You Can Be Sure, I Think It's The First

[lotsosudz]

Wow!

Robert,
What a find. We had a 56 slant front dryer, which would shock the tits off of me, every now and then. My question for you is, did Betty come with it, or was that a option back then. You lucky dog. You deserve it you are so damn hot, and so damned lucky!
Hug's,
David

 

[combo52]

First Westinghouse 3 Belt Washers

Great find Robert, I have never actually seen one with the portability casters installed. WH did indeed try out the transmission-less 3B system when they introduced this style washer in about 1955. About two years later they abandoned the two belt transmission drive system that they had used from the beginning of their slant-front automatic washers and used a modified version of the drive system your cute washer has for all their FL washers through till the time WCI bought the WH home appliance division from WH Electric.

 

As many may remember I have the same washer and it did indeed come from Mark Harmon. I have always though that this was a very handsome washer, I often fine myself starring at it over at the museum, LOL.

 

Over the years I have come across quite a few of these 25" washers and they have almost never been in really bad shape mechanically. I think that people just stopped using them for some reason [ they diffidently could be a leak problem from the door as the water filled at least an inch or two up on the door glass and like the old Bendix FLers that came before if you dare unlatch the door you had an instant flood ] so they probably were not that great around future appliance kids like most of the people on this site, LOL.

 

Even though this was the first use of the 3B drive system for WH FL Washers, when they used a similar system on their full sized slant front machines they changed almost every part and as a result almost nothing is interchangeable between the two different size and style washers.

 

I do have some spare used parts for it if you need them Robert.

 

[frigilux]

Someone may have posted this commercial for the 1955 Westinghouse "Laundromat 25" elsewhere, but I thought it would be of interest in this thread. Great find, Robert! A smart-looking little machine, indeed. And thanks for the historical and technical information, John.

 

[jetcone]

Very cute find

and nice save Robert. jeeze I get back into top loaders and you go front loader crazy!!

 

Love the script above the door!! Should digitize that one I think it might be unique.

 

 

 

[badgerdx]

Deeply envious, per usual.

 

[arbilab]

Last I remember that logo was our mid-50s canister vacuum.

I can't definitively say when the 3-B became the standard. But we moved it to our new house in summer 1957. Fullsize, slantfront, chevron door.

Few differences from the late 40s before it. Suspension, identical. Solenoids, identical, though the spin solenoid performed a slightly different function in the transmissionless. Timer and cycles, identical. Pump coupling went from the older flatmetal spring to the newer coiled spring. New pump cover included hose nipple for diaphragm waterlevel sense. Previous waterlevel sense was a switch on the bottom suspension spring. Older, double door; newer, single door plus boot. Yes we had to have the boot replaced, the only repair I couldn't do. I was ~13yo and rebuilt the pump coupling and spin clutch. Pritdang good value for 50c/week allowance.

 

[thelaundrylab]

Congratulations...

Robert, what a "kool" looking machine buddy, I hope it brings you hours of fun, congrats on your finding.

Hass.

 

[swestoyz]

I'm a little bit late to the game - but congrats Robert! Looking forward to seeing this one sometime.

Ben

 

[ovrphil]

Late but notably..

amazing what you find on CL..know little about 1, 2, or 3 belt relevance and great that you found it. I love the old appliances -your smile says it all...it is cute and cool.

Anyone calculate the price of this washer in today's money?

Revinnkevin - love your Westinghouse - that yellow is beautiful

and yellow is so gay, no matter what the meaning!

 

[redcarpetdrew]

Very, very nice!

Robert, you really do have the 'touch' when it comes to finding really nice machines. Really nice catch, Ted and it couldn't have found a better home. 'One in, one out' eh? Oh well, it was nice knowing the Apex while it lasted... LOL!

RCD

 

[e2l-arry]

Adjusted for inflation,

In today's dollars, in 1955 $539.90 = $4565.85. the sale price of $419.90 would be $3551.03 today and the $120.00 saving would save you $1014.82 today.

The price of washers took WAY more out of a bank account than it does today. That's probably why so many couldn't afford to retire the old wringer for an automatic. Or why so many couldn't afford a washer at all. It does seem to me that there aren't nearly as many coin operated Laundromats today as there were 50 years ago.

Cheers!

Larry

 

[syndets2000]

the spin slider....

...on these is the only non interchangeable part between these and the full size machines, the slot on each is curved in opposite directions...I was wondering if this early one had the slider clutch with the non curved slot...

 

[combo52]

3 Belt Westinghouse Washers

Many parts were not interchangeable between the 25" space-savers and the later slant-front full sized machines including, the motor, motor pulley, the water pump, the idler pulley, both main pulleys, the door boot and all three belts. There were some interchangeable parts including the main bearings and water seal, the inlet valve and the pump solenoid.

 

[Unimatic1140]

I was wondering if this early one had the slider clutch with the non curved slot...

Robert when you said that it piqued my interest as well, so I took a peek and so it is. I wonder what was the reason for the later change?

 

[arbilab]

The earliest-known (to me) example of a non-turbine continuously-variable transmisson. Ratio range could have approached 3:1.

Our 3-B slant was a shallow spiral. This could have facilitated--or inhibited--"shifting" in consort with the direction of motor rotation.

I'd be interested to see the 'compact' suspension by comparison to the fullsize. Fullsize was 7 elements. 2 top/rear leafs with damping pads, one on either side, one on the bottom, and a coil on either side. Was there a rear/center coil as well? It's only been 50 years since I saw behind one of these.

 

[mayfan69]

Very nice indeed

Very nice indeed Robert...looks in great condition
Cheers
Leon

 

[syndets2000]

Oh golly....

....of course what was I thinking, John, about all the other parts- thanks for that post....but I also wanted to ask wasn't the 3 belt system was in use on the LS-7 & LS-8 late 1953 to late 1954...?

 

[lesto]

Another great find. Robert, you have all the luck!

 

[pulsator]

CONGRATS on another fabulous find Robert!!!

Two questions though, why did these machines have three belts? How did these machines work?

 

[arbilab]

Spin had its own slot on the motor pulley, that's one belt. Tumble took 2 belts, from motor to reduction idler and idler to drum. Inside the drum hub was a one-way clutch such that the tumble pulley ran all the time but when the spin pulley ran faster it overtook the tumble.

The older 2-belt had one from motor to transmission then one from transmission to drum. Doing away with the transmission made the machine cheaper to build and maintain. The trans was not field-repairable. The 3-belt spin hub/clutch was very inexpensive and easily replaced (I changed one around age 14).