programcomputer
Well-known member
Hello,
This IMHO ( Please add if you know more!!!) is what I have learned by older folks in the vac buisness who have told me what they knew about Alex Lewyt, the Lewyt Corporation and Lewyt vacuum cleaners in general.
Many people I guess do not know MUCH about Lewyt. Alex Lewyt was the James Dyson of his day who consistently , along with his designers continued to improve or make better in his own way previous designs, like the first Filter Queen like Lewyt model 50.
The Big Wheel Lewyt that was introduced In I believe in 1953-54, was a direct result of Alex starting over with a fresh (of his own desing cleaner) that no one else could claim as theirs.
A (Spotty)History of Lewyt- ( fill in if you know more)
Alex Lewyt worked for Chicago based Health-Mor (Filter Queen)during the early post-war period as an engineer. This was back when they decided to switch over from a Royal built and designed upright to it's own design of canister the model 150.
As you know it featured the famous (cellulose)cone filter. Alex, never happy with his thoughts, or finalized designs in a way, began to tinker with the (selected)final design, which infuriated his cohorts and he basically was asked in short order to leave the company.
Alex Lewyt, swayed by no one decides to tweak the design that HE JUST had help create and make his own cleaner. He gets financed, finds a suitable factory in Long Island New York...and sets to bringing out his machine by 1947-48.
Meanwhile back in Chicago, Health-Mor patented the design of the Filter Queen 150, and was being produced in 1946 as Alex Lewyt was gearing up his "own" version of the Filter Queen that he named quite self-servingly the Lewyt.
His machine introduced in 1948 was basically a (slightly)scaled down version of the Filter Queen vacuum cleaner, but had a slightly more powerful motor, a smaller metal cone that the Lewyt paper cone sat on, designed better attachments and a more sturdy hose and began to sell it thru auto dealerships gas stations, appliance stores and door to door.
Over at Filter Queen the powers that be were NOT thrilled about Alex Lewyt's decision of stealing what was "rightfully" theirs ( as would any company at that time), so they began to assemble lawyers and began to attack Lewyt from his Long Island New York factory in the fall of 1948.
Basically the Filter Queen People were able to prove that the design he was (using) was thiers by right, and the courts said in short change it or else; so Filter Queen told him to stop making the design by 1949 ( and that was NICE of them BTW)...or he would be sued into bankruptcy.
Facing this he quickly re-engineered his machine to use a full paperbag (rather than the cone) 1950..which by the time he could do anyway, becasue Air-Way's patent on the "paper bag" expired in 1951, and had no way of extending the patent becasue it monopolized the industry from innovation.
Sidebar- Ironically at this same juncture Electrolux came out with their "self sealing wrapper (bag)" for the model LX.
Lewyt wanted to change his design by this time anyway, and to completly disassociate "his" cleaner with the Filter Queen style/look created the Big Wheel Lewyt for 1954-55. He designed it to be contemporary but against the norm, whilst keeping it a very manuverable cleaner...which MANY canisters back at that point were NOT. Including but not limited to the almost 30lb. Filter Queen...
His machine featured:
1.Excellent filtration ( against the norm for many even then),besides Filter Queen, Air-Way nad Electrolux with it's new paper bag feature....
2.Tools that not only worked but ACTUALLY served a needful function.And a machine hose end ferrule that pointed downward towards the floor so when the hose was tugged it tipped the machine back to be rolled around on its HUGE rear wheels.
3.And what's best is that his large rear wheels did make it the most manuverable canister available then and now in most cases. And it wasn't nearly as heavy as most about 18lbs.
He continued to improve it coming out with:
1.1954 a non motorized carpet sweeper like attachment that helped with carpet pickup and could be used WITH or without the vacuum attached ( a sort of a metal stylized Bissel attached to the bottom of the suction wand if one wishes)
2.1956 an adjustable suction dial for different tasks, and a new style "Nylaflex" woven nylon unbreakable hose.
4.1957- the Golden Lewyt appeared with gold anodized wands and tools with green trim otherwise, a look in window ( too see how full the bag was)...
5. 1958 Lewyt introduced the "first" Electrical Powerhead attachment with a headlight.
This was Lewyt's ( to me anyway's) most important contribution then and now becasue:
1.It beat out Sears Kenmore by almost a full year..the Power-Mate first being introduced in the the 59' model year..or er. Sears Fall and Winter 1958 but Kenmore/Whirlpool and Electrolux proper did not with their own versions (saleable) until 1959 and 1960-1961 respectivly.
2.It was the first to use a fully electrified hose (wires integrated in hose material), whereas the other versions named, had a electric cord that strapped to the outer hose and wand, and was a nuisance at worst but a workably temporary solution at best.
3.Besides that, there were no pigtails anywhere with the electrical leads buried in the wands, handgrip, and canister connection ferrule. It was a direct connect machine 30 years before Kenmore and others got around to doing the same.
4. Lighted powerhead. Well to anyone who just vacuums, this may not be an important issue. But considering tha Kenmore diddn't have a lighted version until 1961 or so, it was an important achievement. It was a full width headlight also instead of being an afterthought.
This machine sold well as the Lewyt "Electronic" Model 111 featured HEAVILY in all Lewyt advertisements, in 1958-59-60.
The machine was in no way Electronic...and Consumer Reports blasted it by just mentioning so...but it was the first and by far an achievement by one of the minors that caught the majors off guard..iof even by only a few months.
But by 1961 Lewyt had moved on ( and summararily the Powerhead model had been dropped, or er. not given as much credence as before...to his next creation, another more compact canister ( Like a Eureka Mighty Mite) design which had a retractible cord reel, full Lewyt attachments and the most powerful suction motor yet in a Lewyt according to adverts I believe it was rated at 880 watts.
This machine was suceeded in turn in 1963, by yet another midsize cansiter Lewyt which was oversquare and looked like a small portable televsion. This machine wasn't nearly as beautiful af the Big Wheel version...but it seemed to suceed it entirely until the next year when it was superceded by one last go by Alex Lewyt and Co.
1964 brought the last major USA onslaught/redesign and go ahead until Lewyt sold out..primarily becasue his machines were NOT Hoovers and Eureka's by then america's favoirte cleaners...and everyone else had more money or more patience than he to continue....
Firstly- Lewyt Contracted with Singer Co. to build them an upright cleaner. Looking like contemporary Singers with Twin Fan design this machine was built primarily to get Lewyt into a field that it previously ignored wholly. Several models were built like a Good, Better and Best selection. It WAS a badge engineered cleaner..but Lewyt neede every dollar it could get and these machines...while Singer Designed, sold well to be sure...
Secondly a completlely redesigned full size square bodied canister,much like a stretched Eureka Princess, kinda flat but rectangular in shape using the famous Lewyt tools "that actually did their job"...making a Lewyt version, and a badge enginnered version for Montgomery Wards.
In the 1970's after loosing interest, and money...Lewyt sold out his holdings to Shetland Corporation which quickly became Shetland-Lewyt. This was absorbed again as SCM Corporation and there is scant proof that Lewyt vacuum cleaners were made past 1974-1975 in the USA except in Canada.
There ( in Canada), they used a Rebadged USA designed Cyclonic Regina canister design from the early to mid 70's with a Douglas built powerhead...built thru at least 1980 or so.
As a final afterthought on Alex Lewyt:
He was a pretty remarkable guy..but wasn't known for complete sanity or practicality. He told a conference of enginners sometime in 1958 that he felt that 10 years from then we would all be using atomic powered vacuum cleaners. Alex, being who he was constantly dabbled in other things, and designed and developed and sold other products BESIDES vacuum cleaners...was almost laughed out of the meeting and was ridiculed from all the major's and eventually became a recluse by the late 1960's either being as they said...crazy...or just too far ahead of his time.
In closing....just a few years ago the Lewyt name WAS ressurected for a line of cheap badge engineered vacuum cleaners I believe were manufactured by Sanyo. They were these cheap nasty things that just further pushed the great old name of Lewyt...farther down into the pit of history...never to be relieved properly.....too bad....
Chad
Anyway...that's what I have to say about Lewyt....
This IMHO ( Please add if you know more!!!) is what I have learned by older folks in the vac buisness who have told me what they knew about Alex Lewyt, the Lewyt Corporation and Lewyt vacuum cleaners in general.
Many people I guess do not know MUCH about Lewyt. Alex Lewyt was the James Dyson of his day who consistently , along with his designers continued to improve or make better in his own way previous designs, like the first Filter Queen like Lewyt model 50.
The Big Wheel Lewyt that was introduced In I believe in 1953-54, was a direct result of Alex starting over with a fresh (of his own desing cleaner) that no one else could claim as theirs.
A (Spotty)History of Lewyt- ( fill in if you know more)
Alex Lewyt worked for Chicago based Health-Mor (Filter Queen)during the early post-war period as an engineer. This was back when they decided to switch over from a Royal built and designed upright to it's own design of canister the model 150.
As you know it featured the famous (cellulose)cone filter. Alex, never happy with his thoughts, or finalized designs in a way, began to tinker with the (selected)final design, which infuriated his cohorts and he basically was asked in short order to leave the company.
Alex Lewyt, swayed by no one decides to tweak the design that HE JUST had help create and make his own cleaner. He gets financed, finds a suitable factory in Long Island New York...and sets to bringing out his machine by 1947-48.
Meanwhile back in Chicago, Health-Mor patented the design of the Filter Queen 150, and was being produced in 1946 as Alex Lewyt was gearing up his "own" version of the Filter Queen that he named quite self-servingly the Lewyt.
His machine introduced in 1948 was basically a (slightly)scaled down version of the Filter Queen vacuum cleaner, but had a slightly more powerful motor, a smaller metal cone that the Lewyt paper cone sat on, designed better attachments and a more sturdy hose and began to sell it thru auto dealerships gas stations, appliance stores and door to door.
Over at Filter Queen the powers that be were NOT thrilled about Alex Lewyt's decision of stealing what was "rightfully" theirs ( as would any company at that time), so they began to assemble lawyers and began to attack Lewyt from his Long Island New York factory in the fall of 1948.
Basically the Filter Queen People were able to prove that the design he was (using) was thiers by right, and the courts said in short change it or else; so Filter Queen told him to stop making the design by 1949 ( and that was NICE of them BTW)...or he would be sued into bankruptcy.
Facing this he quickly re-engineered his machine to use a full paperbag (rather than the cone) 1950..which by the time he could do anyway, becasue Air-Way's patent on the "paper bag" expired in 1951, and had no way of extending the patent becasue it monopolized the industry from innovation.
Sidebar- Ironically at this same juncture Electrolux came out with their "self sealing wrapper (bag)" for the model LX.
Lewyt wanted to change his design by this time anyway, and to completly disassociate "his" cleaner with the Filter Queen style/look created the Big Wheel Lewyt for 1954-55. He designed it to be contemporary but against the norm, whilst keeping it a very manuverable cleaner...which MANY canisters back at that point were NOT. Including but not limited to the almost 30lb. Filter Queen...
His machine featured:
1.Excellent filtration ( against the norm for many even then),besides Filter Queen, Air-Way nad Electrolux with it's new paper bag feature....
2.Tools that not only worked but ACTUALLY served a needful function.And a machine hose end ferrule that pointed downward towards the floor so when the hose was tugged it tipped the machine back to be rolled around on its HUGE rear wheels.
3.And what's best is that his large rear wheels did make it the most manuverable canister available then and now in most cases. And it wasn't nearly as heavy as most about 18lbs.
He continued to improve it coming out with:
1.1954 a non motorized carpet sweeper like attachment that helped with carpet pickup and could be used WITH or without the vacuum attached ( a sort of a metal stylized Bissel attached to the bottom of the suction wand if one wishes)
2.1956 an adjustable suction dial for different tasks, and a new style "Nylaflex" woven nylon unbreakable hose.
4.1957- the Golden Lewyt appeared with gold anodized wands and tools with green trim otherwise, a look in window ( too see how full the bag was)...
5. 1958 Lewyt introduced the "first" Electrical Powerhead attachment with a headlight.
This was Lewyt's ( to me anyway's) most important contribution then and now becasue:
1.It beat out Sears Kenmore by almost a full year..the Power-Mate first being introduced in the the 59' model year..or er. Sears Fall and Winter 1958 but Kenmore/Whirlpool and Electrolux proper did not with their own versions (saleable) until 1959 and 1960-1961 respectivly.
2.It was the first to use a fully electrified hose (wires integrated in hose material), whereas the other versions named, had a electric cord that strapped to the outer hose and wand, and was a nuisance at worst but a workably temporary solution at best.
3.Besides that, there were no pigtails anywhere with the electrical leads buried in the wands, handgrip, and canister connection ferrule. It was a direct connect machine 30 years before Kenmore and others got around to doing the same.
4. Lighted powerhead. Well to anyone who just vacuums, this may not be an important issue. But considering tha Kenmore diddn't have a lighted version until 1961 or so, it was an important achievement. It was a full width headlight also instead of being an afterthought.
This machine sold well as the Lewyt "Electronic" Model 111 featured HEAVILY in all Lewyt advertisements, in 1958-59-60.
The machine was in no way Electronic...and Consumer Reports blasted it by just mentioning so...but it was the first and by far an achievement by one of the minors that caught the majors off guard..iof even by only a few months.
But by 1961 Lewyt had moved on ( and summararily the Powerhead model had been dropped, or er. not given as much credence as before...to his next creation, another more compact canister ( Like a Eureka Mighty Mite) design which had a retractible cord reel, full Lewyt attachments and the most powerful suction motor yet in a Lewyt according to adverts I believe it was rated at 880 watts.
This machine was suceeded in turn in 1963, by yet another midsize cansiter Lewyt which was oversquare and looked like a small portable televsion. This machine wasn't nearly as beautiful af the Big Wheel version...but it seemed to suceed it entirely until the next year when it was superceded by one last go by Alex Lewyt and Co.
1964 brought the last major USA onslaught/redesign and go ahead until Lewyt sold out..primarily becasue his machines were NOT Hoovers and Eureka's by then america's favoirte cleaners...and everyone else had more money or more patience than he to continue....
Firstly- Lewyt Contracted with Singer Co. to build them an upright cleaner. Looking like contemporary Singers with Twin Fan design this machine was built primarily to get Lewyt into a field that it previously ignored wholly. Several models were built like a Good, Better and Best selection. It WAS a badge engineered cleaner..but Lewyt neede every dollar it could get and these machines...while Singer Designed, sold well to be sure...
Secondly a completlely redesigned full size square bodied canister,much like a stretched Eureka Princess, kinda flat but rectangular in shape using the famous Lewyt tools "that actually did their job"...making a Lewyt version, and a badge enginnered version for Montgomery Wards.
In the 1970's after loosing interest, and money...Lewyt sold out his holdings to Shetland Corporation which quickly became Shetland-Lewyt. This was absorbed again as SCM Corporation and there is scant proof that Lewyt vacuum cleaners were made past 1974-1975 in the USA except in Canada.
There ( in Canada), they used a Rebadged USA designed Cyclonic Regina canister design from the early to mid 70's with a Douglas built powerhead...built thru at least 1980 or so.
As a final afterthought on Alex Lewyt:
He was a pretty remarkable guy..but wasn't known for complete sanity or practicality. He told a conference of enginners sometime in 1958 that he felt that 10 years from then we would all be using atomic powered vacuum cleaners. Alex, being who he was constantly dabbled in other things, and designed and developed and sold other products BESIDES vacuum cleaners...was almost laughed out of the meeting and was ridiculed from all the major's and eventually became a recluse by the late 1960's either being as they said...crazy...or just too far ahead of his time.
In closing....just a few years ago the Lewyt name WAS ressurected for a line of cheap badge engineered vacuum cleaners I believe were manufactured by Sanyo. They were these cheap nasty things that just further pushed the great old name of Lewyt...farther down into the pit of history...never to be relieved properly.....too bad....
Chad
Anyway...that's what I have to say about Lewyt....
