Why did early Kenmore hoses have the holes at the end?

[rainbowd4c]

I have dreaming about having a 78 Blue Kenmore Very Best Canister model since forever. What I have never been able to figure out was why they had the four air holes at the end of the hose? The model already had speed control and a suction regulator on the hose. If I can get one I would have to find a hose that didn't have those four holes. You lose so much suction with that issue.

 

[blackheart]

Safety thing?

Wasn't it some sort of Safety precaution to prevent kids from harming themselves with vacuum suction? I think i've read that somewhere

 

[eurekaprince]

The wands that came with Eureka vacuums in the 1960’s had slots on the “insertion” ends so the user would know how far to push them in for a proper connection. Once the slots were blocked by the inserted tube, you knew you had a secure connection.

 

[kloveland]

Didn't Kirby add those to the Omega attachment kits because some kid damaged his eye?

 

[kloveland]

Along the same lines. I heard another boy was riding on top of a Eureka canister with the lid open and sustained injury because his "parts" were pulled in by the fan.

 

[texaskirbyguy]

I have heard the same thing about the holes being a safety suction relief.
However, it is interesting to know that later Kirby hose ends deleted the holes (Legend for example). So not sure if safety was the real reason for them...

 

[canisterman]

Our Kirby dealer

Told me back when the Classic was out that some kid got the hose when his Mother had got called away for a moment He put it to his eye and it pulled it right out, This was supposed to be a true story and Kirby, rather than get sued over something like that, drilled the holes for safety.They were first introduced on the Omega.

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

texaskirbyguy

Rob,

They stopped punching the holes on the ends of the wands and the tool end of the hose midway into the first year of the Heritage II, around the time the Kirby Kaddy debuted.

~Ben