Fascinating
facts about the invention
of
carpet sweeper by Melville Bissell in
1876. |
CARPET SWEEPER |
AT A GLANCE:
In 1876,
Melville
Bissell began marketing his invention, a
carpet sweeper with
revolving brushes which picked up the dust and dirt and deposited it inside the sweeper
housing. It depended on the rotation of the wheels to drive the sweeping mechanism and
only removed debris from the uppermost regions of the carpet nap. |
THE
STORY
RELATED INFO
BOOKS
VIDEOS
WEB SITES
WHERE TO FIND
DID YOU KNOW? |
|
Invention: |
carpet sweeper
in 1876 |
|
|
Function: |
noun / to
remove from a surface with a brush |
|
Definition: |
A device used to clean rugs and floors,
consisting of a metal or plastic box equipped with rotating brushes
and pushed by means of a long handle. |
| Patent: |
182,346 (US)
issued September 19,1876 |
|
| Inventor: |
Melville Reuben
Bissell |
|
|
Criteria: |
First practical.. Entrepreneur. |
| Birth: |
September 25, 1843, in Hartwick, New York. |
| Death: |
March 15, 1889, in Grand Rapids, Michigan |
|
Nationality: |
American |
|
Milestones:
1811 first floor-sweeping machine
patented by James Hume in England
1858 Lucius Bigelow in England and Hiram Herrick in Massachusetts
invent improved version
1876 Melville Bissell receives
patent for his carpet sweeper invention
1883 The first BISSELL manufacturing plant is built in Grand
Rapids, Michigan.
1889 Anna Bissell becomes America's first female corporate CEO,
after Melville's untimely death
CAPs: Bisell, Melville Bissell, Anna Bissell, James Hume, Lucius Bigelow,
Hiram Herrick, SIPs: bissell, carpet sweeper, invention, history,
inventor of, history of, who invented, invention of, fascinating
facts. |
|
The Story:
Prior to the introduction of
"electric suction cleaners", most housewives used brooms and dust pans. Many of
the mid-Victorian homes had large "Axminster" or "Turkish" carpets on
the floors of principal rooms. In order to remove dirt, dust and animal dander from the
nap of these floor coverings, the carpets were removed from the home and beaten with a
device similar to an oversized fly swatter called a rug beater. Beginning in
1811 and again in 1858 many mechanical sweepers were invented. None of the
machines worked very well and in some cases actually stirred up more dust
then they picked up.
That was about to change thanks to an American couple living in Michigan. Anna and Melville Bissell owned a small crockery shop in
Grand Rapids, Michigan. While cleaning up after the day's work, Anna often
became frustrated with the sawdust that was embedded in the carpet. The
tiny, stubborn particles clung to the carpet, and trying to sweep them up
was becoming a time-consuming nuisance.
Anna presented the problem to Melville, her mechanically inclined husband.
Melville designed and constructed a carpet sweeper machine that he hoped
would solve the problem once and for all.
His ingenious design was a success, and word of Melville Bissell's carpet
sweeper spread quickly. People soon began asking where they could purchase a
sweeper for themselves.Although other companies made sweepers, those didn’t
work very well. Melville’s sweeper was lighter, worked on uneven floors and
picked up dirt without creating a cloud of dust. When people saw this, they
wanted one, too.
As word of the Bissell sweeper got around, Melville and Anna loaded their
buggy with carpet sweepers and sold them door-to-door, each taking opposite
sides of the street. The brushes were made by local women in their homes,
then assembled in a room above the store.The BISSELL Carpet Sweeper was patented in 1876, and in 1883 the first
BISSELL manufacturing plant was built in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Following Melville untimely death in 1889, Anna Bissell stepped in
and confidently took control of the company, becoming America's first female
corporate CEO.
Under Anna's aggressive and innovative management, The cpmpany soon began to
look in new directions in product development and to expand their business
to include all the continents of the world. Anna ran the company until her
death in 1934, at age 87.
Today Bissell Inc. is an industry leader, with
products sold in more than 60 countries. Still privately owned and still
managed by the Bissell family, Bissell Inc. merits its own chapter in the
history of American housekeeping. |
TO
LEARN MORE
RELATED INFORMATION:
Invention of the Vacuum
Clearer from The Great Idea Finder
History of Household Items from The Great Idea Finder
ON THE BOOKSHELF:
Panati’s
Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things
by Charles Panati / Paperback - 480 pages Reissue edition
(September 1989) / HarperCollins
Discover the fascinating stories behind the origins of over 500 everyday items,
expressions and customs.
World
of Inventions
by Bridget Travers, Jeffrey Muhr, Sarah S. Evans / Hardcover 1043 pages (1998) / GALE
Group
A one-volume reference covering both well-known and lesser-known inventions and inventors,
this fairly comprehensive work includes information on noteworthy contributions of
inventors from groups that may have been overlooked in the past, namely, women and
minorities. More than 1100 alphabetically arranged entries describe
significant developments from the Industrial Revolution to the present, focusing not on
how things work but on how they came to be.
Never Done: A
History of American Housework
by Susan Strasser / Paperback: 361 pages / Owl Books (NY) (November 1,
2000)
It is truly an eye-opening perspective on housework, not to mention a history of the tools
of the trade.
How to Avoid Housework
by Paula Jhung / Paperback: 224 pages / Fireside (May 5, 1995)
Tips, Hints and Secrets to Show You How to Have a Spotless Home Without
Lifting. She wants to develop a self-cleaning house, and although that
remains only a dream, the wisdom amassed in pursuit of it, if heeded, can
help make cleaning much easier.
The Almanac of Fascinating Beginnings:
(This title is out of print.)
by Norman King / Paperback - 130 pages (1994) / Citadel Press
/ISBN: 080651549X
From the Academy Awards to the Xerox Machine
ON THE SCREEN:
Household Wonders
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / History Channel / Less than $25.00
HOUSEHOLD WONDERS tells the story of seven taken-for-granted inventions
that make modern life comfy, fast and clean: the stove, sewing machine,
refrigerator, air conditioner, washing machine, vacuum cleaner, toaster
and mixer.
ON THE WEB:
BISSELL -
WE MEAN CLEAN!
Since 1876, we've spent years developing cleaning tools and formulas
designed to keep your living environment up to the highest standards. Even
though the dust is now somewhat settled, BISSELL remains focused on the
future.
(URL: www.bissell.com/)
The
Carpet Sweeper History
Melville Bissell didn’t
start out intending to make carpet sweepers. After all, he and his wife Anna
had a successful Grand Rapids crockery shop.
As word of the Bissell sweeper got around, Melville and Anna loaded their
buggy with carpet sweepers and sold them door-to-door, each taking opposite
sides of the street. In 1883 Melville and Anna incorporated Bissell.
(URL: www.bissell.com/main2.asp?Page_id=88)
Canada Science and Technology Museum
The largest of its kind in Canada devoted to Science and Technology education.
(URL: www.science-tech.nmstc.ca)
The Public Museum of Grand Rapids
The largest collection of carpet sweepers in the world: approximately 1,500
of them.The collection was given to the Public Museum by Bissell Inc. a few
years ago and includes virtually every model they made, plus many made by
competitors.
(URL: www.grmuseum.org/exhibits/bissell/index.shtml)
First Female CEO
After Melville died of pneumonia in 1889, Anna Bissell became one of
America’s first female CEOs and ran the company until her death in 1934, at
age 87.
(URL: www.michiganhistorymagazine.com/features/michweek/splash.html)
US Patent No. 182,346
The brushes were made by local women in their homes, then assembled in a
room above the store.
(URL: www.twistedhistory.com/issues/september/0919.html)
WHERE TO FIND:
Bissell Carpet Sweeper
Home & Garden / by BISSELL INC /
ASIN: B0007ZKHF6 / model
2101Z / Less than $23.00
Convenient and Lightweight - less than 12 pounds. Stores ready to use.
Powerful Cross Action Brush loosens embedded dirt. Cleans as well as a full
size upright deep cleaner.
Versatile - quickly converts from a deep cleaner to a bare floor cleaner.
DID YOU KNOW?:
- Bissell soon became a household word: Queen Victoria once demanded that
Buckingham Palace carpets be "Bisselled."
- Anna Bissell was also one of the first
employers in America to provide employee health benefits.
|
|
Designated
trademarks and brands are the property of their respective owners. |
| Reference
Sources in BOLD Type. |
This
page revised April, 2005. |
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