The "Card Table" Vibration Test

[lowefficiency]

Saw this in today's Picture-of-the-Day.

Granted, card tables were a bit more sturdy in 1952... but even so, I imagine this would have been quite a demonstration to see a machine up on a card table while operating!

Did any other manufacturers beyond Apex attempt this "test"?

 

[Unimatic1140]

I can tell you from my own experience that my Apex Wash-a-matic is by far the most stable and solid washer I have in my collection, it never seems to have any vibration what so ever no matter what I'm washing. If the load is out of balance it will automatically bleed water from the water balloon clutch for several seconds sending the tub back into wash nutation to automatically redistribute the load and then it tries again.

 

[tolivac]

Who or What? would want to lift the Apex washer onto the card table?Maybe we need our forklift for this task.

 

[tolivac]

Surprized this washer design hasn't been "recycled" for a low water and energy use machine today.Seems like this would be worth bringing back.

 

[gizmo]

I doubt that was any ordinary card table...

 

[kate1]

I’d be concerned about the weight first of all. I inherited my grandparent’s old card table, which was probably purchased in the early 1950s, and it is built better than modern ones but I certainly wouldn’t stand on it (and I’m only about 115 lbs) let alone put a washer on it and THEN let that washer run (and therefore fill with water). I’m pretty sure that if the legs didn’t buckle immediately, the top would cave in on itself. I don’t think you would even get as far as worrying about the machine vibrating.

 

[Unimatic1140]

Apologies on resurrecting this old thread but I just noticed that yes indeed this washer is standing on top of a standard card table in 1953 lol. It doesn't look like this demonstration machine could fill with water but each Apex fill only uses 7.5 gallons so it wouldn't be as much weight as other washers of the time.

 

[qsd-dan]

That Apex design certainly is fascinating. I wonder why it didn't take off and become more popular? Was it small capacity, mediocre cleaning results, expensive production costs, reliability issues? 

 

[lowefficiency]

Hey, look at that! It appears to have some planks (wood or the like) to distribute the weight, but they actually did it! Thanks for posting the picture.

 

[Unimatic1140]

Was it small capacity, mediocre cleaning results, expensive production costs, reliability issues?

I don't know for sure but Apex wasn't a major company like GE, GM/Frigidaire, Whirlpool, etc so I suspect they didn't have the resources and reach of the big guys.

My guess is that cleaning results in the Apex back then were on par with front loaders of the time which were below the average top loader due to the fact that low sudsing detergents in the early and mid 1950s weren't perfected as they are now. I'm shocked at times how well the Apex cleans stained items when I use good 21st century detergent such as Tide Free and Clear. When I use a vintage high sudsing detergent the results are not as good.

The owners manual to my '53 Apex says about detergents:

Synthetic detergents are of two kinds, non-sudsing and sudsing. Since suds tend to cushion the washing action, the non-sudsing synthetic detergents (such as "ALL", "SPIN", "SNAP", etc.) are especially efficient for washing heavily soiled or greasy clothes. Non-sudsing brands of synthetic detergents can usually be purchased in appliance or department stores, if they can not be found at the local grocery store.

The sudsing-type synthetic detergents (such as "TIDE", "SURF", "FAB", etc.) have decidedly improved cleansing qualities over soap products. They are recommended for washing clothes of average, or light soil. However, because their profuse suds tend somewhat to cushion the washing action, the non-sudsing detergents mentioned in the previous paragraph should be used if the sudsing-type (along with pre-soaking the clothes) does not achieve satisfactory results when washing heavily soiled or greasy clothes.

Apex strongly recommends the preferential use of synthetic detergents. However, if a soap powder is used when washing with the WASH·A·MATIC, then a very effective water conditioner, marketed by many leading grocery stores under the trade name, "Calgon", should be added to the soap powder to obtain satisfactory washing results and to prevent the deposit of soap curds on the clothes. "Calgon" performs the function of softening the water and, in addition, freeing the soap to remove soil from the clothes. Moreover, when "Calgon" is added to the soap powder, or added to a synthetic detergent as well, it will be found that less soap or detergent is required.