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The Ribbonaire Safety Fan 1931 to 1950  Rate Topic 
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 Posted: Sun Jan 23rd, 2022 11:26 pm
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Mike Kearns
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Fredrik Ljunstrom was born in 1875 in Stockholm, Sweden to cartographer Jonas Patrik and Amalia Ljungstrom.
Educated at Östra Real school, he attended the Royal Institue of Technology from where he was subsequently conferred an Honorary Doctorate in 1944. Technical innovativity was notably initiated in the workshops of his father in Ostermalm in Stockholm, that cooperated among others with the early manufactory of Lars Magnus Ericsson, the Alexander Graham Bell of Sweden. Of importance to his significant self-educated studies was also the tutorship in physics by Salomon August Andree, as was the early mentorship of Alfred Nobel, best known for having bequeathed his fortune to establish the Nobel Prize, though he also made several important contributions to science, holding 355 patents in his lifetime. Alfred Nobel was aged 61 when he met Fredrik and his brother Birger Ljungström, 19 and 22 years old. Nobel, who didn't have any children of his own, would enthusiastically collaborate in the brothers' early endeavours. Nobel and the brothers soon became good friends, discussing the world's problems and existential questions of the time, as a certain "father-and-son-like relation" emerged. 60 years later, when recalling their talks and time spent together, Fredrik Ljungström commended Nobel's capacity to "discuss the most complex questions with the unexperienced youngsters yet on equal terms", and that "his critical eye to the contemporary issues was extraordinarily bright"; concluding that "the blood runs warm in my old veins when I think of him."  From Wikipedia:
Considered one of the foremost inventors of Sweden, Fredrik Ljungström accounted for hundreds of technical patents alone and in collaboration with his brother Birger Ljungström (1872–1948): from early bicycling free wheeling hubs techniques and mechanical automatic transmissions for vehicles, to steam turbines, air preheaters, and circular arc hulls for sailing boats. He co-founded companies such as The New Cycle Company, Ljungström Steam Turbine Co. and Ljungström Swedish Turbine Manufacturing Co. (STAL), and associated with other industrialists such as Alfred Nobel, Helge Palmcrantz, Gustaf de Laval, Curt Nicolin, and Gustaf Dalén. As innovative as his ideas were in function, they also often turned out in terms of unconventional external design, such as his steam turbine locomotives and sailboats.

During the resource scarcity of World War II, Fredrik Ljungström's innovative technology for oil shale underground gasification by electrical energy, called the Ljungström method, provided a strategical impact for the Swedish Armed Forces.[3] In addition, Ljungström's technology contributed to the first Swedish jet engine, torpedoes, and more.

With Fredrik Ljungström's air preheater implemented in a large number of modern power stations around the world until this day with total attributed worldwide fuel savings estimated to 4,960,000,000 tons of oil, "few inventions have been as successful in saving fuel as the Ljungström Air Preheater". In 1995, the Ljungström air preheater was distinguished as the 44th International Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
Fredrik Ljungström died in 1964 on Lidingo, Sweden and was buried at Norra Cemetary, Stockholm.

A minor footnote is that he also invented and designed an electric safety fan that would be in production for almost thirty years, used, admired and enjoyed all over the world...

Last edited on Mon Jan 24th, 2022 06:56 am by Mike Kearns
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 Posted: Sun Jan 23rd, 2022 11:26 pm
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Mike Kearns
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 1931 - May 29, 1931, Frederik Ljungstrom files for his American fan patent. Of possibly special interest, he proposes to use his flexible ribbon blade concept as a radiator fan replacement in automobiles, see figure 9:










Followed by U.S. Design Patent 84,642, Filed June 1, 1931 -




Last edited on Mon Jan 24th, 2022 01:25 am by Mike Kearns
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 Posted: Sun Jan 23rd, 2022 11:26 pm
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Mike Kearns
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 1932 - The English marketed version was called the "Bandalero":


Another English Bandalero, as a radial fan, designed to be used as a desk fan and as a wall-mounted fan. Thanks to Jim Kovar for bringing this fan to our attention:



Last edited on Mon Jan 24th, 2022 05:37 am by Mike Kearns
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 Posted: Sun Jan 23rd, 2022 11:27 pm
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 1933 - From "Popular Mechanics", June 1933, kindly brought to our attention by Mr. Loren Haroldsen: 




Last edited on Mon Jan 24th, 2022 05:32 am by Mike Kearns
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 Posted: Sun Jan 23rd, 2022 11:27 pm
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 1934 - The Ribbonaire is marketed by Ljungstrom in Germany, where it is built by A.E.G. (Allgemeine Elektricitats-Gesellschaft AG) or General Electricity Company, a company founded in 1883 by Emil Rathenau, with an employee of distinction, Peter Behrens.

Another manufacturer is Italian fan giant Ercole Marelli & Co., who produced two variants too close to be ignored, the stationary "Nastrovent Trinacria": 


This beautifully marbled Bakelite beauty is from the Simon M. Cutting Collection:



   


Leaned forward, and leaned back, depending on where you want a breeze:








And the oscillating version, the Marelli "Nastro", a metal construction, ribbon bladed fan, two factory production images shown below:


And an exceptionally rare original example, courtesy of the Jan Hendriks Image Archive:







                      

Last edited on Mon Jan 24th, 2022 05:19 am by Mike Kearns
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 Posted: Sun Jan 23rd, 2022 11:27 pm
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 1935 - The first evidence of marketing Ljungstrom's fan in America, made by Singer Manufacturing Co. and sold as the Airflow Safefan - May 10, 1935

May 19, 1935 -





June 9, 1935 -

June 13, 1935 -

June 19, 1935 -

July 12, 1935 -


July 30,1935-


Image Courtesy of the Hackman Collection:


Last edited on Mon Jan 24th, 2022 05:41 am by Mike Kearns
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 Posted: Sun Jan 23rd, 2022 11:27 pm
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 1936 -






Last edited on Mon Jan 24th, 2022 12:43 am by Mike Kearns
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 Posted: Sun Jan 23rd, 2022 11:27 pm
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 1937 -



Last edited on Mon Jan 24th, 2022 12:42 am by Mike Kearns
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 Posted: Sun Jan 23rd, 2022 11:28 pm
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 1938 - August 21, 1938, now marketed as the Diehl Mfg. "The Ribbonaire"

A fine example, complete with original box from the Martin Carena-Santiago Collection:

A close up image of the base, image courtesy the Hackman Image Archive:




Last edited on Mon Jan 24th, 2022 06:17 am by Mike Kearns
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 Posted: Sun Jan 23rd, 2022 11:28 pm
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 1939 -

A New Old Stock conditioned gem, courtesy of the Clayton Collection:

The care and usage instructions on the underside of Singer Ribbonaires mention SIMANCO; this is simply an abbreviation for SIngerMANufacturingCOmpany:


Last edited on Mon Jan 24th, 2022 06:16 am by Mike Kearns
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 Posted: Sun Jan 23rd, 2022 11:28 pm
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 1940 -


Last edited on Mon Jan 24th, 2022 05:59 am by Mike Kearns
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 Posted: Sun Jan 23rd, 2022 11:29 pm
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 1941 - I've taken the time to document the how and why Singer and Diehl are connected. You can read about it all here: https://www.afcaforum.com/forum1/58308.html




Last edited on Mon Jan 24th, 2022 07:36 pm by Mike Kearns
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 Posted: Sun Jan 23rd, 2022 11:29 pm
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 1942 to 1945 - World War Two rages, and fans are considered strategic, restricted materials for the duration, and besides, Diehl and Singer have numerous military contracts to fulfill.  Here is a factory Ribbonaire parts list, courtesy of John McComas: 












                                                                                                                                                                                  

Last edited on Mon Jan 24th, 2022 06:27 am by Mike Kearns
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 Posted: Sun Jan 23rd, 2022 11:29 pm
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 1946 - With the war over, people are getting in line to order new appliances, a luxury denied to the general public to to strategic material shortages:


Last edited on Mon Jan 24th, 2022 06:05 am by Mike Kearns
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 1947 - A color ad from LIFE magazine, DEcember 1, 1947:









Last edited on Mon Jan 24th, 2022 06:09 am by Mike Kearns
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 Posted: Mon Jan 24th, 2022 12:24 am
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 1948 -




Last edited on Mon Jan 24th, 2022 12:28 am by Mike Kearns
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 1949 -






Last edited on Mon Jan 24th, 2022 12:27 am by Mike Kearns
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 Posted: Mon Jan 24th, 2022 12:25 am
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Mike Kearns
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 1950 - 1950 seems to be the last year for the active marketing of Ribbonaires...


Last edited on Mon Jan 24th, 2022 06:06 am by Mike Kearns
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 Posted: Thu Jan 27th, 2022 03:19 am
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Steve Butler
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 I definitely like the Bandalero version.  The base has a better look to it than the Ribbonaire.  
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