Carpet Sweeper

Invented by : Melville R. Bissell

Invented in year : 1876

A Carpet Sweeper is a mechanical device for the cleaning of carpets. A Carpet Sweeper typically consists of a small box. The base of the box has rollers and brushes, connected by a belt or gears. There is also a container for dirt. The arrangement is such that when pushed along a floor the rollers turn and force the brushes to rotate. The brushes sweep dirt and dust from the floor into the container. Carpet Sweepers frequently have a height adjustment that enables them to work on different lengths of carpet, or carpet-less floors. The Sweeper usually has a long handle so that it can be pushed without bending over. The Carpet Sweeper was redesigned at the beginning of the 21st century, and fitted with an electric motor to spin the rollers and brushes; this device is powered by rechargeable batteries.

History

The Bissell Carpet Sweeper was developed in 1876, by Melville R. Bissell of Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA, who operated a crockery  store with his wife, Anna, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Bissells received most of their fragile glass and china shipments in crates packed with sawdust, which often spilled onto the floors in their shop. In sweeping up the wood shavings, Bissell kicked up dust that got into his rugs, prompting him to invest in a Carpet Sweeper. These devices, which had been available since 1858, used floor wheels to drive rotating brushes that swept dirt out of the pile in rugs. Although not perfect, they were infinitely more effective than brooms.

Bissell purchased a model called the "Welcome," but he noted several deficiencies in the design and endeavoured to develop a better model. The Bissell design also used floor wheels to drive a brush, but on an improved reduction gear. The bristles bent slightly as they brushed through the carpet. When they rotated off the floor, they sprung whatever debris was in their path up into a compartment. The dirt could be emptied by simply opening the top of the box and shaking it over a garbage can. It was Patented by Melville R. Bissell in 1876, manufactured and sold in 1883.

Development in the invention of the Carpet Sweeper

With the advent of the vacuum cleaner, a major improvement was made in 1928, the cleaner automatically adjusted the height of the brushes to different surfaces.

In 1960, Bissell had introduced the "Stick Vac," a lightweight vacuum that could be handled like a broom. The Bissell Stick Vac competed with similar models built by vacuum cleaner manufacturers Regina and General Electric.

In 1981, Bissell rolled out a second wet carpet cleaner called "It's Magic." The product contained no pump (the part most likely to fail on such devices), but drew its water pressure from a sink faucet. Although the wet carpet cleaner filled out the Bissell line, it performed below expectations and was phased out of production.

In 1985, Bissell introduced a three-in-one vacuum cleaner, intended for use on stairs and on the second level of homes, where a heavy vacuum cleaner would be less practical and more cumbersome.

In 1992, the company rolled out a new carpet shampoo device called the Bissell Promax (later renamed 'Powerlifter' because of a copyright battle with Hoover). This was followed a year later by another product with more attachments and capabilities, called the Bissell Big Green Clean Machine. A smaller version of the device, the Bissell Little Green Clean Machine, was introduced the same way in October 1993.

Within the deep cleaning category, Bissell already had been successful in the area of canister  models (the Big Green) and portable models (the Little Green). In 1997 the company launched its first upright model, the "PowerSteamer". Bissell continued to build up its line of deep cleaners with the late 1997 debut of "Steam 'n Clean", the mid-1998 introduction of the Spot Lifter, and the spring 1999 launch of the "PowerSteamer ProHeat Plus". The "Steam 'n Clean" model, at a retail price of less than $150, was the industry's first competitively priced steam cleaner; it also was touted for its compact size, allowing users to comfortably hold it in their hands, and for cutting warm up time from 20 minutes to 30 seconds. The "PowerSteamer ProHeat Plus", an upright deep cleaner retailing at $299, was said to be the first deep cleaner to contain a heating element.

Role of the Invention of Carpet Sweeper in the development of Human Life

• The invention made Carpet cleaning easy and effective.

• It paved the way for Vacuum Cleaner which  could be used for heavy duty cleaning. But the Carpet Sweeper had a unique place in the home as it was easy and convenient to use for small jobs around the home like cleaning the patio, the pool area, and the cottage. Also it was lightweight, inexpensive and portable.

• They are still used by some restaurant chains (e.g. Perkins) as they are lightweight and quiet, enabling the wait-staff to quickly clean crumbs up from the floor without disturbing other diners.