Airmaster Corporation 140 South Dearborn Street, Chicago, Illinois

[Mike Kearns]

 1941 - World War Two is started when the U.S declares war on Imperial Japan after their sneak attack on our fleet at Pearl Harbor:

                                                                                                                                                                                             A Diehl Airmaster rebadged as "Command-Air" for Sears & Roebuck, wood blades replace aluminum as aluminum became a strategic war material during wartime.

                                                                                                                                                                                                      James M. Funk, designer of Airmaster's 1938 blade design dead way before his time...

Edited May 27, 2022 by Mike Kearns

[Mike Kearns]

1942 - As seen earlier, precious war material cast-aluminum blades are replaced with wooden blades, to include the Leinweber designed exhaust fan blades. Images courtesy of the Cherry Collection:

Edited May 27, 2022 by Mike Kearns

[Mike Kearns]

1943 - Herman Hueglin makes a $200.00 charity donation to the All-Star Army Emergency Relief Fund. A lot of familiar names in Illinois industry here: 

Edited May 27, 2022 by Mike Kearns

[Mike Kearns]

1944 - America is still fighting the war, and Airmaster Corporation and Diehl Manufacturing Co. are busy fulfilling government war contracts. Many of the workers have joined up, or were drafted to fight in the armed forces, while others are sent to specialty schools with an eye to the post-war future: 

                                        

Edited May 27, 2022 by Mike Kearns

[Mike Kearns]

1945 - The United States and it's allies prevail, the war is over: 

Edited May 27, 2022 by Mike Kearns

[Mike Kearns]

1946 - People are coming back home to an America of a million opportunities, prosperity and jobs. Diehl Manufacturing Co. and Airmaster Corporation have a record number of old and new employees and positions available. While workers at Airmaster seem happy with no labor or union issues, Diehl Manufacturing Co. employees and their union representatives seem to plague the company with seemingly endless complaints, wage demands, go-slow production, walk-outs and bad publicity. Years from now, the parent company, Singer Manufacturing Co. will be glad to be rid of the Diehl Division in New Jersey, moving production to the American South. 

Edited May 27, 2022 by Mike Kearns

[Mike Kearns]

1947 -

                                                                                                                                                              Shown here is the Airmaster multi-piece construction used by Airmaster based on the above patent: Images courtesy of the Foley Collection:

Edited May 27, 2022 by Mike Kearns

[Mike Kearns]

1948 - Air circulators made by Airmaster Corp. are being marketed by Diehl:

Edited May 27, 2022 by Mike Kearns

[Mike Kearns]

1949 -

Edited May 27, 2022 by Mike Kearns

[Mike Kearns]

1950 - The stockholders unanimously sell out. Airmaster Corporation is dissolved, and becomes the Airmaster Division of Diehl Manufacturing Corp.

Edited May 27, 2022 by Mike Kearns

[Mike Kearns]

1951 - A very interesting blade material variation has surfaced, mentioned in the Hueglin patent for blade design and assembly U.S. 2542251 - 

                                                                                                                                                                                                           This Diehl circulator example has factory plastic blades, a scarcely encountered material mentioned in the 2542251 patent, kindly shared from the Welker Collection: 

                                                                                                                                                                                         The circular depressions in the backs of the blades are likely for balancing purposes:

                                                                                                                                                                 The black plastic blades seem to have a coating of aluminum colored paint simulating cast-aluminum:

Edited May 27, 2022 by Mike Kearns

[Mike Kearns]

1952 - Airmaster begins using motors sourced from a new contractor, known as Electro-Machines, Incorporated, from Cedarsburg, Wisconsin.  Images generously provided from the G. Buchanan Collection:

 

Edited May 27, 2022 by Mike Kearns

[Mike Kearns]

1953 - Growing pains at Airmaster Corporation: 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           The issue gets resolved:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Airmaster still making circulators for Diehl to market: 

                                                                                                                                                                                                The new electric motor supplier to Diehl/Airmaster, Electro-Machines, Inc., changes to Doerr Electric Corp, still located in Cedarsburg, Wisconsin:

Edited August 14, 2023 by Mike Kearns

[Mike Kearns]

1954 - Still hiring at Airmaster Corporation: 

Edited May 27, 2022 by Mike Kearns

[Mike Kearns]

1955 - Diehl's labor issues still plague them, however, sales continue..

                                                                                                                                                                                                                Note the OSHA-style safety cage on this oscillating model Diehl pedestal:

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Airmaster Corporation is still producing at their factory, so much so that they continue to hire new workers to keep up with the demand: 

Edited May 27, 2022 by Mike Kearns

[Mike Kearns]

1956 - Airmaster Corporation still hiring workers..

Edited May 27, 2022 by Mike Kearns

[Mike Kearns]

1957 - Airmaster Corporation opens it's facilities for free-lance, industrial hire:

Edited May 27, 2022 by Mike Kearns

[Mike Kearns]

1958 - The principle founder, inventor and president of Airmaster Corporation, Herman C. Hueglin dies, 65 years old:

Edited May 27, 2022 by Mike Kearns

[Mike Kearns]

1960 -

Edited May 27, 2022 by Mike Kearns

[Mike Kearns]

1961 -

 

Edited May 27, 2022 by Mike Kearns

[Mike Kearns]

1963 - Diehl's mismanagement and the Teamster's stubborness signals the beginning of the end for Diehl Manufacturing Co., cutting the company's employee work force in more than half, so Diehl starts cutting divisions: 

                                                                                                                                                                                                               Singer Corporation, Diehl's parent company sells the Airmaster Division of Diehl Manufacturing in November of 1963 to Hayes Industries, Incorporated of Jackson, Michigan, a manufacturer of car parts and plane components, and now apparently, circulators...

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Note the motor by Century Electric:

Edited May 27, 2022 by Mike Kearns

[Mike Kearns]

1964 -

Edited May 27, 2022 by Mike Kearns

[Mike Kearns]

1965 -

Edited May 27, 2022 by Mike Kearns

[Mike Kearns]

1966 -

Edited May 27, 2022 by Mike Kearns

[Mike Kearns]

1967 -

Edited May 27, 2022 by Mike Kearns