First non-manual wipers and first heater

[rhurst]

I have a 1923 Hudson that has a single manual wiper blade and no interior heater.

Does anyone know when the first hands free wipers were installed in cars and which model was the first.  I know they used portable heaters in the early cars like they did in the carriages but  when and what car had the first real heater?

Robert

[BearsFan315]

cool little article: The History of Windshield Wipers

 

Quote

William M. Folberth, an inventor, patented the first automatic, non-hand-driven windshield wipers in 1919. These automatic windshield wipers used a vacuum-powered system to clear the windshield, which became standard equipment on automobiles. This vacuum-powered system was widely used until 1960s, when the use of intermittent wipers became more common

 

not sure how true this all is, as many claim to be the first

 

Clear The Way: A History of Automotive Windshield Wipers

Edited September 21, 2020 by BearsFan315 (see edit history)

[padgett]

Wonder if that is why Renault put the radiator behind the engine...

[rhurst]

1 hour ago, BearsFan315 said:

cool little article: The History of Windshield Wipers

 

 

not sure how true this all is, as many claim to be the first

 

Clear The Way: A History of Automotive Windshield Wipers

 

[rhurst]

Yes I have seen the article.  Seems to me I have seen many older cars with an electric wiper mounted

at the tip of the windshield. Maybe both types of wipers came out at the same time. A wiper at the top of

the windshield would have trouble connecting to a vacuum system but maybe not......

Robert

[41 Su8]

The vacuum wiper on my '29 Model A Ford has a line that enters the passenger side of the firewall and travels up the inside of the windshield header and across to the wiper motor.

[BearsFan315]

5 minutes ago, 41 Su8 said:

The vacuum wiper on my '29 Model A Ford has a line that enters the passenger side of the firewall and travels up the inside of the windshield header and across to the wiper motor.

same as my 1929 Chevrolet with a Trico Vacuum wiper

copper tube rom intake manifold through fire wall (grommet) to needle valve in dash (vacuum control switch) out the switch to the drivers a pillar, up inside the wood to header, over to a small portion sticking out, then a rubber hose from this nipple to the wiper motor. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[PFitz]

1 hour ago, rhurst said:

Yes I have seen the article.  Seems to me I have seen many older cars with an electric wiper mounted

at the tip of the windshield. Maybe both types of wipers came out at the same time. A wiper at the top of

the windshield would have trouble connecting to a vacuum system but maybe not......

Robert

Some of the mid 1920's Stewart Warner vacuum tanks had a special tee fitting on top for a thin vacuum line going through the firewall and up the windshield corner post to the wiper motor. 

 

Paul

[rhurst]

Anyone have any information on car heaters?  Did any cars in the 20's have any type of in cab car heater? I know the circulating water type wasn't around until 1936 but what or who had a heater in the 20's?

Robert

[padgett]

It was called a "lap blanket".

[Terry Bond]

Some early cars used a manifold heater that captured hot exhaust heat given off by the exhaust manifold  and plumbed it into the interior thru an adjustable flap,  like the Model A Fords did. . I've seen some very early cars using that method of heating with a box around the muffler or exhaust pipe and a grate in the floor to bring heat into the passenger compartment. The 1921 Cleveland used that, also I believe Studebakers had something similar. I guess it all depends on how you define heater.

Terry

[padgett]

"captured hot exhaust heat given off by the exhaust manifold  and plumbed it into the interior" my '70 Westphalia had that.

[ply33]

11 hours ago, rhurst said:

Anyone have any information on car heaters?  Did any cars in the 20's have any type of in cab car heater? I know the circulating water type wasn't around until 1936 but what or who had a heater in the 20's?

Robert

I have some old automotive trade magazines that show hot water heaters for earlier than 1936. I’d have to thumb through them again to see the earliest, bu suspect they might have been available in the very late 20s.

[keithb7]

This 1928 Dodge Brothers Standard 6, made in Canada has a heater. I cannot tell you if it was a bolt on addition at some point? Could likely have been. 

 

 

[8E45E]

Some early 1930's Studebaker heater photos here:  https://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/forum/your-studebaker-forum/general-studebaker-specific-discussion/52450-can-anyone-shed-some-light-on-this-item

 

Craig

[franklinman]

On 9/21/2020 at 7:21 PM, PFitz said:

Some of the mid 1920's Stewart Warner vacuum tanks had a special tee fitting on top for a thin vacuum line going through the firewall and up the windshield corner post to the wiper motor. 

 

Paul

That is how my 1925 Dodge Brothers roadster is set up.

[JV Puleo]

When was the "South Wind" heater offered? I had a 1934 RR that had a hot water circulating heater with an electric fan.

[edinmass]

Cadillac offered several hot water heaters in 1930. Also exhaust heaters. 

[edinmass]

9 hours ago, keithb7 said:

This 1928 Dodge Brothers Standard 6, made in Canada has a heater. I cannot tell you if it was a bolt on addition at some point? Could likely have been. 

 

 

 

That heater is much later than the car.

 

[PFitz]

22 hours ago, rhurst said:

Anyone have any information on car heaters?  Did any cars in the 20's have any type of in cab car heater? I know the circulating water type wasn't around until 1936 but what or who had a heater in the 20's?

Robert

I'm not certain when they first offered them, but many mid '20s Franklins have a Masco brand heater. It was a special jacketed exhaust manifold that used ducted air from the cooling fan housing ( Franklins are air cooled motors) to force air through a sheet metal jacket around the exhaust manifold and into the front and rear seat areas.

 

Here's a Masco exhaust heater manifold on a 26 Franklin - viewed from the right side of the engine. The flex hose on the right connects to the fan housing at the front of the motor. The short flex hose on the left goes through the firewall to an air flow control fitting.

 

The second picture is a Masco on a 1930 Franklin. 

 

Later, they also offered a similar system that took heat from a jacketed muffler. 

 

Paul

[George Rohrbach]

After market, electric wiper. I don't know what year. Sears Roebuck!

[ply33]

This ad is from the September 1930 issue of Motor Maintenance. Accessory heater ads seem to be found in the September and October issues of the old trade magazines. Unfortunately, the oldest September issue of a trade magazine I have is this one so I don’t know how much earlier hot water type heaters might have been available.

[ply33]

13 hours ago, keithb7 said:

This 1928 Dodge Brothers Standard 6, made in Canada has a heater. I cannot tell you if it was a bolt on addition at some point? Could likely have been. 

 

Based on the design, a bit less art deco of the late twenties or early thirties and more streamline modern of the late thirties , I suspect that heater is from the mid to late 1930s.

[theKiwi]

On 10/18/2020 at 9:25 AM, PFitz said:

I'm not certain when they first offered them, but many mid '20s Franklins have a Masco brand heater. It was a special jacketed exhaust manifold that used ducted air from the cooling fan housing ( Franklins are air cooled motors) to force air through a sheet metal jacket around the exhaust manifold and into the front and rear seat areas.

 

Here's a Masco exhaust heater manifold on a 26 Franklin - viewed from the right side of the engine. The flex hose on the right connects to the fan housing at the front of the motor. The short flex hose on the left goes through the firewall to an air flow control fitting.

 

The second picture is a Masco on a 1930 Franklin. 

 

Later, they also offered a similar system that took heat from a jacketed muffler. 

 

Paul

@PFitz I just picked up one of those 1930 type heaters for my 1931 Deluxe Coupe - it was the most expensive thing I bought at the Richard Harry parts sale, and Lisa is very happy -telling people I'd bought her a present there as well as the stash of stuff I bought myself - which included the Masco valve to turn on and off the flow of hot air.

 

Now to get it cleaned up and as shiny as that one in your picture.

 

Cheers

 

Roger

[Gunsmoke]

1931 Chrysler Roadsters presented a real challenge to get a vacuum wiper to work. The fold flat windshield in particular needed some creativity. Here are an original factory photo and a restored one off internet as well as my project. The copper 3/16" OD vacuum line left intake manifold and ran through firewall and up the driver side stanchion in a groove (hidden when not folded by the windshield side weather stripping) until it reached the pivot, where it turned 90 degrees into a snug hole and stopped. A corresponding copper tube was in upper arm and its lower end went into a similar hole on upper arm which had an internal passageway that lined up with lower arm hole when arm was straight (windshield stanchion in full upright position). The Pivot thumb nut when tight provides for a reasonably tight joint. Upper end of copper tube came out of arm just below the upper windshield frame pivot and has rubber line over to conventional Trico wiper which mounts to upper frame of windshield (whole thing is pretty messy and unsophisticated IMHO). Note on the restored car the same type of wiper is used, but inlet is on opposite end of motor, requiring awkward tubing route. Because windshied on these cars can also be tilted outward at bottom (like Model A's), a rubber tube is needed for flexibility. For my car's restoration I plan to set one of these up to pass roadworthy requirements but remove it when out for a drive as it will likely never see any use, and when folded down, wiper assembly seems out of place!

Edited May 23, 2022 by Gunsmoke
added info (see edit history)

[PFitz]

On 5/23/2022 at 4:41 PM, theKiwi said:

@PFitz I just picked up one of those 1930 type heaters for my 1931 Deluxe Coupe - it was the most expensive thing I bought at the Richard Harry parts sale, and Lisa is very happy -telling people I'd bought her a present there as well as the stash of stuff I bought myself - which included the Masco valve to turn on and off the flow of hot air.

 

Now to get it cleaned up and as shiny as that one in your picture.

 

Cheers

 

Roger

Roger, the 30 type Masco will not work with a Series 15 and later air deflector. As you can see in my picture of that 30 Pirate heater above, the hot air duct is on top of the exhaust manifold. When Franklin went to the air deflector at the tail end of Series 14 production-run they had to use the Mascos than had the hot air duct under the exhaust manifold so that the air deflector would fit. The only exception I've seen is Kidd's Series 15 Walker Pirate sedan in the museum and I'm sure that was a custom made air defector. 

 

And if you leave off the air deflector just so you can use a 30 heater,..... bring lots of paper towels to wipe valve oil off the right side hood every time you go somewhere.

 

Paul

Edited June 4, 2022 by PFitz (see edit history)

[zeke01]

On 9/21/2020 at 3:59 PM, rhurst said:

I have a 1923 Hudson that has a single manual wiper blade and no interior heater.

Does anyone know when the first hands free wipers were installed in cars and which model was the first.  I know they used portable heaters in the early cars like they did in the carriages but  when and what car had the first real heater?

Robert

I’m a little late to the party but my 1923 Hudson has vacuum wipers. The “motor” is a cylindrical affair. I always thought that it was aftermarket. It works as well as any vacuum wiper I ever encountered. Zeke

[theKiwi]

2 hours ago, PFitz said:

Roger, the 30 type Masco will not work with a Series 15 and later air deflector. As you can see in my picture of that 30 Pirate heater above, the hot air duct is on top of the exhaust manifold. When Franklin went to the air deflector at the tail end of Series 14 production-run they had to use the Mascos than had the hot air duct under the exhaust manifold so that the air deflector would fit. The only exception I've seen is Kidd's Series 15 Walker Pirate sedan in the museum and I'm sure that was a custom made air defector. 

 

Thanks Paul - the heater I bought looks like what is in your photo - with the heating air above the exhaust.

 

As it happens, I'll have the Tom Kidd 1931 Pirate out on the Gilmore grounds tomorrow (weather permitting) for a CCCA Car Show, so will take a look at it then to see what it is and how it's fitted.

 

Also as it happens, my car didn't come with an air deflector, and I didn't find one at Richard Harry's place either, so I may need to be ending up making one/having one made in any case - so it can be custom made I guess. Sounds like a better idea than wiping the inside of the hood all the time.

 

Roger

[PFitz]

Roger.

 

Or,... the 30 type Mascos are rather rare, but there are more 31/32 Mascos. You might try running an ad to see about swapping with some one who has a 31 heater, but a 30 engine ? I did that for Ken Johnson, who had a 31 heater on his 30 Club Sedan (now Marv Gage's). One of my customers had a 30 heater but only had a 31 car. They swapped even.

 

The higher top to the 30 heater with a custom air deflector will make it difficult to reach some parts of the right side of the engine, and easier to burn your fingers when doing valve adjustments - been there on that 30 Pirate Phaeton - the engine picture I posted above. And that's without the added height of a deflector. 

 

There are guys that are more into stashing sidedraft parts than Richard was. Email me for their names  If you get a 31/32 Masco, there are lots of 31/32 parts engines that you could get an air deflector off of (not from an Olympic). You could try running an ad for that, too.

 

Paul

[theKiwi]

Thanks Paul - an eMail is on the way.

 

Roger

[PFitz]

Ok, got it. 

 

One other thing to consider. As I remember, the30 heater is too tall to clear with a tower distributor if you plan on using one. Ran into that problem when restoring that 30 Pirate. Owner decided to go with the correct year heater manifold when I said I could oil-spray proof his low base distributor wires from motor oil induced dead connections. 

 

Paul

[theKiwi]

Yes - Jeff Hasslen pointed that out to me when I gathered up 4 tall distributor stands from the Richard Harry collection - that the manifold I had wouldn't work with the tall distributor.

 

I'm in the midst of a busy week getting ready for the Air-Cooled Gathering, but will address this after that to try and find someone to trade the 30 manifold I have with the correct 31 manifold, etc.

 

Roger