The 1938 Frigidaire Bolt-Down Automatic Washer!

[Unimatic1140]

AI is getting to the point where it can recreate patents of early automatic washer designs that were never marketed to the public, it's not quite perfect yet but it certainly is better than it was 6 months ago. We can learn about the history of the design and creativity of the architects and engineers of our beloved machines. Had World War II never started we probably would have seen some these machines come to market in the early 40's.

This one is incredible. It is one of the very first patents General Motors received for their newly designed automatic washer. It was larger than the standard automatics we know today because of the three 10 gallon water tanks incorporated within the back of the machine.

The machine could wash three 8 to 10lb loads of laundry using only 50 gallons of water!

Introducing the 1938 Frigidaire Automatic Washer!




Check out the inside of the machine, the coolest thing ever!...


Here is how the machine works according to the patent:

The user places the wash load into the wash basket. Then she removes the rear cover over the water tanks. With a hose connected to the sink she fills the Wash Tank with 10 gallons of hot water and adds the soap or detergent to the Wash Tank as well. Next she fills both Rinse 1 and Rinse 2 tanks with 10 gallons each of warm water. She selects the wash time wanted from 5 to 20 minutes on the "Wash Period" dial and turns the top dial to "On". From here on out she is free to go onto other things and the machine runs all by itself.

The washer then does the following according to the patent:

Wash load #1
#1 Pumps the detergent laden hot water into the wash tub up from the Wash Tank.
#2 Washes/Pulsates the clothes for the desired time as set on the "Wash Period" dial.
#3 Spins the wash water up and into the upper drain trough and the soapy wash water is then directed back into the Wash Tank to be reused for the next wash load later on.
#4 Tub stops spinning and water is pumped into the wash tub from Rinse Tank 1.
#5 Machine pulsates clothes in the rinse water for a couple of minutes.
#6 Machine spins first rinse water into trough and then the diverter valve sends the 1st rinse water right down the drain. The first rinse water is never re-used in subsequent loads.
#7 Tub stops and water is pumped into the wash tub from Rinse Tank 2.
#8 Machine pulsates clothes again in the rinse water for the second rinse for a couple of minutes.
#9 Tub spins the water into the drain trough and the 2nd rinse water is now diverted into Rinse Tank 1. The 2nd rinse's water is now saved to used in the next wash loads 1st rinse!
#10 Machine spins the clothes damp dry and they are now ready to be hung on the clothes line for drying.

Wash load #2...
The user re-fills Rinse Tank 2 with 10 gallons of fresh clear warm water for the next load. The other two water tanks are filled from the previous load.
The user can place the 2nd wash load into the washer. It uses the saved hot wash water (which has now cooled down to warm) for the 2nd load.
Wash time is set and the machine started and runs through the same cycle again saving the wash water and last rinse water.

At the end of wash day or if the user wants fresh water she turns the drain dial to "On" and the machine drains all three water tanks.

Fascinating to say the least!


Here are the images from the actual patent that I used with AI to create the photos, you can read the patent here: https://patents.google.com/patent/US2325837A/en?oq=US2325837A

 

[jetcone]

So cool, what a water saver too ! Yes it is amazing what we can generate now with AI

 

[jetcone]

I tried to generate the GE Wobble washer yesterday

 

[jetcone]

 

[Unimatic1140]

And of course we have the never sold Maytag wobbling ball agitator washer from 1957!

 

[maytag85]

I imagine that Maytag ‘wobbling ball’ spins in a continuous circle and had some sort of gear reduction or belt slippage to make it simpler. Probably washed like the Bendix PowerSurge of the era from what I can imagine.

 

[jetcone]

FROM This to This Bristling New Gyromatic , love mine it cleans so well !

 

[bajaespuma]

Loved this.

Would the Frigidaire Rollermatic that Consumer Reports totally dissed in their 1969 Automatic Washers report now qualify as a bona-fides water saver? I wondered how and why CU would take a once Check-Rated Brand and throw it to the wolves. And yes, I remember that the big negative was its small capacity and then, of course, was the universally terrifying issue of sand disposal. Don't get me wrong, I still respect and miss the Consumer Reports of yesteryear, but I thought that whole report was questionable in many ways. I'd love to find another Rollermatic with all the bells and whistles.

 

[bajaespuma]

Jon, that AI image is AMAZING! What program are you using?

 

[Unimatic1140]

And now for some Sunday morning silliness...

 

[Ultramatic]

And when 3D printing REALLY takes off, we'll be able to build these.

 

[statomatic]

Well my post go deleted, seems like we must agree to that ridiculous artificial dumbness here...
Throw your brain to the trash, you don't need it anymore...

 

[Unimatic1140]

Well my post go deleted, seems like we must agree to that ridiculous artificial dumbness here...
Throw your brain to the trash, you don't need it anymore...

Your post makes zero sense to me what so ever. While the majority of us here love real vintage machines, me included, that’s exactly why I thought it was exciting to visualize patents that never made it past the paper stage. It isn’t meant to replace actual history or the engineering of machines that were built, it’s just a way to explore what might have been and bring old ideas to life. I genuinely don’t see how using AI in such a harmless, historically curious way should spark such a strong reaction. If I had the artistic skill to paint or draw these designs myself, I would have done it years ago, but I don't and these tools finally make that kind of visualization possible. There’s plenty of room in this world for both traditional collecting and historical reconstructions.

This AI boom is sparking creativity in so many ways we never even dreamed of. We are also so lucky to now be able to make up brand new styles of machines, sparking both new ideas as well as some fun and silliness. In a few years the tech is going to be so much more powerful I can't wait to see what we can do with it relating to the vintage machines we all love.

 

[jetcone]

Jon, that AI image is AMAZING! What program are you using?

it is ChatGPT with a membership

 

[jetcone]

Your post makes zero sense to me what so ever. While the majority of us here love real vintage machines, me included, that’s exactly why I thought it was exciting to visualize patents that never made it past the paper stage. It isn’t meant to replace actual history or the engineering of machines that were built, it’s just a way to explore what might have been and bring old ideas to life. I genuinely don’t see how using AI in such a harmless, historically curious way should spark such a strong reaction. If I had the artistic skill to paint or draw these designs myself, I would have done it years ago, but I don't and these tools finally make that kind of visualization possible. There’s plenty of room in this world for both traditional collecting and historical reconstructions.

This AI boom is sparking creativity in so many ways we never even dreamed of. We are also so lucky to now be able to make up brand new styles of machines, sparking both new ideas as well as some fun and silliness. In a few years the tech is going to be so much more powerful I can't wait to see what we can do with it relating to the vintage machines we all love.

Well said, I am finding people who are instantly attacking AI generation, a phobia , an aversion of some kind automatic it appears . I say keep scrolling you input goes nowhere today. AI is here get used to it.

 

[Chetlaham]

Well said, I am finding people who are instantly attacking AI generation, a phobia , an aversion of some kind automatic it appears . I say keep scrolling you input goes nowhere today. AI is here get used to it.

Personally over the years I've discovered that people will attack anything that is homemade, self made or uses imagination. Before AI I would draw up various designs and use photo shop to render improvements to existing appliances or to depict those that were never built. Only to have people shout me down saying I shouldn't because it was all fake, that I was impersonating a professional, that people repairing their machines could confuse my concepts for the real thing, ect, ect. Why this brings out such animosity in some people I still have no solid idea however I see AI used for this purpose as a good thing. So many great things will come from being able to create new designs and improve on them.

It won't be long before people start designing and printing their own appliances which is a dream of mine. No more having to hunt and fight keeping old machines in service with limited parts. Personally I would 3D scan an existing dependable care, program my own cycle control system that suits me best, print out all the parts, assemble them together, and voila!

 

[Chetlaham]

Well my post go deleted, seems like we must agree to that ridiculous artificial dumbness here...
Throw your brain to the trash, you don't need it anymore...

Do you disagree with your post being deleted or do you disagree with the AI renditions of washing machines shown in this thread?

Just curious. I am all for AI, but not AI moderation if it was ever implemented here.

 

[Unimatic1140]

Do you disagree with your post being deleted or do you disagree with the AI renditions of washing machines shown in this thread?

Just curious. I am all for AI, but not AI moderation if it was ever implemented here.

Hi post was not deleted by an admin because of the subject matter, his post got deleted because he used profanity about the AI in this thread.