Vacuum Cleaners Discussions

Assuming as I did, that DIB's reference above is to the Electrolux Intensity, the subsequent posters discussions which incorporate several leading vacuum industry authorities, like WHICH?, Consumer Reports, and the ASA [granted 1 and 3 are in the UK], then a third party interested vacuum buyer should conclude that bag surface area is not king [as the bag holds only 3 ounces vice 5 or more for most], but engineering is.

Carmine D.

Hi DIB,

the first large-scale production machine to use casters was indeed the 1908 Model O (I say 'large-scale production'; less than 400 were made!). However, before J M Spangler and W H Hoover joined forces to create the Electric Suction Sweeper Company, Spangler was making a very similar machine himself at a rate of 2-3 per week. These also had the caster wheels, so they were technically the first upright machines to use them. Hoover's earliest machines were just too big and heavy to be used without the rear casters; it would be like trying to steer the Titanic!

Here's a picture of one of Spangler's 1907 pre-'Electric Suction Sweeper Company' cleaners, in which you can see the swivel caster at the rear of the chassis.

The patent for this 'Carpet Sweeper and Cleaner' is filed under the name J M Spangler. However, the cleaner shown in the patent illustration differs from production machines in several ways: the hose for the dusting tools attaches differently, the brush-roll seems to be driven by a sort of axle-system, not a belt, and most importantly for you, the rear wheels are shown as being fixed-axle type, not swivel casters. I guess they came as a slighly later improvement when production began!

Yep, the picture I posted is of one of the machines hand-made by Spangler at his home in 1907, before W H Hoover got involved. In other words, the world's first portable electric upright vacuum cleaner. This would have been the sort of machine Susan Hoover bought from Spangler, before praising it enthusiastically to her husband.

Spangler travelled around North Canton (or 'New Berlin', as it was known until Jan. 1918!) on the trolley cars, collecting parts he'd ordered from various tradesmen and workshops etc. Then he and his son would assemble the machines, while his wife and daughter made the dustbags on their sewing machine!

The example pictured is on public display in the Hoover Historical Center in North Canton, Ohio.

Thanks for pointing out the new thumbnail indexing on googlepatents - it makes everything so much easier! I could have saved myself many hours in research if they'd done this sooner!

Here's a photo of the underside of a 1908 Electric Suction Sweeper Model O - this shows the casters clearly:

Carmine D.

The Center was closed some time ago and the contents are the property of a famous US A HOOVER expert and collector.

Carmine D.

That's incorrect; I visited the Historical Center in August 2008 during the celebrations for Hoover's 100th Anniversary. It's been closed  to the public over the winter as usual, but should be open for business again this month. The Historical Center is the property of the Walsh University, not Hoover, and is still very much an operative organisation. It continues to maintain considerable Hoover Company archives, as well as a large selection of historical machines, spanning from Spangler's 1907 sweeper to TTI's current line-up.

You may be confusing it with the liquidation of the Hoover Factory's infamous Vault of machines  - TTI retained all the pre-1960 contents, but most of the post-1960 machines are now the property of a good friend of mine in North Canton - presumably the expert you refer to. I've personally seen these, and even used a few! My friend spends much of his spare time doing work for the Historical Center. Some Vault machines also went to another North Canton resident, and many of those have found their way onto eBay, and into the hands of other collectors.

The Hoover Historical Center - August 8th, 2008

They certainly have their differences; Spangler's Sweeper used an Emerson motor, whereas the Model O used a Westinghouse motor. Also, the Model O introduced the light blue colour scheme - it was felt that the large, heavy, purring Spangler beast, painted black with gold detailing, might be intimidating to timid housewives not used to electrical appliances of any sort!

Of course, since both the Spangler Sweeper and the Model O were hand-built, little details changed constantly throughout production, as new ways of saving cost and improving quality were discovered. No two were exactly alike.

Carmine D.