Evolution of H-Axis Washing Machines From Semi to Fully Automatic

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launderess

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Rather than hijack Chetlam's thread on improving top loaders thought it nice to start something new.

Depending upon whom one chooses to believer Alva J. Fisher invented first electric powered washing machine in early part of prior century.

Hurley Machine Company had both top loading washers with beaters but also first domestic h-axis washing machine.

Thor's "Cylinder" washer was based on same sort of cylinder h-axis washing machines by then long in use by commercial/industrial laundries. Those machines were first driven by belts, then came fitted with own motors.




By 1920's Maytag, Eden and Gainaday among others were all offering "cylinder" washing machines. Like Hurley's Thor washer all extolled the wonders of "cylinder" laundering over other methods, this included being more gentle on fabrics and better overall laundering results.

These early domestic h-axis washers all suffered from same issue as their larger industrial/commercial cousins, they couldn't extract in same tub.

Commercial laundries used separate hydro-extractors (first powered by belts, then fitted with electric motors), but that wasn't an option for American households. Thus things were fed through wringers same as with other washers of time.

In 1937 all this changed when Bendix introduced the first fully automatic front loading washer.


For first time it was possible to have an h-axis domestic washing machine that washed, rinsed several times and extracted wash. Downside like its commercial cousins these Bendix units required bolting into several feet of concrete.



Since Bendix got there first they tied up tons of patents regarding h-axis washing machines. Others with ideas in that direction either had to pay royalties to Bendix, or find ways around by coming up with their own designs. Not surprisingly given small US market share for front loaders few took up that challenge. Westinghouse, Philco, and few other American appliance makers did however accept challenge.

Important thing to note though Bendix Corp. is commonly associated with producing washing machines, they did not produce them. Rather Bendix Home Appliances was created under license to a South Bend, Indiana (shout out!) company for a 25% stake in company.









What is interesting is Bendix and Westinghouse (maybe others, am not sure) also marketed their front loaders for what would be called OPL or light commercial use today. In a word, laundromats.

Westinghouse Electric Corp. registered "Laundromat" as trademark in 1940. After that any "washeteria" or any such place had to find another name besides laundromat, or pay Westinghouse. This also explains why so many early word processing programs and so forth insist on capitalizing "Laundromat".

Westinghouse and Bendix pretty much remained only American appliance makers producing front loading washers. Bendix would be sold twice (once to AVCO then Philco).

As Philco-Bendix there was continued innovation of front loading washers both for domestic and light commercial use. Stand alone washers seemed to have vanished, but Philco-Bendix did give us combo units. Indeed what front loading washers that American appliance makers did continue to produce by 1960's or so were combination washer/dryers. Maytag, Philco-Bendix, Whirlpool/Kenmore and others jumped on that bandwagon, sadly it didn't last.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diRkZCQCZbM

By 1970's Westinghouse didn't offer front loaders with heaters in USA market, elsewhere however was a different matter.

 
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Meanwhile across the pond things were dramatically different.

Countries were picking themselves up and dusting off horrors of WWII and moving on.

By early 1950's Germany (West) was once again Europe's economic and manufacturing power house.
In 1951 1951 engineer Peter Pfenningsberg came up with Germany's first fully automatic domestic front loading washer, *Constructa* was born.

While sharing many same qualities as American Bendix that was launched decades before the Constructa went few better, this included ability to heat water.





 
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Innovations were occurring elsewhere in Europe as well.

Still late as early 1960's Wascator was selling a semi-automatic front loader.




Late as 1950's Miele was still producing washers with coal or other solid fuel heating sources below tub.


By middle to late 1950's Schulthess, Bauknecht, AEG, Zanussi among many other European concerns were all producing h-axis washers. It varied by brand but many had quality right down to last screw. Good number boasted advances and features no American front loader (what there was of them) could match.

 
When AVCO got their mitts on Philco they also owed Crosley as well.

It's too long a story worth bothering with now, but though largely forgotten in USA Philco laundry appliances remained a steady player in Europe far longer. There were even "Philco/Crosley" branded units, something you didn't see in USA.

 
This bit from Wiki pretty much sums up why H-axis washers usually deliver superior results compared to top loading with central beaters.


Basically laundry can be done two ways; moving things through water, or move water through things. H-axis perform the latter.

Action of H-axis washers causes textile fibers to flex and open which aids in cleaning. Lifting and dropping wash upon itself and or against drum is far gentler than whacking things against central beater and or rubbing them against same.
 
One part of Europe that lagged behind front loading fully automatic washer revolution was UK.

Post WWII UK had a war to pay for which heavily influenced many areas of economic policy.

There was also fact economic situation of many households meant buying large appliances of any sort was a stretch. Launderettes, wash houses (yes, they were still around), laundries as part of multi-family housing and of course laundry services gave households options instead of owing their own machines.

Then there was perhaps unfortunate (depending upon how one looks at things) focus on semi-automatic washing machines (twin tubs mostly). This served a few purposes including promoting domestic production as Hoover, Servis and others all made twin tub washers right in UK.

Another bit was restrictions on foreign imports which meant automatic front loaders from Italy or other parts of Europe/world couldn't easily reach UK market.

Things began to change with Servis, Bendix and Hoover all launching front loading washers in UK.







 
So why didn't h-axis washer take off in USA?

That's a complicated query with many answers.

First and foremost early front loaders that required bolting down just were a non starter for many American homes. Not everyone had a basement or other area that had concrete flooring or could pour several feet of to bolt machine into.

As we all know even with a suspension system h-axis washer can vibrate excessively or even go walkabout. Early SQ front loaders that Alliance reintroduced to US market for domestic use suffered that issue.

Because front loaders use less water than top you needed a close source of hot water piped to machine. This and even then may need to purge out cold water from line. Top loaders fill with so much water that even early moments of cool or cold will be over come by surge of hot water that follows.

Perhaps most damning thing was something Ms. Betty Furness in all her high heeled and girdled glory never mentions; h-axis washers tend to or can leave one with a tangled mass of wash. Indeed Westinghouse washers often were nicknamed "rope makers" because wash, especially things such as bed linen, pants, or shirts came out in a long tangled mess.

Tangling may have been result of Westinghouse's use of tubs slanted on various inclines. Bendix washers of period seemed no worse for tangling than modern front loaders more or less, but still.


Capacity wise early front loaders sold on both sides of pond generally had same rated capacity, 3.5 to 4.0 cubic feet, allowing for about 11- 15 pounds of wash. This was pretty much same as when European machines by Miele, Bosch, Asko and Creda began arriving in USA. At once Consumer Reports and others began harping on about "small" capacity. Today of course washers are up to nearly 20lbs of wash and use less energy and water, so that's something anyway.

As one stated in another thread one big obstacle holding back H-axis washers for domestic use in USA was lack of truly top performing detergent.

By late 1950's into 1960's Henkel, Lever Bros. and rest saw which way winds were blowing. Soap based products were given push and in came synthetic detergents at first largely for tub or semi-automatic washing machines, but that soon switched over to h-axis washers.







Outside of USA P&G had Ariel which they flogged in Europe, so they knew how to make laundry detergents suitable for h-axis washers. Never the less they stuck with high foaming Tide until rather recently.

 
From my stash.

Nabbed bunch of these old Bendix bits years ago. They've sat sitting since, and really should move some of them on I suppose.
 

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