Fowler 1950's Dryer

[someguy]

Fowler Manufacturing Co.
Does anyone know where I could find information on these machines?
Specifically, I just saw one for sale, looks perfect, so I was interested. Nice glass door. They say it has humidity controlled drying, variable heat setting, and works great.

Built in Portland Oregon, the appliance capital of the world. (just kidding)
Any assistance would be much appreciated...thanks

 

[turquoisedude]

Never heard of that brand... Do you have a picture??

 

[steve1-18]

Try this link...

You'll have to scoot over a little as the ad isn't centered.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=974&dat=19551021&id=DiUWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6RkEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1299,2117860

 

[appnut]

Wow, cool. So F&P wasn't the first6 top-loading dryer over here. Cool pairing of that dryer with a Launderall!!

 

[someguy]

Ok here's pics from the ad. I'm going over tomorrow to buy it. Hopefully get it for less than the $75 they are asking.

(Oregonian ad) Very interesting, it looks like the one in the ad is earlier than mine, which is front loading. I wonder if it has the Black Heat, never-burn-out elements. Probably. It's nice to see that old Oregonian newspaper, thanks for sending it.

View attachment someguy++8-27-2009-23-59-35.jpg

 

[someguy]

Looks like the jpeg photo might not have loaded, I'll just try it again...

 

[someguy]

Ah ha.

Well then here's another.....there's also a third foto showing all the owners manual, misc. papers, maybe even the sales receipt.

 

[foraloysius]

I retrieved the picture for the archives. The newspaper it's in is the Tri-Country Tribune October 21, 1955.

 

[foraloysius]

Poor F&P engineers, they thought they were the first to design a toploading dryer.

 

[Unimatic1140]

That dryer looks very much like an early Apex made dryer. I do know that Apex did make appliances for Universal and Firestone, so maybe they did for this Fowler Company too. Very cool.

 

[turquoisedude]

Neat!

I had always wondered if there had ever been a top-loading dryer before the F&P! Yet another appliance mystery solved... LOL

 

[foraloysius]

Overhere in Europe topload dryers have been on the market for several decades too. Siemens had two models in the sixties, IIRC they were manufactured by Blomberg. Other brands sold those dryers as well I think. Here's an ad.

When F&P launched their toploading dryer they announced it as "a world's first!". I mailed them several pictures of the Siemens and later models from Candy and Brandt. I never heard from him again, but shortly afterwards their website was down and when the site reappeared online they had changed their statement to "the world's first large capacity topload dryer" I think. As I said, the F&P engineers must have been thinking that they had designed something that hadn't been invented yet.

 

[turquoisedude]

Thank you Louis!

Great to learn more about the European laundry appliances! My experience has been limited to a few Hoover products that the UK side of the family had!
The drum style looks like what I have seen in some older US service and repair books - they seemed to indicate this type of drum was more typically used for commercial laundries, though.

 

[someguy]

That top-loading dryer looks very nice. I remember seeing a top loading dryer at a friend's house (in Oregon mid 60's) but don't remember the brand name. It seems to me the drum orientation was as most all dryers here. I know there's a term to describe the rotational orientation but it escapes me just now.

I really don't remember the Tri-County Tribune. At that time I may have been able to read things such as "Dick and Jane went up the hill". It looked like the Oregonian as I remember it.

I bought the dryer today. It weighs a lot as you might expect. The dimensions are somewhat larger than new full-size dryers. It has a pleated metal lint screen. The glass is concave and shows where the clothes, buttons, coins and other stuff rubs against it during tumbling. I glanced at the manual which shows two belts inside. The woman who owned it grew up with it. She started it and boy does it ever rumble, and it's a deep rumble.
It's now packed up for the next journey. I'll get pics etc. when I can.

That old Apex (above) is a beautiful looking machine.

Thanks for all the comments and help. Thankyou foraloysius for the ad.

Also, where could I look for a repair or owners manual for a Maytag wringer, early 50's? I haven't seen anything yet on ebay. ...thanks

 

[someguy]

Forgot to thank Steve1-18 for the link.