In response to the Singer questions, Singer sold out to Bissell in the late 1990's. They DID make a power nozzle canister. Let's differentiate the two "Singer" vacuum lines. Those sold in Singer Sewing Machine stores (from the 1920's through the 1980's) - as opposed to Singer vacuums sold in retail stores (like K-Mart and Wal-Mart).
The first Singer uprights (1920's) were made by Sturtevant. They were straight suction machines, with two speed motors. First model used sleeve bearings, second used Ball Bearing. Next, the 1933 R-1 Singer. Made by GE and using a Backward Revolving Brush. The next 4 "R series" machines were made by Singer themselves, with the R-4 and R-5 models having an automatic cord rewinder (Singer's claim to fame).
In the 1950's, Singer introduced the new 'lowboy' uprights with twin fans. Even though Singer claimed to have 'invented' the twin fan design, they did not. It was an Air-Way design on the twin-fan DirtMasteR model. These first twin-fan models were made for approximately 15 years until the mid 1960's. They also featured a 'floating brush' in that the brush height was not fixed, the brush roller actually 'floated' on top of the carpet. Two 'arms' held the brush roller within the nozzle, and allowed it to move up and down within the nozzle.
Eureka built the Singer canister vacuums (the S series). Different colors and features. These were Singer's first canisters, and like their first uprights, Singer had them built by someone else until sales justified the investment in tooling to make the machines themselves.
Singer then developed the Twin-Fan design of the mid 1960's, and private labeled them for Sears and Sunbeam as well as for themselves. These private labeled machines for Sears continued to be sold by Sears well into the 1990's.
Mid 1960's, Singer developed their own canisters. In the mid 1970's they private labeled their canister and uprights for K-Mart as the "flor genie". This included a power nozzle canister as well as straight suction models. For Singer's own Singer Sewing Center stores, there were many different models. One famously stored the hose inside the housing under the lid.
Once the Singer Sewing Center stores closed (very few people sew any longer), Singer continued to private label machines for Sears, and began selling their cleaners through Wal-Mart and other stores. They became known for very 'cheap' vauums, low quality machines that today we would term "plastivacs", and this was the 1980's. Singer sold to Bissell in the late 1990's, and Bissell retired the Singer name.
