On coolers over 50 years old, metal ID plates are commonly missing. If there, it will have the Manufacturer's name. The model number on these plates is often very confusing and hard to understand, if they're included. Letters and numbers are used that you may not have the foggiest idea of their meanings. I don’t , that’s why I haven’t referred to them. On some 1946 - 59 plates the model name may match the published name.
I have not found any record of a serial number chart for chest coolers that would tie a serial number to the date of manufacturing.
Another confusing point is that model names keep changing over the years, i.e., 'Master' to 'various letters and -6', to 'various letters and -10', to 'various letters and -12'.
I have grouped all Junior size together, all Standard size together, all Master size together and all Giant size together for easier understanding and have included dimensional widths for each size. On Feb 22nd I added the Office size to the bottom of Page 03 to cover the FD-2, Office Dry Cooler, per info requests. The FD-2 was not a Coca-Cola designed product.
In 1934 Westinghouse, in Massachusetts, began manufacturing these coolers. In 1936 the Tennessee Furniture Co. (Cavalier) also began. They produced what appears to be identical coolers because both were building per designs by The Coca-Cola Co. There are ways to tell them apart though.
The embossed Coca-Cola logo is a date clue. If 'DRINK' is embossed within the Coca-Cola logo envelope (a rectangular box around and touching 'Cola-Cola') then it was manufactured in 1934 thru 1938. If 'DRINK' is above this envelope then it's 1939 or later.
All coolers with straight, vertical, sides were manufactured in 1934 thru 1942 (pre-war). All coolers with bowed, vertical, sides were manufactured in 1946 or later (post-war). (WWII stopped production of these units between mid 1942 and late 1945).
Because cap catchers and pullers are often missing on old coolers, I've defined their usage also. Cap catchers are on Page 05 and pullers are Page 06.
Pre-war cooler lids are also missing occasionally. So, here are the lid sizes used. There are only 2 for this group; one is the Junior size and the other is the half Master size.
I had a mental block that I had to reason my way through. It concerned the Junior Cooler. All the pictures or illustrations that you see of the Junior show it positioned with the cap puller and catcher mounted on the right, open end, of the cooler. This is the real world, or so I thought. Per the published dimensions the actual ‘front’ of a Junior is the open-ended cap catcher side. What I had thought of as the front is actually an end.
The same end plates are used on all of these coolers and the hinge line is perpendicular to the front.
If you weren’t confused before, you may be now.
On Page 03 – Identifying Coolers, I’m sticking with the real-world view for the Junior width dimension of 25 ¼” (instead of 17 ¾”).
A Junior lid size = 21 ¾” along the hinge line x 13 ¾” perpendicular to the hinge line. One lid is used on the Junior. Two of these lids, hinged back-to-back, are used on the Standard. Two Standard assemblies (4 Juniors) are used on the Giant.
A half Master lid size = 21 ¾” along the hinge line x 19” perpendicular to the hinge line. Two of these, hinged back-to-back, are used on the Master.
(Dimensions are approximate and may vary +/- ½”.)
Lids were not embossed with the under-side Coca-Cola logo before 1940.
I've decided not to include refrigeration units because of so many variables. Besides, in order to get them operational again you have to use whatever parts that are available. You can't depend on finding original, working, parts. Westinghouse used their own systems and Cavalier used Tecumseh units in 1936-39 and Frigidaire units in 1940 & later.
What I’m presenting is solely based on information published by The Coca-Cola Co., Westinghouse and Cavalier.
There are other differences, not included, between models. I'm just listing enough to get the job done.
To identify your cooler follow the steps outlined on Page 03.