Taking Apart a Bendix Economat

[easyspindry]

Bendix Economat

Thanks, Robert, for this fascinating tear-down of the Economat. There were several of these machines in my small hometown when I grew up. There was an earlier model with a slightly different lid and fill mechanism. That particular model had a red button in the handle of the top that had to be pressed to release the pressure before the lid could be opened.

On this earlier model, the fill faucet fit into a hole in the side of the dome, and the water ran through the dome and down through a hole in the center of the dome that had a valve that would plug and unplug the hole to maintain or release the pressure.

I never saw one of this model that worked properly.

I have always wondered what the guts of these machines looked like.

On the model you have, it always interested me that in the fill process, when hot water was selected, the water sort of oozed in from under the agitator. But when warm waster was selected, the water bubbled up through and out of the top of the agitator.

Such a shame that it is impossible to watch the extraction cycle.

You are a genius!!! Thanks for all the pictures. Can't wait to see the rest of the operation.

Jerry Gay

 

[spankomatic]

the water bubbled up through and out of the top of the agita

Would love to see THAT!

 

[gansky1]

I thought one of the pumps Bendix used in this machine was a Robbins-Meyers, thought I'd read that somewhere.  Perhaps they used several until they got to the Gorman-Rupp - that Economat against the wall has the round-body pump like the WP combo.

The valve in the dome is indeed to let out pressure - filling the tub with water for the rinse(s) displaces air that has to be released and that spring-loaded lid and dome are heavy.

 

 

[3beltwesty]

1940 Rotary Pump patent for pump shown in reply #19

Here is the page 1 of 2 of Patent 2,189,356 on the casting of the pump in reply #19

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/2189356.pdf

 

[turquoisedude]

Cool! Yet another venture into the inner workings of a fascinating vintage washer! Thanks for the detailled photos, Robert and keep us posted as work progresses!!