POD (Philco High-Frequency Washing) . . .

[hydralique]

Every time I see that beautiful illustration of the Philco Automagic action I wonder exactly how it worked. The agitator looks much more like a Frigidaire Jetcone than a normal agitator, but given how carefully GM protected all their inventions with patents I assume Philco couldn't just copy the Frigidaire action. Was this a Bendix design Philco inherited? How does one of these Automagics work?

 

[DADoES]

 
Robert's 1959 Philco, naked (watch at the end as it coasts to a stop)

 

[joelippard]

As someone who has one of these machines I can't answer whether or not Bendix handed it down to Philco. My machine is a Philco-Bendix Automagic Washer. The agitator column remains still during agitation and the "flapper" at the bottom undulates up and down in what appears as a circular pattern (but it's really not rotating) This creates the Automagic Action. The agitator also undulates on the spin as well. It really is quite something to see if you haven't seen it in person before -- I will say that I wish the spin speed was faster on these.

 

[peterh770]

Philco had merged with Bendix a few years before they introduced the Flapalator in '59.

I recently watch a later version Flex-A-Wash and thought it didn't do as well as the earlier version.

 

[appliguy]

Philco had merged with Bendix a few years before they introd

Actually it was introduced in 1958...PAT COFFEY

 

[hydralique]

Thanks for the answers and links! Philco certainly went their own way with this wash action. Do any of you think the flapper action cleans as well as a conventional automatic? When did Philco last use this system?

 

[peterh770]

Until their demise in the mid- to late 60's.

 

[joelippard]

The cleaning ability

is quite effective, on tap with a Frigidaire. They can take more than a mouthful and keep the load turning over. Go watch my youtube video. This was a test video I did to see just how much it could handle.