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VARIABLE SPEED WASHER CLUTCHES

Thanks for posting all the information about the frigidare washers Ben, I haven't looked at these manuals in a long while. In the late 1960s when the appliance engineers figured out they could build variable speed washer drive systems five companies did so. Only Maytag and Speed Queen had the good sense to stay away from what I consider the most costly and useless feature ever added to automatic washers. The feature only sold at all because it was added to TOL models that a percentage of consumers always buy but in reality added no real benefit over the already available three speed motors in other TOL models. Three companies used a GE built variable speed induction motor on thier machines, they were the KM, solid tub Hotpoint and Norge there was also an Easy version of the HP and a MW version of the Norge. But both GE and Frigidare decided to build a variable speed clutch for thier washers instead. Basically both clutches had a field coil that when energized the clutch would grip and cause the to drive the machine at full speed like the most basic one speed washer. The clutch is similar to what is used on your cars AC compressor. When any thing but full speed is selected the control would simply pulse the coil on & off very rapidly and simply allow the clutch to slip { think of trying to control the speed of your car by driving with your left foot on the clutch ] it was certainly not a very durable way to build a washer drive. I always though it ironic that GE one of the largest builders of electric motors in the world even used the two, three-four and variable speed clutches in thier FF washers instead of multi speed motors. The clutches in GE FF washers were not only complicated and costly to make but also one of the most troublesome major parts of the machine. I have never actually seen a GE or Frigidare washer where this feature still worked. On the GEs the clutch would just be replaced with a one speed clutch. I sure the fate of the Frigidares with this feature was not good. Any of these machines would be very rare today, even our collection has none of these machines in it.
 
John -

You bring up a fantastic point about the extreme expense these machines were on the books for GE/GM and the others. Not only were there new parts needed for the clutches, but different machine tooling processes would be required to fabracate the new clutches at a very low output in compairsion to the masses of parts being made for standard machines. I doubt they ever made a profit on them.

I expect that, due to the sheer size of GM and GE, they had the bank roll to attempt anything of this magnatitude on a production machine. Knowing how conservative GM was at the time, it blows me away that the executitves even let this washer slip through engineering in Dayton, as the 2 and 4 speed Rollermatics were all the buying public would ever need. Early product testing should have shown that the mag clutches would have a terrible service life - tainting some buyers perception of their product. Especially since 3 of the 4 models were the top of the line, top dollar, machines. But, hey - it was the late 60's. Is that honestly any different from today; rushing a product out before fully understanding what the service life of the machine is? Warranty expenses must have been a pain.

You are right John - there is a reason why no one has one of these in their collection as I'm sure the majority of them were traded in within 5 years.

I had no idea Norge or Hotpoint also attempted the varriable speed front - thanks for the information. Maytag learned their lesson on crazy designs with the Combo, and with it being a smaller company like Speed Queen, probably would not have had the cash to attempt something like this in a production machine.

The shell of the WXL/WXN would make a fantiastic platform for a 3 phase freq drive machine... :D

Ben
 
I'm not all all surprised. The term "conservative" is very relative when you look at the General Motors of the late 1960's compared to the General Motors of recent years. Think of the avaialble options, color combinations, trim packages, etc. that one could order on any 1968 GM automobile...you could literally order thousands of different combinations and not a single car would be alike. If you wanted a Chevy Biscayne station wagon with a solid lifter 427, a four speed on the floor, and no heater, you could order it. How cost effective was that?!? If you want a great illustration of what kind of waste was going on at General Motors during those years, read John DeLorean's "On a Clear Day You Can See General Motors". He talks about the number of SKU's and part numbers that were required in those days at the assembly plants - unbelievable today. Great read!!
 
PeterH

would you please take us some pictures of it. I'm very interesting in learning about these transmissions and it would be fun to see some pictures that are better than the ones from the tech talk. Thank You!
 
I wonder if the clutch lining was something more rubust or at least thicker than the standard clutch, or if they just expected that the clutch would require replacement at more frequent intervals due to the slippage?
 
Why I drool !

This stuff is fabulous, Ben and gentlemen. Thank you Ben for this gourmet reading.

A handsome machine, indeed. It'll be great when someone finds a picture. The one above it is a looker too, reminds me of the POD Hotpoint we all love with the similar 6 dials.

Interesting that they reduced the noise level of the fill. Have always cherished the distinctive waterfall fill sound. Even more interesting that they used a pressure control on the TOL models for water level control, instead of cutting the time in half as formerly on the timer motor. Ah, what we all missed in not being filthy rich.

Wondering if GM has a secret museum where models of these Holy Grail machines have been preserved. Just a thought! Ya never know.
 
Ahhhh, the X-Files of Frigidaire!

I have one of these (entire) mechanisms from an X-series washer that was found on the South Dakota Sacred Appliance Burial Grounds. I also have a lid from an "X" series on the wall in the garage. Now all we need is the control panel and we're set to restore one!
 
"Lint Away Lamp"

Wasn't that just simply an idiot light on the control panel to let the user know the lint-away-rinse (overflow rinse) was in progress? Kinda like the "filtering" idiot light or "self-cleaning filter" light on the Kenmore and Whirlpool washers that lit up while it was agitating during wash or rinse.
 
Were we not living high on the hog in 1968. Every corporation was building and selling their usual domestic products and building material for the war also. Friends told me that when they were about due to leave Viet Nam and come home, representatives of the BIG 3 auto makers would visit them to sell them a car that would be waiting for them when they got back.

Scooter: The Lint A Way lamp came on during the overflow rinse period at the end of the wash and rinse in the upper end models. In the metered fill machines, the rinse was not a constant overflow like in the time fill machines. The lamp was one more doo-dad like Kemore's "Filtering" light during agitation. Thanks for sharing the magazine. We had LIFE delivered for years along with lots of other magazines.

Did anyone check out the GE appliances on pgs 44 & 45? That's a nice 30 inch range there and what looks like Greg's favorite laundry pair. Check out the GE lamp timer on pg 87 and the WP air conditioner ad on pg 94.

Please take a look at the little boat on pg 100 and tell me if anyone has seen a boat like it.

The morning after I graduated from high school, I turned on my new Westinghouse TV and heard the news about Robert Kennedy's death. I was up early to start my first day of work at the local hospital to earn money for college. We had the quarter system instead of semesters and tuition for each quarter was about $100 for 3 courses and PE.
 
I'll bet the clutch control didn't actually pulse that much. Between that honkin' 1000 uF cap and the inductance of the clutch coil, it was probably fairly well damped. Plus, it looks like they put some negative feedback in the control circuit to stabilize it more. Still not smart to do speed control by slipping a friction clutch, though.
 
It is all kind of moot because, as John has said, the third speed on WP/KM washers, especially with the Kenmore's Vari-Flex fins retracted, could give the gentlest wash you would need without restorting to gadgetry, but to be able to put a little sticker on the control panel saying "solid state" in the late 60s was a real attention grabber for the male shopping with the woman for an appliance. GE even made a "solid state" controlled Versatronic toaster oven.

We briefly had one of the infinite speed Frigidaires as a loaner while ours had to go in for service. It would wash and spin the first load fine, but if you tried to do a second load right after that, it would not spin fast enough to even completely empty the tub of water.
 
Scooter, thanks for the effort

We say Frigidaire so often, we can forget the blended word's origin, frigid+air. When I was very young, some of the wonderful seniors in my life called the refrigerator, a frigidaire, and my ears would perk up thinking they were talking about what was for me the very best topic, washers.

Your link reminded me, when I saw the sitting lady.

When I type automatic washers, or rollermatics etc. in the search, I strike out.

Would you tell me how to access the materials. Thanks again.
 
PS: There were pleny of filty rich in 1968

I went school and was friends with many of them. If only I had asked to see their washing machines ;-> Perhaps I would have encountered a cherished X-file. "The truth is out there." At that time we enjoyed a 66 Coppertone Custom Deluxe. That's as far up the Frigidaire hierarchy we ever got. Had I known about these wonders back then, there's no telling.....
 

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