if i am wrong

 

[lesinutah]

Your

Wrong. It's a heritage 2. The comvac, and janitronic had F&G setups. This could be a heritage 2 concept for commercial vacuum since comvac the last commercial vacuum wasn't a sucess.

 

[lesinutah]

The

Concept with a setup like a eureka and hoover commercial vacs. The engine would have to be rearranged unless the debri went under the motor housing.
They should release this prototype. It's not like any design change has happened in the last 30 years.

 

[huskyvacs]

Yes the other vacuum is a prototype. It has the height adjustment pedal on the nozzle and not the wheels, whgeels built into the nozzle, a upturned scooped rear bag chamber, big rear wheels, and a more boxy shape.

Very interesting, nobody has seen these photos before.

 

[kloveland]

Les

Did the Heritage II have stripes like this on the handle?

 

[lesinutah]

The

Heritage turbo, heritage 84 and heritage 2 all had similar handles.

 

[kloveland]

I don't think the Heritage II had the same handle pattern label as the Heritage I or 84 Les. Correct me if I'm wrong. Look closer at the picture that Kirby posted (the handle). I'm fairly certain it's a Heritage one.

 

[repairman]

It's a first generation Kirby Heritage from 1981. If you zoom in closely, you can see the embossed Kirby logo on the headlight lens. There also doesn't appear to be a Kirby logo in the bottom right corner of the handle either.

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

LesinUtah

Les,

So too did the COMVAC 1300 and 1600 and the Legend II.

~Ben

 

[lesinutah]

The

Bag on the prototype matches the heritage 2 bag. The heritage 2 in pic is the same bag and the same handle. Heritage 1 logo on the fork was different. The heritage 84 heritage 1 orange bag and the heritage 2 in my pic are the same fork. If you notice the handle says turbo. My heritage 84 with orange bag says turbo and the heritage 2 says turbo on the handle. The heritage 2 legend1 and heritage 2 legend 2 have different decals.

 

[repairman]

No Les

It's not the same as a Heritage II bag and the belt lifter clearly says Heritage in the Kirby photo. The orange and grey bags have a similar square pattern except that 3 squares are taken up to display the Kirby logo on the grey bag which the one in the Kirby photo does NOT have. Either way, neither bag shows the word Kirby on the bag itself.

The Heritage II only said "Turbo" on the belt lifter decal. NOT the handle. Later models called the "Heritage II Legend" had the word, Legend, on the belt lifter.

Your Heritage II has the wrong handle fork. It would be one of the two shown below.

 

[lesinutah]

Lol

Your right. I got 3 heritage 2's from the thrift store for $10. I'm pretty sure they were trade ins at a local vacuum shop near by. They probably threw on whatever fit the vacuums. They frankenkirbied them.

 

[hoover300]

I questioned Kirby on this and they claim its the angle of the photo. Someone at Kirby's social media f*cked up by showing this... Pic of what it appears to be below, patented 1986.
https://patents.google.com/patent/US4610047A/en?assignee=The+Scott+Fetzer+Company&sort=new&page=18

 

[kirbyg6]

That’s not good it kinda reminds me of the avalir patents

 

[blackheart]

Why?

Why does Kirby seem to shy away from discussing their old prototypes.
I think it would be rather interesting to see what they've tried over the years, and perhaps know why they decided not to further pursue them.