Truth be told!
Yes Toploader,
Those XM's were incredible machines and what is interesting is that both Hoabrt and Blakeslee had the same ideas with their respective conveyor machines..They were basically able to "modularize" them by adding repetitve tanks to increase the length of the machiines and allow each tank to perform different functions.
Every manufacturer does the same thing with their product lines.
I am amazed at how many Hobart techs will come up and ask me what a specific model machine looks like.
I tell them over and over..the number in the model indicates the length of the machine( even the flight types).
Actually, Hobart and Stero(our sister company)still use the length in the model numbers.Blakeslee would line up the specific tanks or modules and that would become their Model numbers as well as the length. You can see that here:
Blakeslee even uses the same conveyorized design and turns it into a flight type by adding the flight conveyor to it.
Hobart uses the basic product line and adds the prewash models to the overall model number:
CRS66A is a"C"onveyor type with
a 22 inch "RS" "R"ecirculating "S"crapper tank
and a 44 inch Wash tank
equalling a 66" total length
a CPW80A is a 36in Prewash added to a 44in wash tank = 80 inches
a C54A is the larger 54" wash tank
a C64a ia a two tank machine with a power wash, a power rinse tank with the usual freshwater final rinse at the very end 64 inches long. And we can go on from there ad infinitum
The Flight types were also designated in the same manner indicating their overall length and could be had in special lengths as specified by the customer. E.G. United airlines when they still were a real airline and had a real presence at JFK, had a FT331 IIRC and it was a standard machine but had a 13 foot unloading end on it. A In the old days, machines would come with load ends as short as 3 feet too so any conmbination was possible.
Stero model numbers are similar: SCT44 is a Stero Conveyor Type 44 inches long and you can see the progression.
But I definintely diverged here..
Hobart built all their own motors way back when and the XM motor was the model upon which most of their motors were based. If you have ever seen the really old Mixers with the motors mounted on top and the big flywheels in the back, they were using a modified XM style motor. It was just sized up or down as needed. They eventually redesigned the pump motors on the C-Lines and FT's and there are still thousands of those machines running everyday. And while they are few and far bewteen here in Florida, there are still many, many of them cranking away in places like NYC. I have seen machines myself like Toploader that my fellow techs wouldn't even recognize.They don't even teach them about the UM,WM SM and other ancient machines like the original AM's anymore in School. We do have thatCopper Show machine in the Sales center except when it gets rolled out to shows. Champion has a copper built machine in their Headquarters as well.
Everyone back in the day kind of had the same designs for what the machine had to do. Like how many different concepts can any group of engineers come up with and not have it look and work like someone else's machine?
Man that was a long commentary.. Sounds like a phone conversation Ed and I had a few months back!