A Brief History Of Vacuum Cleaners

The first person to patent a machine for cleaningAfter Mr. Hess’ invention, there came a period
was David Hess in the year 1860. Housewives all overof wilder and weirder inventions that sought to
America had turned to using rugs and carpets, a traitaccomplish the same thing. In the late 1870’s,
brought over by the waves of immigrants comingMelville Bissell (sound familiar?) marketed a carpet
from Europe, to cover their bare wood floors andsweeper that picked up the dirt and dropped it into a
keep the dust and dirt to a minimum. When theypan behind the rotating brush. In 1899, John Thurman
were dirty, they had to be carried outside,invented a gasoline-powered vacuum cleaner that is
suspended somehow in the air and then beaten withcredited as being the first motorized version. In 1901
a metal rod or heavy wooden stick.Hubert Booth of London invented the electric
A bit later someone invented a small, tennisvacuum, a device so large that it was parked outside
racket-looking device called a rug beater for preciselythe house and a 100-foot long hose snaked its way
this purpose. Mr. Hess soon realized that there wasinside and did the dirty work.
probably an easier way to clean rugs without all theThe device was so popular that housewives all over
fuss and mess and he invented the Carpet SweeperLondon held vacuum parties to enjoy the event. It
which had a rotating brush combined with a bellowswasn’t until 1908 when James Spangler, a
system that created suction. His amazing inventionjanitor in Ohio, invented the first portable, suction
also used two water chambers to trap the dust andcleaner -- the precursor to today’s high tech
fine dirt. The only problem with Mr. Hess’machines. He sold his patent to his cousin’s
machine is that there is no proof it was everhusband, William Hoover (also familiar?
produced.