Vacuum Cleaners Discussions

How long until someone exposes the rubbish and lies of [vacuum cleaner] *clubbers and *dealers who use YouTube as their platform? 


DIB

*Not all, just many (are dirty).

Model2 wrote: Model2,

Many thanks!  I know you said it, but it’s hard to believe...  the image is of a Spangler vacuum or the vacuums he used to make himself?

Our two countries have made patent searching much harder than it should be (the U.S. is much worse).  Have you seen? - Google has indexed the patent office docs with thumbnails!  J M Spangler (and all others) patents with a single click - take a look...

http://www.google.com/patents?q=J+M+Spangler&rview=1&lr=&sa=N&start=0

DIB

DysonInventsBig wrote:

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:

It apears that these HOOVER ancestry vacuums are two different and distinct machines.

Carmine D.

Model2 wrote:

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

Carmine D.

CarmineD wrote:

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

CarmineD wrote:

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.

Thank you for the edification.  When you talk to your friend in NC, Ohio, who owns the post 1960 HOOVER machines, please give him my best.

Carmine D.

On the HOOVER Web Site, after you look at the the Platinum Collection, there is link to FAQ:  Frequently Asked Questions.  If you scroll down the list, there's one on old HOOVER cleaners.  Here is the answer which notedly mentions vacuum collectors and local repair shops.  BTW, after William "BOSS" HOOVER and James Spangler joined forces as partners BOSS HOOVER started the practice of selling vacuums out of local retail stores with reatilers keeping the commissions on the HOOVER sales.  A sales practice that HOOVER and many other big box vacuum brands still follow, not just in the US but globally:

Do you want an old Hoover cleaner that I have?

We appreciate your offer, but we have a museum of all the cleaners. You might consider placing an ad your local paper or internet. There are many vacuum collectors across America! You might also contact a local vacuum repair shop who might use it as a display.

Carmine D.

Model2 wrote:
Model2,

Many thanks!!  The Spangler Hoover story is a great story (the little I know).

A few questions...
When was the Suction Sweeper name/brand changed to Hoover?  And what vacuum was the first Hoover model (do you have a pic of this too?).  Was W H Hoover a preacher or the son of a preacher?  If you have more Spangler vacuum photos, please share.

I love hearing of backyard inventors who's innovations ultimately create industries and wealth.  Have you seen the Modern Marvel video on Spangler and Hoover?  It shows some old footage (few seconds) of the underside of a Suction Sweeper (I believe it was a Suction Sweeper) and it used casters.  I just assumed these casters were fixed to the unit by a home user and not from the factory.  You cleared this up.

Thanks again,
DIB

On August 8th, 1908,  Spangler's 'Electric Suction Sweeper Company' was reorganized , with William H Hoover as president and treasurer, Herbert W Hoover as secretary and general manager, and James M Spangler as superintendent. On January 3rd, 1910, the company was renamed 'The Hoover Suction Sweeper Company', so the first Hoover machines would have dated from around then. However, some late Model Os (or possibly, Model O Improved) bore the name 'Hoover' on the front...the great problem I've had in my research is that very few, if any, official records were kept from this time; the company comprised of fewer than 20 people at this point, and cleaners were being built in a corner of Hoover's leather goods workshop! Everything's very vague, and it's a case of piecing things together from old photos, adverts, sales literature etc, which itself is very thin on the ground. I feel very lucky to have obtained what I have!

The first cleaner Hoover could really call 'all new', as opposed to a variation on Spangler's original design, would have been the 1909 Model 2 (my user ID here!). Before this came the Model O, Model 18, Model O Improved, Model 1 and Model 1 Improved - all within the 1908-09 period; improvements came thick and fast! Here's a picture of Model 2, on display at the Historical Center - a total departure from the large, bulky Spangler-based machines, and infintely more efficient!

Here are two cleaners patented by Spangler; the 1912 Hooverette (the first compact upright; the Dyson DC24 of it's day!), and the 1915 Hoover Baby. Both of these 'budget' models used a brush-roll driven by the front wheels like a carpet-sweeper, combined with an electric suction-only motor:

To answer your second question, W H Hoover was indeed an ordained minister, and also New Berlin/North Canton's first mayor. He was a very generous benefactor to the town and community of New Berlin/North Canton, and is still held with great respect and affection by the people of the town. There's even a statue and plaque in his honour.

I haven't seen the Modern Marvel video on Spangler and Hoover, but it sounds very interesting! Can it be found online anywhere?