1961 Duo-Matic Twin Tub

[triumphdolomite]

Thanks to a couple of tip offs from Darren and Al last weekend I've had a trip to Cambridge today to collect a Duo-Matic twinny. I have to say I don't really know a lot about Duo-Matic except I think they were the predecessors to the Rolls family of twin tubs. I do have to say that it seems to be of better build quality than the Rolls, it's certainly a lot heavier. Differences I've noticed so far are:-
Washdeck is a heavy enamel, washer and spinner are both direct drive, both pumps also direct drive from the other end of the motor, no 'suds jet' on the wash side, there should be two separate emptying hoses but the wash side has broken away. Does anyone know how this worked, did it just hang over the side of the wash tub to recirculate the water or did it have a stopper in the end you just removed to empty. It does still have what I think is its rinse hose, although it's way beyond redemption, this only fits the hole in the spinner lid but by the very small hole in the adapter it might take a while to deliver enough water for rinsing. Only managed to take a few pictures before the camera battery gave up, I'll see if I can get some more done when I've tidied it up a bit. Finally I noticed as I put it into the car that the old girl celebrated her 56th birthday nearly three weeks ago, marked on the bottom is 6/11/61 which I'm guessing must either have been the build date or someone marked it when they purchased it.
Ian

 

[johnrk]

Congratulations!

I've always wanted a twin tub, actually have thought about buying a Danby over the past few years. We never sold those in the volume that you did in GB.

 

[rolls_rapide]

Rolls "Duo-matic" twin-tub, 1963.

The Science Museum dates it as 1963, as shown in the link. Indeed, it is described as a "Rolls Duo-matic" by the Science Museum.

I like the look of it. The Rolls Rapide was obviously a cheaper version.

Do you suppose that the Duomatic was possibly the imported, re-badged version, before John Bloom of Rolls Razor cottoned on to making the machines here?

Anyway, it's fabulous that you got your mitts on it! Well done.

Image courtesy and copyright of Science Museum / Science & Society Picture Library.

http://www.ssplprints.com/image/84059/rolls-duo-matic-twin-tub-1963

 

[rolls_rapide]

Look at this!

The rinse hose...!

The photo below shows the wash tub. Inside is the rinse hose.

Notice that the rinse hose apparently has a cream-coloured plastic tube protruding from it. I presume, attached to the small hole in photo #5 of Ian's pics.

Image courtesy and copyright of Science Museum / Science & Society Picture Library.

 

[rolls_rapide]

In "Critique of Entrepreneurship: People and Policy
By Peter Armstrong", he states that:

"..Bloom hired private detectives who traced the machines from Schroutens' factory to the Duomatic warehouse..."

It appears Duomatic was a competitor to Rolls. Indeed this info might prove useful:

"In Autumn 1962, when Rolls were selling 2,500 machines per week, Duomatic were selling 700 - still imported from Holland."

And not long after Rolls collapsed, "Duomatic itself folded shortly afterwards."

 

[rolls_rapide]

Rolls apparently started with the Rolls 'Electromatic' machine. Then a name change to 'Starmatic'. But the first Starmatics had imported motors with a wiring defect and were blowing up in kitchens.

The first successful model was the Rolls 66.

 

[rolls_rapide]

It appears that Bloom tried and failed to negotiate supplies of the automatic marketed by Duomatic.

I suppose it must have been this one... apparently dated 1964, according to the newspaper.

Courtesy of the Shropshire Star newspaper.

 

[rolls_rapide]

Here is an advert for the Duomatic 'Triumph' twintub, in TV-Times magazine from May 1963.

 

[matchboxpaul]

Thanks for sharing the image of the Duomatic Automaster - never seen one of the those before.

Would appear that, if Bloom failed to negotiate with the builders of Duomatic's automatic, he then popped over to Italy and had words with REX-Zanussi!

The result was the Rolls Robot ....

 

[rolls_rapide]

Courtesy of Al (Vacbear58)

 

[triumphdolomite]

Thanks

For all the extra information. I'm guessing it must be quite an early machine if the Science museum think 1963 and the 1962 quote above says Duomatic were only selling 700 imported machines. The date written underneath is 1961, sadly the rating plate is only a sticker most of which is missing, you can see the remains in picture 4, so it doesn't say where it was made.
I've also found a tiny sticker on the front panel by the red light that says De Lux Model, I;m not sure what makes it more de lux than the popular in the advert above!
I presume the Automaster was an H axis machine also of Dutch manufacture.
Ian.

 

[vacbear58]

Duomatic

Well what a load of interesting stuff has emerged about this machine

I had wondered if these were the original Dutch design that I thought the Rolls was derived from with Rolls taking out as much of the cost as possible - lighter guage metal, a constant re-circulating pump for the wash tub rather than a separate motor and perhaps smaller capacity.

I wonder how this machine, with its bottom pulsator, would have performed without the recirculation jet to keep the clothes under water - this has been noted as a problem with the AEG model although perhaps with a circular tub thsi might not have been so much of an issue.

I completely forgot I had that advertisment (and honestly I thought it was a Rolls) - I need to get a spreadsheet going of my literature.

I am staggered that the price of that automatic machine could have been so low, unless they were able to buy a bulk load of machines that were going to be replaced.

 

[vacbear58]

Which 1964

In doing a bit of research my first point of call was Which, and the first reference I have to Duomatic is in 1964 - there may have been an earlier report which I do not have scanned.

In the table on Page 2 there Duomatic machine seems to be rather larger than the Rolls derived machines: Bylock (owned by Rolls at this time), Goblin, English Electric, and the two Rolls Models - with a curious diversity in sizes in each of those - I think there must be a mistake in the table as they all appear to be teh same price the Rolls in particular looks incorrect. This report came out more or less at the time that Rolls went bust. The washing capacity of the Duomatic is larger too

In reading the report it is also curious to note the variation in results between machines which appear, at least superficially, to be identical although it appears that the Bylock did not have the re-cirulation jet so the EE gets a very good rating and yet others do not. Shame there are not more pictures of the machines ....

 

[rolls_rapide]

1963 Acme 'Conquest' Advert

Courtesy of Clydesdale Electrical Stores, and Grace's Guide for retaining the advert!

And thanks, Al, for the vintage Which? data!

 

[rolls_rapide]

Mixed bag of Twin Tubs...

Courtesy of a previous posting by Chestermikeuk...

AEG Lavalux Super,
Brunlec Twin Spin,
Hoover 65,
Acme Twin Speed,
Stokvis Twin Tub...

Most should match Al's Which? report.

 

[rolls_rapide]

More...

Again courtesy of Chestermikeuk...

Hotpoint Supermatic,
Easytwin,
GEC Space-Saver

 

[rolls_rapide]

1960 Rolls Electromatic

Courtesy of Pinterest

 

[rolls_rapide]

Rolls Starmatic

Courtesy of Manchestervacs

 

[rolls_rapide]

Easitwin Twin Tub

Again, courtesy of Manchestervacs.

I spelt Easitwin wrongly earlier above in the thread as 'Easytwin'