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A Brief History of Vacuum Cleaners
The first person to patent a machine for
cleaning was David Hess in the year 1860. Housewives all over
America had turned to using rugs and carpets, a trait brought over
by the waves of immigrants coming from Europe, to cover their bare
wood floors and keep the dust and dirt to a minimum. When they were
dirty, they had to be carried outside, suspended somehow in the air
and then beaten with a metal rod or heavy wooden stick.
A bit later someone invented a small, tennis racket-looking device
called a rug beater for precisely this purpose. Mr. Hess soon
realized that there was probably an easier way to clean rugs without
all the fuss and mess and he invented the Carpet Sweeper which had a
rotating brush combined with a bellows system that created suction.
His amazing invention also used two water chambers to trap the dust
and fine dirt. The only problem with Mr. Hess’ machine is that there
is no proof it was ever produced.
After Mr. Hess’ invention, there came a period of wilder and weirder
inventions that sought to accomplish the same thing. In the late
1870’s, Melville Bissell (sound familiar?) marketed a carpet sweeper
that picked up the dirt and dropped it into a pan behind the
rotating brush. In 1899, John Thurman invented a gasoline-powered
vacuum cleaner that is credited as being the first motorized
version. In 1901 Hubert Booth of London invented the electric
vacuum, a device so large that it was parked outside the house and a
100-foot long hose snaked its way inside and did the dirty work.
The device was so popular that housewives all over London held
vacuum parties to enjoy the event. It wasn’t until 1908 when James
Spangler, a janitor in Ohio, invented the first portable, suction
cleaner -- the precursor to today’s high tech machines. He sold his
patent to his cousin’s husband, William Hoover (also familiar?) and
the rest, as they say is history.
About the Author: D. Benjamin is the owner of
iapsales.com LLC - a family business specializing in HVAC products. We
are distributors of
Qmark Heaters,
electric tankless water heaters,
bathroom heaters,
patio heaters, electric heaters,
portable air
conditioners & electric towel warmers. Shop on line at
www.heateroutlet.com for these great home improvement products.
Iapsales.com LLC was established in 2003 and is the sister company to
Innovative Air Products located in historical Exeter, NH. We are a 2nd
generation manufacturers’ rep firm dedicated to providing residential &
commercial heating, ventilation and air-conditioning equipment. We offer
a great selection online at the lowest prices anywhere. We can also be
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