Canadian SQ Wringer Washer
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rpms
Well-known member
Just half an hour from my house deep in Mennonite country.
As with Speed Queen down south (USA) you need a score card to keep up with who owned brand name and or produced appliances for Canadian market.
Until 1979 SQ branded laundry appliances were manufactured by McGraw Edison factory in Cambridge, ON. This ended when in November 1979 McGraw Edison sold American Speed Queen factories to Raytheon and Canadian went to "Canadian Admiral"
From late 1979 after Canadian Admiral acquired SQ their commercial line was sold under "Econ-O-Wash" and domestic appliances under "Ultra-Wash". Speed Queen brand name cannot be used in Canada by either of above companies because it is owned by Inglis which is largely owned by Whirlpool.
At one point Raytheon marketed appliances under SQ, Hubesch, Simplex, Econ-O-Wash and Ultra Wash names.
Washer in linked OP auction appears to be Inglis/Whirlpool made "Speed Queen".
One bases that statement on fact that both under Inglis and Kenmore (from Simpson Sears), and Speed Queen one finds square shaped wringer washers so very popular up north. SQ in USA never offered a square tub wringer washer, always round.
https://bidlive.kauctions.ca/INGLIS-ROYAL-WRINGER-WASHER_i27659777
https://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?85653
Is your head spinning yet? Are you feeling dizzy? *LOL*
Then you have:
"Around 1970, Simplicity became a division of McGraw-Edison Canada. In 1974, McGraw-Edison moved from Guelph Ave., Hespeler to a service office on Sheldon Drive, Cambridge, and a manufacturing plant on Pinebush Road, Cambridge. McGraw-Edison was briefly taken over by Canadian Admiral Corp. who went into receivership in 1981.
In 1982, Canadian Admiral's assets were purchased by Inglis Co., and the factory re-opened in 1984. Inglis made Admiral, Whirlpool, Kitchen-Aid, Kenmore and Inglis brand dryers. In 1990, Inglis became a wholly owned subsidiary of Whirlpool Corp. In 1994, Whirlpool announced closing of the Cambridge Inglis plant and in 1995, the manufacturing plant was shut down with product lines moving to the parent plant in the United States." https://waterloo.pastperfectonline.com/webobject/52FFE29C-A178-4998-9928-925451557100
This would likely explain Simplicity wringer washers that look remarkably like SQ pictured in OP link.
https://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?29387
SQ wringer in action:
Until 1979 SQ branded laundry appliances were manufactured by McGraw Edison factory in Cambridge, ON. This ended when in November 1979 McGraw Edison sold American Speed Queen factories to Raytheon and Canadian went to "Canadian Admiral"
From late 1979 after Canadian Admiral acquired SQ their commercial line was sold under "Econ-O-Wash" and domestic appliances under "Ultra-Wash". Speed Queen brand name cannot be used in Canada by either of above companies because it is owned by Inglis which is largely owned by Whirlpool.
At one point Raytheon marketed appliances under SQ, Hubesch, Simplex, Econ-O-Wash and Ultra Wash names.
Washer in linked OP auction appears to be Inglis/Whirlpool made "Speed Queen".
One bases that statement on fact that both under Inglis and Kenmore (from Simpson Sears), and Speed Queen one finds square shaped wringer washers so very popular up north. SQ in USA never offered a square tub wringer washer, always round.
https://bidlive.kauctions.ca/INGLIS-ROYAL-WRINGER-WASHER_i27659777
https://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?85653
Is your head spinning yet? Are you feeling dizzy? *LOL*
Then you have:
"Around 1970, Simplicity became a division of McGraw-Edison Canada. In 1974, McGraw-Edison moved from Guelph Ave., Hespeler to a service office on Sheldon Drive, Cambridge, and a manufacturing plant on Pinebush Road, Cambridge. McGraw-Edison was briefly taken over by Canadian Admiral Corp. who went into receivership in 1981.
In 1982, Canadian Admiral's assets were purchased by Inglis Co., and the factory re-opened in 1984. Inglis made Admiral, Whirlpool, Kitchen-Aid, Kenmore and Inglis brand dryers. In 1990, Inglis became a wholly owned subsidiary of Whirlpool Corp. In 1994, Whirlpool announced closing of the Cambridge Inglis plant and in 1995, the manufacturing plant was shut down with product lines moving to the parent plant in the United States." https://waterloo.pastperfectonline.com/webobject/52FFE29C-A178-4998-9928-925451557100
This would likely explain Simplicity wringer washers that look remarkably like SQ pictured in OP link.
https://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?29387
SQ wringer in action:
Another video of Canadian SQ wringer washer:
@rmps
If bidding is low you should have it, you're just what that wringer washer needs.
I mean if something is literally right in your back yard so to speak...
There's a nice vintage Maytag dryer as well.
If bidding is low you should have it, you're just what that wringer washer needs.
I mean if something is literally right in your back yard so to speak...
There's a nice vintage Maytag dryer as well.
rpms
Well-known member
I have that washer only it is branded Admiral and it was made in Cambridge.
I have three wringers now. Holding out till I can get a Maytag or a Beatty.
I have three wringers now. Holding out till I can get a Maytag or a Beatty.
Thank you, Launderess for the exhaustive tutorial.
Interesting history. As well the town of Hespeler Ontario no longer exists. It along with the towns of Preston and Galt Ontario were amalgamated into what is now Cambridge Ontario in the early 70s. I remember when that happened and imagine the residents of the 3towns weren't too happy losing their autonomy.
Canadian Admiral, LTD seems to have been an offshoot of Admiral appliances we know of in USA.
Canadian Admiral's demise was sudden and brutal. Not quite unlike (sadly) many factories/manufacturers in USA.
https://www.upi.com/Archives/1981/1...td-has-announced-it-would-shut/5137373784400/
https://www.radiomuseum.org/dsp_hersteller_detail.cfm?company_id=9943
Canadian Admiral's demise was sudden and brutal. Not quite unlike (sadly) many factories/manufacturers in USA.
https://www.upi.com/Archives/1981/1...td-has-announced-it-would-shut/5137373784400/
https://www.radiomuseum.org/dsp_hersteller_detail.cfm?company_id=9943
Thank you, Launderess! Admiral met with great disappointment in the United States when they were in line to buy the laundry line from AVCO giving them a full line of appliances when the deal was yanked at the last minute and the laundry line went to Philco. Admiral still had refrigerators, air conditioners and electric ranges as well as their radios and television, but no way to sell laundry. Somehow they got access to the dishwashers produced by promiscuous D&M and offered under a different name under every streetlight in town. I guess Bendix's laundry line was the hot ticket in the mid 1950s. Moral of the story: never crawl into the laundry room with a defense contractor if you are not aware of their scorched earth (or linen) policy.
It is telling that of the "Big Five" American appliance makers of 1956; Big Five: General Electric, Westinghouse, Philco. RCA and General Motors' Frigidaire Division, only GE was last man standing. By time General Electric sold off their appliance division to Haier all the rest mentioned were either gone or absorbed into the new giants of appliance manufacturing. Whirlpool and AB Electrolux between them own dozen or more famous brands each.
AVCO saw hand writing on wall in 1956 when it sold off Bendix Home Appliances.
"Increasingly severe competition, large over-capacities, rampant price-cutting, rising costs of labor and material." was stated reasons which pretty much is what things came down to for decades to come as one by one both small and large appliance manufacturers were closing or being sold/gobbled up.
https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,824596,00.html
From what one understands of Admiral Corporation they were starting to have problems by late 1950's, thus not sure even if they had gotten Bendix Home Appliances it would have made much of a difference. Being able to offer laundry appliances would have made Admiral able to compete in a market where customers wanted entire range of appliances from one brand or company, but other factors such as costs which were killing Admiral still would have existed.
www.library.hbs.edu
AVCO saw hand writing on wall in 1956 when it sold off Bendix Home Appliances.
"Increasingly severe competition, large over-capacities, rampant price-cutting, rising costs of labor and material." was stated reasons which pretty much is what things came down to for decades to come as one by one both small and large appliance manufacturers were closing or being sold/gobbled up.
https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,824596,00.html
From what one understands of Admiral Corporation they were starting to have problems by late 1950's, thus not sure even if they had gotten Bendix Home Appliances it would have made much of a difference. Being able to offer laundry appliances would have made Admiral able to compete in a market where customers wanted entire range of appliances from one brand or company, but other factors such as costs which were killing Admiral still would have existed.
Admiral Corporation | Baker Library | Bloomberg Center | Harvard Business School
The Admiral Corporation was founded in 1934 by Ross David Siragusa as the Continental Radio and Television Corporation.
www.library.hbs.edu
Launderess, as has been mentioned here at various times, RCA had sold their appliance line to Whirlpool on July 18, 1955. They had owned Estate Range Co. from 1952 until that date, and their products were gas and electric ranges, and air conditioners. The use of the RCA trademark by Whirlpool was part of the deal, which they did until 1966. Therefore, RCA was not one of the big five in 1956, nor had they ever been. In addition to ranges, Whirlpool also got a line of refrigerators in 1955, with the acquisition of the Seeger Refrigerator Co., the manufacturer of Coldspot for Sears.
And Admiral was vulture bait when Maytag came sniffing around looking for refrigeration and, knowing nothing about refrigeration, bought up a factory that needed complete retooling and only changed the name plates on the front. It was almost impossible to get the doors on their side-by-sides to line up level the quality was so low.
ragnboneman
Well-known member
I'm jumping into this thread link a little late but I have some information to add.
The Canadian Speed Queen wringer and the Simplicity wringer I have share a transmission that I have not yet discovered anything about, but here are some bad photos of the mechanicals.
Lubricant has leaked out of the Queen and my Simplicity seems to be dry so I will need to figure out what the transmission calls for.
I'm going to assume my Simplicity is a 1970 or later production.
Does that mean this is an Inglis or Whirlpool derived transmission?
Thank you for the help folks I am learning a lot of history here.
Interesting stuff.
The Canadian Speed Queen wringer and the Simplicity wringer I have share a transmission that I have not yet discovered anything about, but here are some bad photos of the mechanicals.
Lubricant has leaked out of the Queen and my Simplicity seems to be dry so I will need to figure out what the transmission calls for.
I'm going to assume my Simplicity is a 1970 or later production.
Does that mean this is an Inglis or Whirlpool derived transmission?
Thank you for the help folks I am learning a lot of history here.
Interesting stuff.
