Beam related to Franklin as well as Apex

[Unimatic1140]

SteveD was kind enough to scan and send me some very interesting and informative parts lists published in 1960. I was able to take these scans and make .pdf files out of them to be able to share them easily with the club.

These are taken from service manuals from Beam, Franklin and Apex. This clearly shows something that I was unsure of before, Beam started producing automatic washers for companies like AMC, Coronado, Hotpoint, Barton, Zenith, Wizard, One-Minute, etc in 1947. There seems to be two different distinct eras of the Beam Line, the earliest from 1947 thru 1953 lines and the 1954 thru 1957 lines. Then it appears that sometime in the mid 1950's Franklin bought out Beam and in 1958 started to manufacturer the "pig" style Franklin machine complete with the indexing tub. Its also very interesting that in all of this literature Speed Queen was never mentioned even though Speed Queen was the King of Beam made automatics all the way through the 60's. Page 2 and 3 of this book makes for a very interesting history lesson: Beam and Franklin

Steve also sent the Apex parts information published in this book. It clearly shows that the Apex Bouncing Basket washer made until the last couple of models when they switched over to an Agitator Automatic right before they went out of business. I added some heading annotations to these pages specifying which era of Apex washers the parts related to: Apex

Thank you SteveD for your efforts! Its great to add this to the archives.

 

[combo52]

FRANKLIN APPLIANCES

I was always under the impression that Franklin was owned by Studabaker the car company, does any know any more about that connection. Our family bought a COOP washer in 1960 made buy franklin it lasted 6 or 7 years. It always looked like they copied a lot from GE solid tub machines, My aunt had the electric dryer of the same age witch looked a like they borrowed a lot from WP dryers. I think that washer is the reason I never really liked solid tub washers {EXCEPT FRIGIDARE OF COURCE ] both the washer and dryer were pretty average machines, both in performance and durability.

 

[mixfinder]

Startling

I am amazed to see the graceful, curved vaned agitator of the Apex wringer used in the automatic. What a majestic machine.

 

[tomturbomatic]

Thanks Steve and Robert!

Page 16, Section C definitely looks like a Hotpoint, but Hotpoint is not mentioned in the literature. Is that because of the connection with GE for parts?

Friends had that Hotpoint model. It had no water level mechanism at all. You started it filling for wash and had to advance the timer to shut off the water and start agitation. It was an automatic cycle after that because the rinse was an overflow rinse and the pump could keep up with the amount of water flowing in through the fill valve. I remember the big, bright chrome agitator cap, part A512.

 

[norgeway]

Apex???

Robert,did Apex quit making washers about the time they were bought out by White sewing machine company,their vacuums were made until 62 or 63 under the name White Apex.

 

[Unimatic1140]

I didn't know that Franklin was possibley owned by Studebaker John, that is cool!

Beam was listed in Consumer Reports as Beam Manufacturing Inc, Webster City, IA. This is the same company that still makes the Beam Central Vacuum Systems. But at the same time all the patents for Beam style automatic washers are listed as being owned by Solar Corporation of Milwaukee, so there is a bit of mystery still surrounding the whole thing.

You're right Tom, Hotpoint wasn't listed and neither was Speed Queen, but their machines were clearly Beam made. Hotpoint's 1956 and 1957 line of washers was a combination of Beam and Hotpoint design and in 1958 Hotpoint went to their completely own Co-Axial design. Its interesting that Hotpoint did that in 1958 as that is the same year that Beam- now Franklin switched over to their "pig" washer design.

Hans the last Apex washer was right around 1957, well before the vacuum division got sold to White Sewing Machine. Again more mystery as to what exactly happened to the company.

 

[markk290]

Thanks Guys, Are pages 10, 11, 12 Speed Queen? They look like the late 60's early 70's SQ guts I remember of my grandparents washer.
I also see what looks like a GE transmission.
It's interesting to learn that so many machines were made by the same company.

 

[Unimatic1140]

Are pages 10, 11, 12 Speed Queen?
Not exactly, they are Beam designed parts which Speed Queen used to build their machines. If you look at the agitator, its nothing like a Speed Queen with its "angle wings" so to speak. I did find it odd and curious that Beam and solid-tub Franklin agitators are all interchangeable.

I also see what looks like a GE transmission.
Nope, its a Franklin transmission. While the outside looks quite a bit similar to both GE and Westinghouse top-loader transmission, they are quite different on the inside.

 

[dishwashercrazy]

Also with reference to Page 16, Section C:

In a previous post (see link), I had put this photograph up, asking who might have been the manufacturer of the washing machine. The photo on Page 16 certainly looks a lot like the machine in my photo. There was some discussion about the brand in that thread - I think we eliminated Dexter. The brand name likely is below the chrome band, left of center, but I am still not certain what it reads.

Mike

Help Please Identifying this Automatic Washer

Can anyone please help me identify this Automatic Washer? This picture was taken by my mother on Memorial Day, 1957. I've edited out the two geese that were standing in the driveway that she was actually photographing. She happened to capture the family car. And, she also got a shot of this...

www.automaticwasher.org

 

[Unimatic1140]

I missed that thread earlier.

Looks like its a Coronado.

 

[gansky1]

Coronado

Here's a peek under her skirt.

Two motors - one for agitate and pump and the other for spinning (in back with the Fluid-Drive unit on top of it)

 

[ingliscanada]

Pig Franklin

Is the nickname "pig" referring to the sound it makes during agitation? My parents had a 90's White-Westinghouse washer that went "Oink-oiink Oink-oiink Oink-oiink" during agitation (in sync with the indexing tub).

And Combo52 is right about the dryers; they mechanically resembled the old WP belt-and-pulley dryers, including the top-mounted lint screen with the blower right beneath it. They even sounded a bit like the old WPs, with a very audible blower.

 

[mayfan69]

Australian Fluid Drive machines

Those schematics are very interesting!

Of course, some Australian machines used Fluid Drives, not just Simpson but also Astor, Turner and Stampco.

I'm aware the Astor used a Green Fibreglass bowl with a Fluid Drive but no pictures sorry.

A couple of pics of Australian Fluid Drives....the first being of course Simpson.
Leon

 

[mayfan69]

A different Australian Fluid Drive

This is isn't the best pic, but this Fluid Drive is a 'Stampco 93' Automatic.

The Fluid Drive is different to the Simpson in that it's a 2 directional motor with the Fluid Drive connected straight onto the motor.

Cheers
Leon

 

[dishwashercrazy]

Robert and Greg,

Oh my gosh! The Coronado in your photos sure looks the same as the one that I had as a kid. As I mentioned in the other thread, this photo was taken Memorial Day, 1957 (I was 4 years old). And likely the washer was already about 10 years old. I had no idea that they operated with two motors. It also makes sense that the brand is Coronado, because it came from my Grandparents next door neighbors. My Grandparents also had a Coronado automatic, but a few years newer. Their local Western Auto store sold these machines.

Thanks for solving more of this puzzle for me.

Mike

 

[gansky1]

Mike, I scanned the operating manual for the early Coronado washer - thought you might like to see how to take care of those rag rugs!

 

[gansky1]

"you should swish the agitator a few times by hand..."

Well yeah!

 

[gansky1]

[No message]

 

[gansky1]

[No message]