The Invention History of Vacuum Cleaners

HISTORY OF VACUUM CLEANER In a world of constant innovations every now and then there's a few that stick with us for a very long time. These are usually inventions that do the little things for us and does it way better than any traditional methods. E TECH POINT The vacuum cleaner is one of these innovations that has made the sometimes overbearing task of cleaning and maintenance well a lot more bearable. Especially for commercial spaces and large areas these vacuum cleaners really come in handy for all of us. Prepared By: HOMETECHPOINT.COM WHO INVENTED VACUUM CLEANER? The vacuum cleaner is not a modern or a contemporary invention. It's been around or rather the concept of it has been around since the 1800s. So having said that, it would be really hard to pinpoint a person who invented the vacuum cleaner that we now know of. That's just the nature of innovations. If we're going to attribute as to who started the concept for the modern day vacuum cleaner then the most prominent proponent perhaps is Daniel Hess. Daniel Hess HISTORY OF VACUUM CLEANER We've discussed the major proponents and now we will go into more detail about the history of the invention of the vacuum cleaner. The Carpet Sweeper (Post Hess and Gaffey) A carpet sweeper is one of the first mechanical albeit manual operated devices that was used to clean floors, streets, and of course carpets. It's practically a rolling broom and dustpan. After some time it was generally superseded by the vacuum cleaner. The American patent for the design was submitted by Melville R. Bissell from Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1876. If the last name sounds familiar then it could be because the vacuum cleaner manufacturing company Bissell was named after him. Powered VaCuum Cleaners The dawn of the 1900s saw the introduction and rise of the powered vacuum cleaner. Blowing air instead of suction also was introduced for some types of variation for the device. John S. Thurman then submitted a patent for one "pneumatic carpet renovator" in 1898, which basically blows dust into a receptacle. Come 1901, Hubert Cecil Booth, a British inventor with American David T. Kenney introduced the powered vacuum cleaner which uses suction. Booth also may have coined the term vacuum cleaner. Domestic Vacuum Cleaners Walter Griffiths was the first person to ever market a vacuum cleaning device that is portable, this was in 1905 in Birmingham, England. This version of the device already resembles what we now know as the vacuum cleaner. Some other innovations on the device were the addition of the beater bar in 1919, disposal filter bags in the 1920s, and of course the upright vacuum cleaner we are so familiar with. In Denmark, the first versions of a vacuum cleaner that can be operated by a single person were also invented at 39 pounds. Post WW2 and Modern Era What stands out in this era is that the vacuum cleaner already became a basic household item, especially among the middle classes and the western countries. Needless to say, the machine has gone through various innovations, redesigned, and augmentations. More Recent Redesigns As expected the vacuum cleaner has come a long way from a bulky, large and manually operated machine to what it is now today. In 2004 a British company innovated a hovering vacuum cleaner that floats using a cushion of air almost similar to a hovercraft. THE JOURNEY OF VACUUM CLEANERS Carpet Sweeper by Hiram Herrick, Daniel Hess, and Ives McGaffey 1800 S (MANUAL CLEANERS) `Large, bulky, manually operated and cannot be handled by a single person. Air usage was introduced and the machine first stood upright. Pneumatic Carpet Renovator by John S. Thurman. Gasoline-powered didn't use suction but was an air blast. It still can't be operated by a single person. Horse drawn from house to house for servicing. Puffing Billy by Hubert Cecil Booth Although inspired by Thurman's air blast design this model utilized a suction with the air 1900s ((МOTORIZED VACUUM CLEANERS) pumped through a cloth filter, still offered as a part of a cleaning service. Kenney's model by David T. Kenney A 4000 pounds stationary machine that would have pipes and hoses attached to it. Long ones that could reach into parts of a building it's about to clean. Griffith's Improved Vacuum Apparatus for Removing Dust from Carpets by Walter Griffiths A first of its kind domestic vacuum cleaner. Portable easy to store and transport and resembles modern day vacuum cleaners. Kirby Vacuum Cleaner by James B. Kirby Known as the domestic cyclone. Spangler's Machine by James Murray Spangler Employed a rotating brush to remove debris. First electric vacuum. Model o by the Hoover Company owned by William Henry Hoover Sold for $60 and was redesigned into a canister, steel casing, and attachments. 2000 Roomba by Joe Jones (RECENT DESIGNS) Joe Jones is a southwest Missouri native and invented the autonomous robot vacuum. ODD The Men Behind The Invention of Vacuum Cleaners Daniel Hess Melville R Bissell David T. Kenney James B. Kirby JM Spangler 1908 Joe Jones 2002 1860 1876 1903-1913 1906 Credit: https://en.wikipedia.org/; https://www.techrepublic.com/; https://www.bissell.com/; https://consumer.nilfisk.com/