Who Invented the Vacuum Cleaner?

Who invented the vacuum cleaner? The modern vacuum owes its design to the advances of a number of people, and it wouldn't have been possible without the contributions of all of these individuals.

The Carpet Sweeper
The modern-day vacuum cleaner traces its origins to the 1860s, in the form of a device known as a carpet sweeper. This invention was supposed to help housewives beat the dust out of rugs that adorned messy wood floors. Daniel Hess patented the carpet sweeper in 1860, but no records of its manufacture or use exist.

The Whirlwind Vacuum
The next vacuum cleaner to come along was Ives McGaffey's machine in 1869. McGaffey's machine was a carpet sweeper that operated with a hand crank, which the operator was required to twist while pushing the machine across the floor. It was difficult to operate, and didn't stay in production long.

Bissell Carpet Sweepers
Melville Bissell developed another carpet-sweeping machine in 1876. The Bissell carpet sweeper was designed to sweep up sawdust, not just dust, and was therefore a more high-capacity, thorough machine. Bissell died in 1889, and his wife Anna took control of the company.

The First Powered Vacuum
The first powered vacuum cleaner was created by H. Cecil Booth in 1901. It was large and impractical, and ran on an oil-burning engine. It eventually lost out to more practical, less smoky designs.

Spangler Creates Vacuum Bags
A janitor was responsible for the next significant development in vacuum cleaners. James Murray Spangler developed the first portable electric vacuum cleaner. He filed a patent in 1908 for a design incorporating vacuum bags to catch the dust and debris. Spangler's cousin purchased a unit, and her husband, William H. Hoover, became responsible for commercializing the vacuum cleaner.

A Different Vacuum System
While Spangler was working on his vacuum cleaner, Jim Kirby was working on a vacuum cleaner of his own. Kirby's vacuum cleaner used water to help separate the dirt. His idea was one of the first concepts of vacuum filters. While it ultimately proved not to be a viable device, Kirby continued working on vacuum cleaner improvements and formed a successful company. His designs were the basis for the multiple attachments found on modern vacuums.

Hoover Introduces Agitator
With the introduction of the agitator in 1926, Hoover put itself on the map in vacuum-cleaner development. The agitator, a spinning brush that could reach deep into carpet fibers, greatly increased vacuum cleaner efficiency and made it possible to collect more dirt.

Dyson Makes Further Improvements
James Dyson is one of the greatest figures in modern vacuum-cleaner design. In the 15-year period between 1978 and 1993, Dyson produced more than 5,000 vacuum prototypes. Dyson knew that centrifugal forces could be used to extract dirt particles from the air, and his research led to the modern bagless vacuum cleaner design.