Kenmore round front design - pictures

[rinso]

I remember these machines from my youth. I think this machine may have had "hard" solenoids to activate the agitation and spin as the more refined and quiet wig-wag concept had not yet been developed. But, I could be mistaken.

 

[Unimatic1140]

No, the solenoids were for the suds-saver diverter valve, the machine had the wig-wag from the very beginning.

Just to be sure the correct information is given out here, this washer was the first of the belt-drive Whirlpool design to hit the market, but it was no where near the first top loader.

As Greg said Blackstone was first and it was before the war, followed by GE, Frigidaire, Coronado, Launderall all in 1947. The Sears unit first showed up in 1948.

 

[mickeyd]

Welcome Atuten

We know these great machines from Ross's posts.

Brett--THAT ARTICLE-- it's amazing, so long, and interesting and perfectingly satisfying. Maybe tomorrow, I'll post the highlights, unless someone beats me to it. Here's just a tease of what's in there. The bosses were making all of the engineers work on a SQUEEZER model, when behind locked doors, a few radicals were perfecting the boltdown which of course spins rather than squeeezes. The bosses actually thought the squeezer instead of a spinner was a better choice. The secret model was known as "The Jeep". They don't say why.

Maybe because it would charge around the basement if not bolted down. Of course, the squeezer lost and the bosses came a beggin' to see the Jeep!

 

[agiflow]

I thought the first Kenmore was 1947? CU didn't rate it until 48 though.

 

[mickeyd]

Agi, go check out the article

it needs a re-read--not clear if WP preceeds KM. Looks like Sears put out machines before Whirlpool manufactured under its own label. The dates are all in there but there's a ton of material. and you'll love it. The print's small; just zoom it, dude!

 

[rinso]

"No, the solenoids were for the suds-saver diverter valve, the machine had the wig-wag from the very beginning."

Thanks Robert. I just remember that the one our neighbors had made solenoid-type clunks while it was operating. I really didn't observe it very much back then.

 

[appliguy]

Yes Sears brought out its first automatic in 1947

it was manufactured by the 1900 Washing Machine Corp. Then in 1948 1900 brought out the same machine under the Whirlpool name. The same thing happened with the first automatic dryers for both brands, the Kenmore was introduced in 1949 and the Whirlpool in 1950. If you notice this practice happens still today, for example the Calypso came out first as a Kenmore then about a year later as a Whirlpool. The Kenmore HE3T's came out first then the Duet's. The Kenmore Oasis was first then the Whirlpool Cabrio. FYI, 1900 Washing Machine Corp. origianlly made washers under their own name and then about 1930 started making a model called the Whirlpool. Eventually that name was used on all their washers and then became the name of the company in 1950.
PATRICK COFFEY

 

[agiflow]

Though the history of WP traces it's beginnings when they were the Upton machine company begun in 1911 with very early ties to sears and later merged with 1900. Whirly has a pretty interesting history.