Fridgidaire Semi Auto

[westytoploader]

Congrats Nathan on the awesome find! From what I've seen in the Archives, the Pulsamatics seemed to be very popular in Australia, IMHO. That will be fun to fire up and a GREAT addition to your collection; keep us posted!

One way I can tell the difference between a Multimatic and a Pulsamatic is that there is only one belt going to the tranny in a Pulsamatic; the Multimatics have 2. Robert, is this what you're talking about?

--Austin

 

[panthera]

fascinating

It seems to me that this might well be the best of both worlds. The suds-saver solution (which I always thought was so very clever of Frigidaire) together with heating.
What simplicity!
What clear thinking!
I can understand how you might be inclined to set it up this way. If water and electricity for heating it were at a premium, you would want such a solution - the automation involved makes my head spin. I have tried to list what "decisions" would be involved in a fully automatic heating and washing cycle.
1)Fill the tub with water, this means a water level sensor. ( Since you are building for low water pressure areas, timed fill doesn't make sense.)
2) Start the spin to spin the water out of the solid inner basket into the outer tub. Another water sensor? Or do it buy averaging? Or just install a cut off so the pump can't pump the water out of the machine?
(Not bad - we haven't even started to wash anything yet and already have at least one water level sensor and solenoid control for the pump.)
3) Now have the timer wait for the water to be heated to a pre-set temperature. Hmm, you could add an infinite thermostat or just say 120 degrees…or whatever. This is no big deal - you already have the sensor and light bulb set up, so this point would probably not cost more than a simple relais.
4) Pump the - now heated -water back from the outer tub to the inner tub. Another set of hoses and solenoids…probably at this point you are looking at a solution as complex as the Maytag suds-saver system.
5) Now you can wash and everything else follows pretty much the same pattern as our other well loved mulit-matics…except, of course, since you need to save water and the energy to heat it, you will have the first load spinning out through a separate hose to a separate sud-settling basin.

Did I miss anything?

 

[chestermikeuk]

Sudz Saver

Well done Nathan, quite a collection, all these new old machines showing up!!!

Please dont tell me you will automate it, cant think of why you would, all that extra time standing over it, marvelous!!!

I bet those wires get warm pulling the current, would it be 3kw heater??

This works like the UK Thor/Parnall Spinwashers, Spin to Heat & Save etc..

Enjoy, Mike

 

[swestoyz]

Awesome!

Wow, that is a super cool machine! Austin - I think you are right on the money with this one - Looks to only have one belt, where as Multimatics have two. I love the flexibility of this cool machine.

I would hypothesize that since GM was 'finished' using the Pulsamatic mechanisms in the US by 1959, that the allowed the Holden division of GM barrow it for later use in Australia - no need to sell patents when the parent company would have held the rights.

Enjoy this fascinating machine!

Ben

 

[gansky1]

Oh, what a cool washer! Have you been able to date this machine yet? It has motor mountings that were intro'd in the 1960 line here in the states. The top & panel styling is different, ours had more of a swept-up design to the porcelain.

Too cool - keep hunting, we love seeing these familiar, yet strange looking machines now and then!!

 

[mickeyd]

What a find--Jesus Mary --I'm coming down under tomorrow

That's the famous--and I think, original--pulsator. The one Robert shows is a later model. As soon as i saw yours, I grew faint not yet knowing if it would pulsate at 630, but I was so excited regardless. That's my Grandmother's Pulsator. YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE THE WATER ACTION YOU'LL SEE when you pump heated water into the empty pulsating tub.

I know this because the American model, trying to compete with the amazing Whirlpool/Kenmore Suds-saver, started out with a system that saved the rinse water. Pull the hinged ball over the hose opening to hold the water in the huge outer tub. To return saved water, place the amazing "SQUARE-SHAPED HOSE--I HOPE YOU SHOW IT; IT'S A TRUE ONE-OF-A-KIND ORIGINAL--over the frame and advance the dial to wash, skipping the fill. Has anyone seen this hose and water-saver system on the American models?

Sadly, for all its genius, our beloved Frigidaire was way behaind the curve in suds-saving; Whilrpool just creamed them.

The lid instructions are the absolute best I've ever seen and all the classic Frigidaire signatures are there: four divided sections; fill loosely; and my favorite: do not wind the clothes around the agitator which made me laugh even as a child--who the hell would wind the clothes around the agitator?? Answer Only the Chinese. Have you seen the new agitating Haier. GUESS WHAT? It winds the clothes right around the frigging agitator.

Good Luck and Godspeed on getting it to work.

Would you please plug it in right now and see. I'm so excited and happy for you

Mikey

 

[veg-o-matic]

"Roll ball over end of drain hose."

Whaaaaa?

veg

 

[veg-o-matic]

Oh, fascinating machine, by the way!

veg

 

[Unimatic1140]

One way I can tell the difference between a Multimatic and a Pulsamatic is that there is only one belt going to the tranny in a Pulsamatic; the Multimatics have 2. Robert, is this what you're talking about?
Yes Austin you are correct, only one belt is the key give away that its a pulsamatic.

we love seeing these familiar, yet strange looking machines now and then!!
I couldn't agree more with you Greg, I love seeing all these pictures of vintage Australian Top Loaders!

That's the famous--and I think, original--pulsator.
No that the agitator that was introduced in 1955, the original pulsator and agitator from 1947 looks like this...

 

[panthera]

this is just great

I wish I could afford the flight - you'd have me camping on your doorstep overnight...please take lots of pictures and let us see everything. Especially the wiring harness behind that very squared off panel. It seems (yellowish residue) that it must have had chrome trim strips at some point?
Since Australia is out of the question...I am really looking forward to being back in the 'States and hope some of you will be kind enough to lay me down and show me all the details. There is so much about these pulsating beauties I don't know.
Just found the "unimatic-reoperation" manual Robert posted a while back, went to bed with the print out. Some of those tolerances...I could never do such high quality work. Maybe that is why my roller-matics were always pitching a fit?
But I digress, Nathan this is just great - have fun! Thanks for sharing.

 

[mayfan69]

More Vintage Machines still to find...

I remember when this was found, the guy who had it had a treasure trove of stuff on his lot...old cars etc..but i didn't venture any further.The dog scared me off..

I would love to know how many vintage Frigidaires are still in existence here in Oz...

Gansky....Nathan and I still have another 18 months of kerbside hunting to go...as our city (Brisbane)still has the southern, Eastern and Western suburbs to go....

Stay tuned...

Leon

 

[mayken4now]

WOW Nathan! Get her up and running, and please, don't be lazy about posting those pictures!!!! Good going.

Steve

 

[mickeyd]

still excited and waiting

Should have said that is the original pulsamatic pulsator. The pulsator in the earlier picture Robert shows is not the first rendition. Yours is.

Robert's later picture of the very first pulsator looks like sculpture. It there an older thread, pics, video, or the story of this machine? Know nothing and would love to learn.

For those of us who love both pulsamatics, twintubs, and semi-automatics, isn't this machine a dream?

Did you know that Frigidaire also once made a wringer version: navy blue speckled porcelain in and out--very unusual--you had to push or pull the head of the pulsator to engage and disengage. No kliddin'!

 

[mixfinder]

Pump it through the Wringer

WOW
I always wondered in Frigidaire ever made a wringer machine.

I have seen some picture of Austratian machines, from the outside, but it never showed the inside to see what kind of agitator they had.

Now, that's amazing.

Do you have any pictures, Mickey, or does anyone have any idea where to find more information?

Kelly

 

[mixfinder]

Pulling the Head

Mickey,

I would have tought you'd pull the head of the pulsator to drain.

Kelly

 

[mickeyd]

Interesting

Rose B. had a Multi-matic with the "Clock" control dial, and her Mom Mary W. came to live with her. I held my breath at the site of the navy speclked tub because it looked like an automatic Friigidaire with its frame removed. I asked Mary how it worked and she said you push the pulsator down to make it wash. Being a little boy, I kept saying How. A helfy pretty woman with a strong melodious voice, she led me right over and showed me a metal ring surrounding the shaft which jingled a little, she pushed it and it clipped. Unfortunately the machine was not "Hooked up"--as much as you can hook up a wringeroanyway, but was off against a wall, since Mary had been using Rose's Multi. A One time deal, have not seen or heard of Frigi Wringer since. I'm sure someone else has.

Maybe Geoff knows

Footnote: the original pulsamatic pulsator, as distinct from the unimatic, has a solid head, no cap, no opening, no jumping water, no dispenser, just the slits of a Phillip Screw. Ladies and kids forgive me, bit it is unmistakeable because it is jet black, narrower on top than any other pulsator and looks like the head of a penis.

 

[trainguy]

Dueling '57s

Hi Robert,

What a great shot of your two 1957 washers overflowing in unison. I'm as green with envy at the agitator cap. I can still remember when you found the pulsamatic.

Rich

 

[fixerman]

Mickeyd
Circumcised?

 

[fixerman]

Sorry, misread your post. Your post said head didn't it.

 

[mickeyd]

Yes

and the screw looks just like the slit. Robert's has a condom.