When Did the Royal 501 Have a Paper Bag Option?

[kirbyclassiciii]

Does anyone know when Royal first implemented the "H" type paper bag option for the model 501 hand vacuum? I'd like to think they started doing that in the mid-1980s.

Second question: will the "H" type paper bag option retrofit to older machines from the '50s to the '70s?

~Ben

 

[human]

I've got two 501's, a late production one with a blue cloth bag and switch guard, made in 1988 and an earlier example with a red and gray-bag from the 1960s. The newer one will take a paper toss out bag but the older one will not. The type H bag fits into the older cloth bag, but then the bag assembly won't turn all the way to lock into place. The difference seems to lie in the shape of the slots on the metal collar. The newer one is a bit straighter, while the older one has a very slight curve midway in its path. It's only a millimeter or two of difference, but it's enough to stop the bag assembly halfway into the slot. I haven't tried it, but it appears as though it would be pretty easy to straighten the shape of the slot with a rat tail file and thus allow the older machine to accept a type H bag. The only risk I see is that it wouldn't stay in place as securely without the paper bag.

 

[human]

Update: I just made the strangest discovery. The older 501 will accommodate a paper toss out bag just fine if you install the bag assembly onto the motor UPSIDE DOWN, that is, with the logo on the bag facing downward. No filing is necessary. Other than aesthetics, I don't see a downside (pun intended) to doing it that way.