So as I am anxiously awaiting our new.. old fashion.. unusual… vacuum cleaner.. I thought some of these little tid-bits would neat to share..

Hoovers have been around for over a century now! And had a lot of the GREAT innovations for vacuums.. patenting things like the beater bar & the head light for a vacuum!

I do find every day items fascinating.. how they developed, how they have changed.. and how they have stayed the same!

Think about how long carpeting has been around.. and how short a period of time vacuums have been around. Ok I am curious.. let’s see..

History of Carpet: (This is just a blip from that site)….

• US carpet industry began in 1791.
• 1839: (Erastus Bigelow) invented the power loom for weaving carpets.
• Machine made “Oriental” Rugs: Karastan rug mill established in 1926, and introduced their rugs to the public in 1928.

I can not imagine having carpeting with out a good method to clean it. I realize early area rugs were taken out and beaten, and no doubt was effective.. but oh what a chore! For me the unknown of dirt gives me the creeps!

Vacuum Cleaner History… (Wikipedia) Really is neat to see when they started, and how they developed!

• 1868 (Ives McGaffey) “Whirlwind” 1st manually powered cleaner with vacuum principles. Operated via a hand crank while pushing it across the floor. $25
• 1876: (Melville) Bissell (created a vacuum cleaner for his wife to clean up sawdust, after his death his wife continued the business)
• 1900: (Corinne Dufour) 1st “electrically driver carpet sweeper & dust gatherer”
• 1901: (Cecil Booth) 1st cleaner using a vacuum was patented. Inspired by seeing a device that blew dust off chairs (in trains), he though something that sucked the dust would be better. He tested his theory with a handkerchief on a chair, he would suck through the handkerchief and see how much dust/dirt was gathered. His 1st version was driven by an oil engine,then later by an electric motor.
• He lost out to Hoover in the household market, but was successful in the industrial market.
• 1905: (Walter Griffiths) Bellows-like hand operated contraption for removing dust from carpets.
• 1907: (James Murray Spangler) Ohio janitor invented an electric vacuum cleaner from a fan, box, and a pillowcase, with suction & a rotating brush to loosen debris. He sold the design to (his cousin) Hoover.
• 1908: Hoover patented the rotating brush design.
• Hoovers 1st vacuum: 1908 Model “O” $60
• They also note Hoover’s “unusual” vacuum cleaner, the “Constellation”. Canister with out wheels, that floats on its own exhaust. The 1st versions of the Constellation were stationary, you would sit them in the center of a room and work around the cleaner (still not a bad idea either!). They were introduced in 1952, but discontinued in 1975. They returned in 2002 and look to be gone again this year.
• Hoover introduced in 1973 the Celebrity, lighter UFO shaped, but it floated “too well”.
• 1910: (PA Fisker: Nilfisk) 1st electric vacuum cleaner in Europe.
• 1959: Amway patented the 1stbagless cyclonic vacuum.
• 2000s: Robotic vacuum cleaners (Roomba, Robomaxx, Tribolite & Floorbot).

With (my previous post) sharing our awesome find of our new hover-Hoover (it is called a “constellation” but I like calling it a hover-Hoover!).. I was browsing some Hoover history and found a cute collection of their slogans.. 

• "However clean, Hoover cleaner" – 1912
• "Just run the Hoover over" – 1918
• "A Hoovered home is as clean as it looks" – 1918
• "Don’t compromise with dirt. Have a Hoover." – 1918 ^[1]
• "It Beats…as it Sweeps…as it Cleans" – 1919
• "It shows you the dirt you never knew you had" – 1932
• "It lights where it’s going…it’s clean where it’s gone" – 1935
• "It Lights…as it Beats…as it Sweeps…as it Cleans" – 1935
• "Give her a Hoover and you give her the best" – 1938
• "You’ll be happier with a Hoover" – 1948
• "Hoover fine appliances around the house….around the world" – 1954
• "Floorcare for people who care" – 1962
• "Hoover helping you has made us a household word" – 1971
• "Insist on Hoover" – 1974
• "America trusts Hoover to take care of its homes" – 1977
• "America trusts Hoover" – 1984
• "Nobody does it like Hoover" – 1993
• "Deep down you want Hoover" – 1998
• "Hoover gets it" – 2004

Interesting there are very few of those slogans that I ever heard before! Some I may have confused with presidential slogans (smiles).

They note a few of the popular Hoover Machines…

• Junior: was introduced in the UK, in the 1930s. It was a smaller upright (great for apartments, or small homes). Some were exported briefly to the US in the 1960s.
• The Portable: 1962, suitcase type canister, no wheels, you would just tug it around. The attachments, power cord & hose stored inside the machine. Wheels were added in 1969. They were made until 1978
• I remember that machine (the portable)!!
• Swingette: 1970. lightweight canister, that could be carried by hand or carried over the shoulder. Great for stairs, upholstery, car interiors, etc.
• Portapower, replaced the Swingette in 1975.
• Slimline: 1964 and sold till around 1978. Similar to the portable, but slimmer and lighter weight.

The Hoover Company – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

(No Ratings Yet)

 Loading ...

View Technorati blog reactions.

Related Posts