Mr. Kirby’s first vacuum cleaner operated by hand power separated dust by drawing dust-laden air through water.
It comprised an upright drum at the bottom of which were two pails of water and on top of which was mounted a hand-powered pump. A flexible hose connected the cleaning nozzle to the water tank in which the dust-laden air was drawn up in bubbles and filtered before reaching the suction chamber.
The obvious drawback laid in the need for two operators. further, the water in the pails became overloaded with dirt and the pails were messy and rather difficult to clean.
Approximately a 100 were built and sold
Cost: $25.00
*** 3D images are based on pictures found in Kirby booklets and might not be 100% accurate . images from the booklets are attached.
Electric powered centrifugal dust separation through a conical enclosed cloth bag.
Was built and sold by the domestic vacuum cleaner company , It was considerably more practical and successful than its predecessor .
Somewhat smaller but of the same general shape as its predecessor, its pump was driven by an electric motor and the dust-laden air was filtered by centrifugal action and a fabric separator. This action was achieved by shooting the dust-Iaden air into the lower portion of the drum through a tube fastened to the drum tangential to its periphery. The swirling action thus engendered threw the dust and dirt to the drum wall, while minute particles were caught by a cloth bag filter which surrounded the pump and motor.
This machine was in actual service up to 1936.
Cost: $85.00
** 3D image was recreated from 2 Kirby informational booklets.
As Mr. Kirby himself put it ” a broomstick with a gadget at the end”.
The gadget at the end was an electric motor and fan built into an aluminum housing. The rotating beater was air driven by the developed suction. Another feature of this model was a glass- bowl “dust exhibitor”. fastened to the housing, it gave the operator continuous visible indication of the cleaning action.
Kirby met 3 brothers, Edward , Walter and Clarence who was James Kirby Landlord the time ,The Frantz brothers were in the building materials business, They obtained the rights to manufacture and sell Kirby’s newest vacuum, and the “Premier Vacuum Cleaner Company” (later Frantz premier and Premier )was formed. Model B was sold with a narrow suction only nozzle. Model C introduced a wide nozzle and a brush. Model D and E had an air-driven brush
**Images shown are of a model E vacuum I own and a 3D replica of the broomstick based on Kirby literature.
Kirby’s next vacuum “The Ezee” marketed in 1912 ( unknown model designation), followed by a Model “N” in 1914 was dubbed the “grass- hopper”, which indeed it resembled quite strongly. It comprised a cast nozzle fastened at the front end of a short cylinder in which was a cloth bag filter. At the rear end of the cylinder was a bellows, the back end of which was mounted on two wheels. When the handle fastened to the top of the cylinder was pushed forward and downward, the nozzle slid forward across the rug, while the wheel- mounted rear end of the bellows remained stationary. Thus, the bellows expanded, sucking in air and dirt from the rug. At the end of the forward stroke, the handle was lifted, permitting the bellows to contract, the rear end moving forward on its wheels. , both the 1912 model and the 1914 model “N” were equipped with a glass dome dust exhibitor although on the first model it was placed on top of the nozzle which was significantly longer. .
both models were produced by the “Premier Vacuum Cleaner Company”
**Images courtesy of M.Stockard featuring model N.
