Review 1969 Philco Ford Washer - a Wiggler

[mickeyd]

Thanks Art

I must have had a brain fart.

 

These three vids are wonderful. I really love the width and trajectory of the fill flume.

 

Fun to see Robert packin' that thing. Wondering how much more it would take to slow the flapper down.

 

Thanks again. Was really befuddled about not being able to find them.

[this post was last edited: 8/26/2011-13:35]

 

[gansky1]

 
 
 
This is the (in)famous flapulator from 1966

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[gansky1]

Another shorty:

<iframe width="420" height="345" src="" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[ozzie908]

Don't understand...!

Ok I know I am english and have never seen one of those before but I still do not understand how it works?

I have watched the videos including the slow motion one and all I see is a disc going round at the bottom of the machine.

Can someone please explain the mechanics of how it works to a dim but intrigued person...!

Austin

 

[chestermikeuk]

Flap Magic

Hi Austin, Im sure someone will come along & explain the workings as far as I understand it uses an up and down motion at 575 strokes and converts that to the agi making it oscillate up down and around?? with the rubber discs and moulding on the agi it creates currents in the water which is how you see th clothes rolling over!! It doesnt use a gearbox as we know it like the hotpoint and has a ball point balance system that sounded like the Philips twinny when it was explained!!

Im sure there is a video of Robert with a mechanism out the cabinet and showing us how it works but cant find it!! heres a thread about the clutch, the trouble is theres sooo muchgood info on these threads but sometimes it takes a lot of searching for!!

Hope this helps until the teccys come along!!

http://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?12280

 

[DADoES]

 
It wobbles somewhat akin to a Calypso. There's a u-joint sort of mechanism by which the lower disc wobbles, covered by a rubber boot when everything is assembled.

This video was done by Robert during a bearing repair of his 1959 Automagic in January 2001. He posted a photo-essay of the repair but the searchable site archives don't go back far enough to include it. I do have the pics saved.

1959 Philco mechanism flapping without tub
Note that the lower flapper/disc part of the agitator wobbles but it does not rotate.

 

[chestermikeuk]

Philco

Hi Glen, many thanks for the video link and explainations, nowthen you posting was very ironic....Austin - this is Glen (DAEDOES) I was telling you about with the F & P dishdraws that you where wanting explainations about....so now you can start conversing...LOl

 

[jetcone]

Think of it as a

HULA, its Hula Action!

 

 

[cfz2882]

would love to find one of those-so pretty and interesting!Actually found one at the
dump in 1983,i took the motor-had a black bakelite turbine pump on one end-pump
was much like the drain section of a T/L westy 4 port pump though the philco
had a cast-aluminum impeller that was quite corroded.On the other end of the motor
was a pulley with kind of a concentric spring vibration damper like thing.

 

[combo52]

PHILCO WASHER

There is no U joint in the Philco unlike the Calypso which has one big enough for a cement mixer and the Calypso is a much better design for washing clothing and actually turning them over without tangling.

 

[DADoES]

 
Here are three of the 56 pictures I saved from Robert's repair pictorial.

The agitator shaft is formed with a slight bend.

 

[DADoES]

 

 

[DADoES]

 

 

[jetcone]

That sure looks like a U joint to me

does it smell like a U joint?

 

does it sound like  a U joint?

 

any takers?

 

 

[ozzie908]

Now I understand..

I would like to say Thank you to all contributors you have been excellant informers....!

Austin

 

[Unimatic1140]

Tangling? Huh?

One thing that apparently needs to be cleared up about the early Philco design is in my experience I have never seen it tangle clothes and I've washed many loads in that machine of all sorts. It doesn't even tangle sheets. I'm not sure about the later design because I've never had one of those in my collection, but I can certainly speak for the early 12lb machine. Also I never use any special loading technique in that machine and still no tangling.

My only beef with that machine is it spins way too slow, 550rpm.

 

[joelippard]

I agree Robert.  I think mine would be close to one of my favorites if the spin speed were doubled.

 

[combo52]

PHILCO WASHER U JOINT

I am afraid that I looked too quickly at an exploded view of the washer when I said it does not have a U joint and and didn't see the little U joint, but it differently has a U joint. This may be the first time I was ever wrong LOL.

 

[hydralique]

Well . . .

If only they had put a man-sized (or maybe Calypso-sized) U-joint in the Philco then maybe they could have ramped up the spin speed!

What was the last year for the Philco flapulator wobble-drive design? After it was discontinued did they make conventional washer clones or just stop making washers altogether?

 

[angus]

I think 1969 was the last year for Philco laundry. I still have the 1970 annual Consumer Reports buying guide and Philco was not one of the washer brands rated that year. However they did rate the 1969 model Philco dryers. After that, they just didn't produce laundry equipment anymore for home use. I think the Philco name in the US was sold to White Consolidated in the mid 70's. I remember one local appliance store had in the window what was clearly a Westinghouse front loader, but labeled as Bendix.

 

[arbilab]

Little-beknownst to the bulk buying public, no corporate name has meant anything for over 10 years, and some a good deal longer than that.

Maypool. Whirltag. Electrofrigiwhite. Norgana. And those are only the US brands.