Hi Trilobite,
I've seen that brushroll before (used in the 1910 Model N cleaner for one) and it does bear a striking resemblance to the Dyson brushroll, as well as Eureka's Vibra-Groomer I. I have to wonder where both Dyson's and Eureka's ideas came from...what's old is what's new again.
-MH
Until recently (the past 4-5 months), I never realised that Hoover had several early agitator designs. I presumed, wrongly, that there was a simple cylindrical wooden brushroll that was fitted to cleaners predating 1926, thereafter followed by the famous metal "Beats as it Sweeps" agitator.
I have since seen photos of a metal, narrow diameter Hoover brushroll, that had tufts of bristles on opposing sides. Now I discover patents that describe a ribbon-shaped agitator.
Then there is the 1979 Hoover "Kinetic" agitator that had the beater bars immediately behind the sweeping brushes; to give an extra flick to the brushes, and to allow the sweeping brushes to cushion the beater bars on hard floors. Very interesting.
I'll have to see if I can find info on the "Activator" agitator, as fitted to UK "Turbopowers" & "Turbomasters", US "Innovations" and the commercial "Conquest" models.