A hundred years ago, respiratory problems prompted asthmatic James Murray Spangler to figure out a way to convert Melville and Anna Bissell's 30-year-old carpet sweeper concept into a more effective and healthier method of dirt and dust collection. As a result, one could say, the Bissell went electric in 1907.
James Murray Spangler was working as a janitor in a Canton, Ohio department store, when his chronic cough necessitated a cleaner method for doing his job. His initial contraption consisted of a broom handle, a soap box, a pillow case, a rotating sweeping brush, and an electric fan motor. It was a clumsy and inefficient cleaner, but Spangler didn't give up. He made changes, experimented with different attachments, and went public with his invention. He established the Electric Suction Sweeper Company and received a patent for his electric suction machine in 1908.
One of his first customers was his cousin, the wife of William Hoover. As the story goes, Mr. Hoover was a saddlemaker and leather merchant who was looking for a new business. When his wife presented him with Spangler's invention, Hoover was so impressed that he bought into Spangler's company and put Spangler in charge. Several years later, in 1922, the Electric Suction Sweeper Company was renamed the Hoover Company.
Improvements in the Hoover electric vacuum cleaner continued to be made, with better and more efficient parts. The first 'Hoover' weighed in at 10 pounds. However, the electric vacuum cleaner was slow to catch on. As sales remained few, the idea for a free 10-day in-home trial was promoted. The vacuum cleaners were also promoted by demonstrating them to housewives. Sure enough, the company got the jump start it needed, and the rest is history!
Ref: associatedcontent.com
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