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A vacuum sweeper was produced by Daniel Hess on July 10, 1860. Hess called his invention a carpet sweeper, not a vacuum. The machine had a rotating brush like other sweepers, but also included an elaborate bellows mechanism for suction.
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In 1869, Ives McGaffey invented the first hand pumped vacuum. It created suction with a hand-cranked, belt-driven fan.
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In 1876 the carpet sweeper was invented by Melville Bissell.
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John Thurman invented the first gas powered vacuum in 1899.
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In 1901, Hubert Cecil Booth introduced the first electric vacuum cleaner model. It used the technology of the vacuum tube.
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David T. Kenney's nine patents between 1903 and 1913 formed a foundation for the industry of vacuum cleaners in America. Kenney also created the Vacuum Cleaner Manufacturers' Association in 1919.
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1905 Walter Griffith patented a vacuum cleaner with a variety of nozzles that could be attached tp the pipe.
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In 1905, the Chapman and Skinner firm in San Francisco invented a moveable electric vacuum. It was large and heavy, however, which made it difficult for individual use, and it did not sell well.
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James Spangler recieved patents for the first elecric cleaning device that used a rotating brush and an electrical apparatus. He came up with this when he thought that his old carpet-cleaning device was the reason for his asthma.
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In 1910 Charles Beach and Frederick Osius invented a small motor that ran on electrical power and used it in the first easily portable vacuum cleaner.
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In 1920, Air-Way Sanitizor of Toledo, Ohio introduced the first vacuum cleaner with a disposable bag so that the waste could be easily disposed of.
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In 1926, Hoover developed a positive agitation vacuum that greatly increased the efficiency of dirt removal.
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In 1930 the first plastic vacuum cleaners hit the market and headlights were added to some models.
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Vacuum cleaners became commonplace items in households after World War II.
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This was a vacuum that was designed by the Hoover Harness and Leather Goods Factory to hover above the ground while it cleaned.
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In 1974 Ferdinand Chauvier invented the swimming pool vacuum. It used water pressure to suck dirt and debris from the bottoms of vacuums. His design is still in use today as one of the most effective pool vacuuming methods.
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Created by James Dyson in 1980, this vacuum did not use traditional bag or filter systems. Instead, it sent the air stream through one or more cylinders, along a high-speed spiral path.
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Robotic vacuum cleaners entered the market in 2002. They amazed busy housewives with their indepencence and efficiency. These vacuums use detectors to avoid bumping into things. Helen Greiner and her colleagues at iRobot introduce Roomba, the robot vacuum cleaner.
