bendix history

[servisslimline]

i've seen bendix machines from 1940's, 50's and 60's but there is a gap between the 60's machines and the one more modern machines, can anyone help find the info. ps make sure you post pictures cos i would love to see the machines i have not seen as i am a BIG bendix fan, thanks
phil

 

[hilovane]

Are you asking about the American or British Bendix?

 

[aussie-plugs]

Why not both?

It would be interesting for us all to see both lines if somebody knows their independent histories.

Based on the pictures I've seen on this site, we had all the early American models here in Australia. I don't know whether they were made in America and shipped here, or whether parts where shipped and assembled here under licence. That went on until mid 1960's that I know of - we got ours in 1962 and it's a model I've rarely seen mentioned here, although somebody does have one (one of the members with the fantastic display in the basement? Robert?) The model I'm thinking of has the timer on the right, the water miser on the left and the soap chute in the middle, all at the front of the machine, concealed under a fold-down lid.

We also had the Italian machines from mid '70's onwards, as often shown in pictures from our UK friends.

Let's hope somebody can shed some light on what appear to be at least two Bendix family trees.

 

[favorit]

I'd like too

Didn't know all euro Bendix came from the italian plant in Brembate di Sotto.
Today Philco Italy is one of the thousand brands of the well known antoniomerloni.it (Servis,ARDO,Nardi,Eudora,EDB,Studio)

Just the time to look for one old real Philco catalogue and I'm postig some scans

http://www.philcoelettrodomestici.it/index.asp

 

[gizmo]

Aussie Bendix

I have seen a couple of old (1950s or early 1960s) Bendix washers which had metal plates attached saying they were assembled by James Kirby and Company. (Australian Assembled.)

I have also seen (and owned) 1970s models which were imported from Philco Italy.

So the change from Aussie assembled to Italian imported occurred in AU some time in late sixties or early seventies.

Chris

 

[favorit]

Philco Italy

Philco was the main brand they sold here, Crosley and Bendix were much less common. Very reliable machines, often used by small hotels and B&B (many were both hot and cold fill, so energy savers). Big drums and large portholes were a plus when washing sheets, tableclothes and other large items

 

[favorit]

W 451

mid eigthies

 

[paulinroyton]

Bendix

My aunty had a bendix in the 1970s. All I can remember it was the same size of the bendix home laundry centre. It had the powder dispenser on the top. It had a programmer for all programmes ie, prog 1, 2, 3, 4,. It also had a button which you could hold in and it would take you to the start of the wash, which was on a reel showing wash, rinse, spin. It also had lights for, wash, rinse, spin. The door was quite big, and had a drain screen at the bottom right hand side. She had this machine for a long time and was so quiet on wash and spin.

 

[favorit]

W 65 Inox

a semi commercial washer with a 58 litres/dm3 drum [rated 6kg, not 9 as nowadays ;-) ] and stainless (inox) steel outer tub

 

[favorit]

WeD

Combo, don't guess it's made in Italy as words on the fascia are in English

 

[favorit]

toploader

looks a bit on the BSH side

 

[favorit]

and from BOSCH catalogue 1986 : the BENDIXX ;-)

The V436. If BSH had been on the porn side as today (all those xxxx : Axxix, Nexxt, Logixx, Maxx and so on), this machine would be named Bosch BENDIXX *LOL*

No need to say this BOL bosch was made by philco it.
There were even cheaper BSH badged machines (i.e. SIEMENS FRIDA) made here by SILTAL

 

[matchboxpaul]

As always - great brochure scans posted there.

Many thanks - really interesting seeing all those machines, which tended to be branded as both Bendix and Philco in the UK.

I seem to remember Philco's in the UK having a light grey facia, but have never seen a picture of these machines since they were on sale and a mates grandma had one.
Squeezed into a small kitchen, one of the kitchen table chairs was right in front of it - thats the chair I always bagsied! Sat with back against the wall, table to my right and a certain Philco less than a centimetre or two away from me, on my left.
lovely looking machine.

A family member and an ex- boyfriend of a cousin of mine each had these brutes:

the Bendix LT!

As a four/five year old, these were monsters of a machine, towering above standard sized machines, as well as me!

 

[servisslimline]

bendix

i forgot to say at the beginning of the thread that i have a bendix 7128 wit one dial and one button which is on/off, ps, i love that philco/bosch machine

 

[ricky5050]

Thats my daily driver

As some of you may know the Bendix LT is my only auto washer and i use it 3 - 4 times a week! Matchbox paul do you have a copy of that full ad you could send me , my e mail is [email protected]

Thanks

Richard

 

[tlee618]

Richard that is a nice looking machine. Is it a combo washer/dryer?

 

[ricky5050]

bendix lt

Hi Yes its a 1966 washer dryer (vented) it was unused until i bought it in 2001 and is going strong !

Richard

 

[tlee618]

Thanks for the information Richard!!

 

[aussie-plugs]

Vented?

So you're beautiful looking machine uses hot fan-forced air to dry the clothes, like a conventional dryer? That seems so sensible and saves water. My impression was that all washer/dryers needed water to condesnse out the water vapour and that they just heated the drum cavity - I didnt' realise blown air was ever used. If somebody could explain these systems (and any other variations), that would be great.

 

[jetcone]

Nice Machine

Richard, didn't you post a video on U tube??

 

[kenmore81]

Aussie, Check this out

This link shows the basic design of the average vented clothes dryer. Here in the U.S. we have very few condenser dryers. I imagine because the demand is low.
Kenny

http://home.howstuffworks.com/dryer1.htm

 

[aussie-plugs]

Vented versus Condener

Kenny,

Thanks for the link to the Vented design. Does anyone have anything on the design of the washer/dryer combos? Did the Bendix our UK friend has actually use the same principle as a conventional vented dryer? And how do modern washer/dryers work? I'm trying to understand where the need for a constant supply of water during the drying cycle comes from.

Nick

 

[dj-gabriele]

Hi there Nick!
In a "modern" condensing washer-dryer on top of the drum there is a small vane with a fan and a heating coil that circulates the air usually from the back to the front of the drum via a hole in the rubber seal (I have always seen those in the upper right part of it). On the back of the drum, right before the circulating fan there is a chamber in which the hot moist air is passed in a heat exchanger cooled by running water (as far as I know on some model there is a water spray) so the sudden drop in temperature makes the water vapour to condense and after this is pumped out along the cooling water. Usually this process uses between 30 to 80 litres of water per load but has the advantege that no outside air is drawn in the drum which is good if you have the W/D in a toilet or in the kitchen, also it avoid outside moisture venting, so there's no waste in air conditioning or heating.
I think that air condenser unit aren't used as there isn't enough space in the cabinet but I'm not sure as standard condensing dryers have drum as big as 120L and most are air condensing ones!

 

[dj-gabriele]

My bad...

please change:
...there is a small vane with...
with
...there is a small duct with...

I got confused with Italian "vano" witch means "compartment"

 

[favorit]

vented combos, condenser combos, blowers .....

aussie-plug, you're right : once there were some german combos without blower (I guess made by Lepper and badged as Matura, AEG and Bauknecht). To be effective they had to heat @ hightemp and clothes yellowing was an issue.

In the meanwhile there were vented combos as these Philco/Bendix and the GHIBLI made by SANGIORGIO in IT
These saved water, but not paint & elbowgrease : one had to keep windows open while drying otherwise the room had to be painted every 6 months. The only vented combo with an exaust pipeline is that old Whirlpool in our Webmaster collection.

The solution to both issues was a condensed combo with blower.
Consider also that usually combos are bought by those who haven't much place and haven't a vent in the wall
I had a Candy 16 WD blower/condenser combo. The slow spin speed 570 rpm caused it take centuries to dry, waste plenty of power and water .... to dry

Today Miele makes the W2670 combo than uses 9 litres only while drying. BTW I'd never buy it : separate miele washer & dryer are much cheaper and faster.

Dryers
once they were vented only;
here (IT) dryers started getting popular in the last 5/6 years,once we had rare zanussi vented ones
That's why we've only condenser D, while in northern EU still there are vented ones (houses have proper vent in the wall behind the D), that are more energy-efficent

Latest D have an heat pump inside : the hot side warms the air to the cylinder, the cold side is used as condenser.
This cold condenser is so more efficent than usual air heat exchanger, that heat pump dryers are A rated (best energy savings)

 

[favorit]

Richard congrats,
your LT is a dream, your kitchen/laundry room too (what about those matching tiles & curtains ?!?)

I'm also weak about the LT fascia. It looks like some medical devices of those times

 

[favorit]

ore 13.45 : sono pronte le lasagne ? ;-)

Nick, you can see what Gabriele wrote. Check pics of the other thread "and on and on.... ARISTON WD" .
It's the pic with the concrete on the tub

Forgot to say early condenser dryers in the late 70s were water condensed as combos. Later came air condensed ones

 

[dj-gabriele]

Oh Lasagne

I had a light meal today as I spent most of the night at Fiumicino waiting for the plane to arrive :S and feel terrible today!

 

[favorit]

AEG Lavamat 2050 (y 1985/86)

A freestanding/undercounter combo with framed (customizable)big door.

Here the translation of words from IT to EN (clockwise)

Resistenza elettrica = electric heater
Ventilatore = fan
Aria raffreddata = cooled air
Scarico = drain
Pompa = pump
Condensatore = condenser
Evaporazione = evaporation
Aria calda = hot air

 

[favorit]

Zanussi/Rex Combos Jetsystem Turbodry (90ies)

The picture left is the jetsystem (spray wash), the right one the drying sys