Which was created first, Portable or Truckmount?

Discussion in 'Portable Carpet Cleaning' started by TMF, Sep 30, 2008.

  1. TMF New Member

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    Portable or Truck mount?
  2. Frank DiGi Administrator

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    Portable... Not to be funny didn't they beat the carpets with a broom before ...
  3. Scott W Preferred Vendor

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    That could depend on how loosely you define what a truck mount is. There are picture over 100 years old of equipment in horse drawn vehicles for removing the dust from rugs. These included horse-powered vacuum devices.

    The first portable extraction machine I knew of was from the folks that started Kleen-rite. This was very early 70's. I did not see a truck-mounted extractor until 2 years later. I had heard of the Ball-Webber and the Bates Big Red but the first I used was aJ udson in the mid 70's.

    Scott Warrington
  4. Ara Klujian Moderator & TMF Repair Expert

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    Scott, My Dad told me we made a Mobile Steam Cleaning unit in 1969. My Dad also told me that it was some 40 years ago. And does not remember the exact date so it could have been before that. But said it was definitely in the late 60’s. He said his brother was behind most of the project. Bill Bane says he made one in 1969. Some guy in California claims he was the first. I heard the guy in California was from Chicago. Which is where our company originated in 1938. A couple of people claim to have made the first Truckmount. My name is one of them.
    As for the portable, I am pretty sure it was invented before the TM.
  5. Ed Able Banned

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    I believe it may have been Gene Bates "Big Red" Lawndale Ca...i bought the FIRST one they made!
  6. TMF New Member

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    Interesting
  7. Ed Valentine Member

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    Actually, I believe the first Carpet cleaning machines came out of Europe. We have several pictures in plant of them.

    best;
    Ed Valentine
    cross-american corp.
  8. johntalley Elite Member

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    can you share some of the pics ??

    can you post some of those pics ?


  9. johntalley Elite Member

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    can you post a copy of the photo ?

    can you post a copy of that photo ? could be front page TMF stuff ...


  10. Ed Valentine Member

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    [IMG]
  11. John LaBarbera Preferred Vendor

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    Wasn't there a Treewax brand from the UK. I seem to recall that Don Neilson from TMI broke away from them in the late 60's or early 70's, and started Timbucktoo with his wife, Joann. Her Brother Que runs it now, after Don and Joann retired. I heard Don is somewhere up by Sacramento, Ca. I bet that guy knows some history on the CC Industry.

    John
  12. Ara Klujian Moderator & TMF Repair Expert

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    I've seen those pictures your talking about Ed. Interesting stuff. If I recall it was just a giant vacuum cleaner. Hardly what we call a "truckmount" today. In my opinion, if it doesn't have pressurized hot water and vacuum then its not a "truckmount."
    If so, then I guess we can say the first car was a horse and buggy too.
  13. Bill Yeadon Preferred Vendor

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    Not sure which was first in portables but the Steamex out of NC was very popular. I believe that was the Hines Brothers. Forerunners of Sun Belt.

    Lee Pemberton told me once that Ken Hines was a mentor to him so that is a pretty strong statement.
  14. doylebloss New Member

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    Earliest Extraction Machines

    The US Patent office has a portable extraction machine from 1964 that I do not believe ever made it to the marketplace.

    The earliest Portable extractors that I have a picture of were made between 1966 and 1968. They were the Steam Way 100, A portable built by Gene Bates (who later founded Steam Genie, and then Big Red), a Mr. Steam portable by who is now Windsor Industries, and a Deep Steam Extractor (DSC Chemicals came out of Deep Steam Equipment, I believe)

    Scott is right that the first "extractors" were the horse drawn, steam engine generated , air blowers. I have pictures of a one horsepower and two horsepower model from Dave Burgin, who was with Certified for many years.

    Certainly, some of the first truck mounts came out in the early 1970's - Ballweber, Judge Hot CC, Judson, BaneClene, and Hydramaster. By the late 1970's there were several other companies making them.

    Mybe Tre and I can put something together on the history of carpet cleaning. I also have pictures of the first Host and Von Schrader Machines, and of the first Certified Pile Lifter that was made from a belt sander.
  15. John LaBarbera Preferred Vendor

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    This is not an extractor but an interesting note, I think. When I bought Hild from the Roti's I was told that the Grandfather (not godfather) Joe Roti developed the shower feed brush back in the 40's. If that is true than Hild is the originator of on-site carpet cleaning.

    John
  16. johntalley Elite Member

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    Would love to see what ever you have Even the one photo here can'T see it ? can you o

    Even the one photo here can't see it ? can you e-mail me or post here if you have some time ??

    Thank you so much

  17. Ed Valentine Member

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    This has always been an interesting topic since it deals with the history and start of our Industry.

    We do have, here at the Plant, a widearay of archives of older (US) versions of machines and wands, etc....... Very interesting.

    And, remember, not taking away any notarity from Bane and their efforts to serve our industry, however, they were not the ones who developed the machine we are fimiliar with. The credit for this should go to a company by the name of Gibralter Company out of Muskegon, MI , owned and operated by mr. Fred Livingston who labeled it: KARPET STEEM. I knew them fairly well and even had one of their machines in '71. Now, they actually got their idea from another company from Grand Rapids (at the time) called: DEEP STEAM.

    But, in the end, the very first machines of this kind, were developed in Europe way before the US.

    Hope I offered some insight.
    Ed Valentine
  18. Jan Sullins Member

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    first truckmount etc..

    I remember back in the 80s a friend of mine had what looked like a Bane-Clene . Nowhere on the machine did it have any name on it except on the wand which looked like the wands Bane Clene was using then.
    The wand had the words Steem Karpet or Karpet Steem right above where the carpet met the wand.

    In the United States several people claim to be the first but when you consider that many people built their own equipment ,it will be difficult to prove who was the first. Bane Clene does have an old Dodge Truck with their first machine which looks just like the one that Ed V. was reffering too.

    Jan Sullins
    American Kleen Pro
  19. Dr Cleaning Member

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  20. Rob Allen Administrator

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    Here is the oldest one I know of. Probably out clean some of the models we have today.

    [IMG]

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