Walter Timmis was a consulting engineer at a Sackett-Wilhelms Lithographing & Publishing Company oin Brooklyn, New York.
But this publishing company had a problem
Timmis turned to the Manhattan office of the Buffalo Forge Company, a company that designed and manufactured steam engines and pumps.
He explained this problem to J. Irvine Lyle, the head of Buffalo Forge’s sales activities in New York.
His printing paper was soaking up moisture because of the high temperatures and high levels of humidity in the printing press building. As a result, his paper expanded and contracted in size.
At the time, printing was a tedious process that involved running the printing press over a single piece of paper…applying one color of ink to the paper at a time.
By the time four different colors of ink were applied, the colors would be misaligned.
The company was turning out low-quality work.
The company was also wasting its resources and losing production days.
The problem was so bad that several of his most important clients threatened to take their work elsewhere.
Timms needed the Buffalo Forge to figure out how he could control humidity at the printing press.
Yet nobody had yet figured out how to use “modern” technology to create a comfortable microclimate indoors. Previous attempts had not been efficient enough or had been too cumbersome for commercial use.
He recognized the importance of being able to control the humidity levels in a manufacturing environment.
He also thought he knew someone who could easily solve this dilemma.
For thousands of years, humankind attempted to do something about the slow torture of hot weather.
These attempts involved…
electric power
ice made from steam engines
professional air-sniffers
refrigerated beds
slave power
ventilation amateurs
water power
Thankfully, someone finally invented “modern air conditioning.”
Air conditioning allowed people to live in places that were previously considered inhabitable – like the desserts of New Mexico and Arizona.
Air conditioning led directly to the success of movie theaters, especially afternoon matinees. People were willing to spend money simply to enjoy a break from the summer heat.
Air conditioning helped create better work environments for factory and office workers. Being able to work in an air-conditioned factory was an employee benefit right off the bat.
Not only that, air conditioning was great for the factories and businesses also. Workers were more productive working in a more comfortable environment.
Air-conditioning prevented millions of heat-related deaths.
Air conditioning is now seen as an expected necessity, not the luxury that our great-grandmothers thought that it was.
Even if we only seem to appreciate it when it’s 102 degrees in the shade.
So who are we to thank for finally creating the first modern air conditioner?
Probably some foreign guy whose name we could never pronounce even if we practiced all day?
No…
And obviously, modern air conditioning was invented to keep people comfortable hot, humid summer?
No again…
The answers may surprise you as much as they did me…
Anyone else remember watching Carl Sagan talk about “billions and billions” of planets out there…
Well, that could also be how much “gross” stuff – allergens, dirt, dust mites, food particles, mold spores, pet hair and dander, pollen, pollutants – could be lurking way down in the nooks and crannies of your carpet fibers…
Thankfully, we no longer have to depend on Puffing Billy to come embarrass by dragging out these demons and devils that have come to rest on our precious floors…
We no longer have to worry about all of our demons being seen…piped out of our windows and into the lawn for all of God’s creation to see and laugh at.
But there are probably things that each of us could do to improve our vacuuming…
And if you’re like me, one of those things that we could…and probably should…be doing is vacuuming on a regular basis, not only when the floor is disgusting or company (or your mom) is coming over.
Regularly vacuuming, much like brushing your teeth, has too many benefits not to ignore…such as…
Better indoor air quality
Fewer pests, specifically ants and cockroaches
Healthier living environment
Improved air quality
Longer life enduranc of furnishings
More visually appealing home
To keep your floor looking their best year-round. Vacuum at least once a week. You may need to vacuum more frequently if you have pets.
You may need to vacuum high foot-traffic areas more frequently.
You might also want to vacuum more frequently in the spring or fall…when allergy season is at its peak. This will help improve indoor air quality
To keep your floor looking their best year-round. Vacuum at least once a week. You may need to vacuum more frequently if you have pets.
You may need to vacuum high foot-traffic areas more frequently.
You might also want to vacuum more frequently in the spring or fall…when allergy season is at its peak. This will help improve indoor air quality
It’s kinda hard to vacuum, if you don’t have a vacuum.
But even if you do have a vacuum, it can still be rather hard.
First of all, you should not have just any vacuum…you need to have the right vacuum for your specific needs.
Having the right tool for the job makes all the difference.
The “Elephant in the Room” Vacuum Cleaner
There are basically two lines of thought as far as the “big” vacuum cleaner: the canister vacuum cleaner or the upright vacuum cleaner.
This choice should be based on what type of surface you will be vacuuming most.
Hardwood or tile: Canister: Weigh less than upright vacuum cleaners…better at cleaning stairs, high areas and hard-to-reach spots…typically have softer brushes than other types of vacuums. These softer brushes will keep your floor from getting scratched.
Carpets or large areas: Upright: Stronger “suction” power and rotating brushes make upright vacuum cleaners the best vacuum cleaners for deep cleaning carpets
In addition to the “front and center” vacuum cleaner, you may want to consider adding these three vacuum cleaners to your cleaning arsenal also:
Cordless Handheld Vacuum Cleaner: Who in their right mind wants to drag out the “Big Bertha” every time they feel like vacuuming?
Especially when all you need to do is vacuum up a small mess or vacuum in a particular area – such as car floors and couch cushions.
Thank God for these smaller, lightweight sisters…the perfect answer for vacuuming under the kitchen table every time you try to feed your two year old.
However, smaller handheld vacuum cleaners are not as powerful as their bigger sisters.
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 daughterassembled the dust bags.
However, they were only able to produce two or three vacuum cleaners each week.
