James Murray Spangler brought about the next significant leap towards the vacuum cleaner as we know it today

His vacuum cleaner was created out of a necessity…the necessity of treating his own asthma.

Spangler worked as a janitor in a department store in Canton, Ohio.

Spangler developed a chronic cough. He assumed that this cough was the result of the airborne dust being stirred up by the carpet sweeper he was using to clean the store.

Being a tinkerer and amateur inventor, he decided to solve this dilemma.

His design consisted of an old electric ceiling fan motor, a broom handle and one of his wife’s pillowcases.

This device is said to be the first “portable, electric vacuum cleaner.”

This was also the first vacuum cleaner that was lightweight enough and practical enough for household use.

This vacuum cleaner was also the first vacuum cleaner powered by electricity instead of a gasoline-powered motor.

After improving this first design, Spangler obtained a patent for this design on June 2, 1908.

He soon formed the Electric Suction Sweeper Company.

This was a family business. His son helped him assemble the machines. His daughter assembled the dust bags.

However, they were only able to produce two or three vacuum cleaners each week.