Miriam - It does only do a straight stitch
Even though it has the swing needle mechanism at the needlebar.
The transforma looks like it was a Supermatic, or could be converted into it. By the looks of the photos, it had a door for the cams and more than likely more mechanism at the top than this machine. I don't even know what a cam stack would attach to in this machine, it's as simple as a 301 inside! Maybe simpler.
There's not even a gear for a cam stack to drive from on the main shaft. It just seems like it would be so expensive to incorporate the swing mechanism in there without making use of it. I guess it's possible that it would be more expensive to retool the factory...
The elnitas I've seen are all newer 1970s ish, so I couldn't say. Plana just means flatbed. There were several Plana's over the years - I had an SU Plana, there is a Plana in this user manual, but it's this machine as a flatbed.
QuiltMom2 - This machine was given to me by a friend and it's definitely a mystery. I've had it for months, but just now have had a chance to service it and find its mysteries. It could have been a no frills model, but it seems strange that by the 1960ish - that's where the brown machines date to typically - that they would still be trying to sell a straight stitch only machine that didn't even have a stationary needlebar that makes the straight stitch machines so great! It's an interesting machine for sure.
Cogito - very odd. I've never seen a machine with a swing needle (zig zag mechanism) that wasn't built to zig zag. Maybe the dealer could change that main shaft to one with a gear on it, or add a gear and add a cam stack, change the top plate, etc.... ? I just wish I could find some information about it.
Rodney - the Grasshopper is indeed straight stitch only. They introduced Zig Zag in 1952ish? At first I thought it was a supermatic too. The lack of a cam door was the first thing that threw me.
As best I can tell, the Grasshopper dates from the mid30s. They're a relatively "new" sewing machine company, when compared to some of the ones we're used to talking about anyway.
I agree. The variety is really cool. I like that I'll never know about all models that were out there. There's always more to learn.
Good guess Candace, but all of the Automatics I've seen have cam doors. Otherwise they look similar. I've only ever seen "Plana" beside the flatbed models, so I don't think it's a plana